The Residence Halls Association, or RHA, considered expanding its agenda to include the Student Greenhouse Project at an internal affairs meeting Friday.
The new section of the agenda would allow for RHA-sponsored groups to give reports to the association during meetings.
"If groups we support have complaints, this is also where we could talk about them," Committee Chairman Thomas Edwards said. "This would increase communication with the groups we support.
"Also, there is a high turnover rate in RHA. This would keep formerly sponsored groups in the current mindset, so we don't forget about them."
The Student Greenhouse Project wants to build an on-campus biodome, complete with waterfalls, tropical plants and cliffs, as well as restrooms, study rooms with ethernet access and a performance area.
The project does not yet have a desired site for the greenhouse, but is looking at the Shaw Hall area, said Phillip Lamoureux, Student Greenhouse Project director.
Initially, the Student Greenhouse Project sought a representative to a non-voting position on RHA, but Edwards said inclusion in that form would not quite fit.
"There's a certain belief in RHA that I share that a representative to the body is a more formal position for administrative groups - groups that form an intrinsic link to RHA," he said. "While Student Greenhouse Project is supported by RHA, it is not really intrinsic to the group."
Although not an inherent part of RHA, vice president Josh Rabinowitz said the decision does not signify a desire to exclude the Student Greenhouse Project.
"We don't want to keep out Student Greenhouse Project - representatives show up consistently to meetings even though they are not part of RHA, and we get along well," Rabinowitz said. "They are working on something we would like to see happen. We have no intention of cutting them out."
Justin Komori, Student Greenhouse Project alumni consultant, said he understands the concerns of RHA, but also hopes for a stronger bond between the groups.
"We want more, but we understand RHA is afraid that opening up the organization to a non-residence hall group could open the floodgates for other groups," Komori said. "That's what they're worried about, but they have representatives to the body that don't show up to the meetings. Unofficially, we've had representatives attend meetings for more than a year."
RHA President Ernest Drake said the addition to the agenda is necessary to learn more about groups RHA sponsors.
"Right now, I feel we should be getting feedback on the things we support," Drake said. "We originally passed the bill to support the Student Greenhouse Project about two years ago. Quite frankly, we should be out advocating with Student Greenhouse Project to get this on campus."
At the meeting on Friday, not enough representatives from the Student Greenhouse Project were present to formally decide the relationship. A bill will be drawn up Friday and the general assembly will vote two weeks later.
The Student Greenhouse Project hoped to join with RHA to get more students involved in the development of the biodome.
"It is easier to recruit enthusiastic students from RHA because they can see what a wonderful advantage it would be to have a tropical valley as a living room right outside their dorm," Lamoureux said.
