Following calls by the 74th Session of the Student Senate of the Student Government Association, or SGA, for further information on the changing structure of Fish Camp, senators have compiled a 27-page report, which includes a timeline of emails, public announcements, articles and meetings that have influenced the conversation.
Within the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, or OVPSA, a series of emails were released via an Open Records Request, which include input on changes to Fish Camp structure from VPSA Joe Ramirez, Associate VPSA Vicki Dobiyanski, assistant director for extended orientation Andrew Carruth and student development specialist Bradley Burrough.
Correspondences in the report date back to August 2021, and catalog a new administrative role added to the Fish Camp head director, director and co-chair selection processes. Previously, administration did not play any role in these processes, and such intervention is not mentioned within the constitution of the Fish Camp organization.
In a Sept. 7 email, Dobiyanksi proposed changes to the VPSA in selecting directors and assistant directors, detailing a list of people who would approve such an appointment.
“[Director and Assistant Director] applications would be reviewed by and interviewed by new Head Director, Fish Camp Advisors and Director of Student Activities with a recommendation to the Vice President for Student Affairs (or [Associate VPSA] if you prefer) who would approve the appointment. An emphasis would be placed on reviewing other involvement to try to have leaders from different areas of campus,” the email reads.
In reaction to a Sept. 29 email sent by previous associate director for the Department of Student Activities Josh Brown, SGA has raised questions regarding the intentions the OPVSA has for Fish Camp moving forward. The original email mentions “five expectations” as a part of Fish Camp conversations, but only names two.
“i. Mission — rework 1. Awaiting language from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. ii. Values — align with the University 1. Awaiting the selection process in order to update their Constitution, which states a ¾ vote of the Director Staff is needed,” the email reads.
Findings from interviews with 2022 Fish Camp Head Director Mikayla Slaydon and interim Director of Student Activities Josh Brown are also included in the report, but are shared through general summaries of findings.
“The rationale given for 90% of the changes was to improve confidentiality,” the report reads, summarizing Slaydon’s interview. “All rationales were given strictly verbally and not over written records.”
Ending the report is a 15-question list from the report contributors to aid further investigation, broken into categories of university program status, MGT report, Mission Statement & Values and “Responsibilities as a Campus Program for Minors.”
At the Senate’s next meeting on April 13 at 7 p.m., VPSA Ramirez is set to appear before students, but, as of publication time, it is not yet known if the report will be presented.