“Student Affairs and Services is the portion of the university that is designed for what I like to refer to as ‘beyond the classroom,’” Maybank said. “It is how you take what it is that has brought you to college, in terms of you aspiring to do something bigger, better, or in some way that makes a difference in your life, and how do we add value to that with activity, engagement and interest beyond the classroom.”

Maybank was questioned regarding the sexual assault investigation process. Members of the general assembly asked about the amount of time it takes to decide a case. She detailed the filing and appeals processes for dismissal-related cases and reiterated that she has the final say over all decisions in any disciplinary action leading to a dismissal.

“The process is, if it is a suspension or a dismissal of any kind, sexual assault or otherwise, it has to come across my desk,” Maybank said.

Also discussed was the state of the MSU Counseling Center and the university’s position on mental health. Concern was raised about long wait times to be assigned a counselor, insufficient staffing and resources, and the referral of students to external counseling services they might have to pay for personally. Maybank said the division is taking steps to address these issues.

“There are efforts around communication … there’s ongoing progress,” Maybank said.

Representatives expressed interest in initiatives to create gender-neutral bathrooms on campus, the first of which would be built in Student Services building because of its hosting of the LBGT Resource Center. Maybank put her support behind the project, saying she has taken every chance to put the idea forward, but citing a construction cost of $68,000 as a barrier to completion.

“There is no question in my mind that this building needs its own gender-neutral bathroom,” Maybank said. “(However) we cannot change what we have here, we have to add. It’s not as simple as putting up a sign.”

A discussion followed regarding the topic of "brave spaces," an initiative from Student Affairs and Services to facilitate discussion with students regarding controversial topics.

“The initiative from Student Affairs downstairs was to get small groups of students to come and talk about different controversial issues,” Vice President for Internal Administration and political science junior Jason Porter said.

Porter said large circles were printed off to be used as brave spaces, where dialogue would be facilitated around them. Porter felt like physically representing the spaces gave off the wrong message.

“One of my major concerns that I brought up tonight was the actual disc itself,” Porter said. “I felt if you put these discs in certain locations, that only that area is a brave space and the campus as a whole is not a brave space … as though you can only have these conversations ... in a specific location rather than the campus as a whole.”

Maybank responded with partial agreement.

“There is no stamp you’re going to put on a door that makes a place safe,” Maybank said. “That’s not what this is about. It’s about saying that we are committed to engage, to listen, to learn, to understand.”

ASMSU President and public policy senior Domonique Clemons expressed gratitude Maybank was able to attend and answer questions, but maintained that he wasn’t fully satisfied with her answers.

Clemons said he wasn't "excited" by all of Maybank's answers, but he believed them to be honest answers.

“I was pleasantly surprised that she stayed for as long as she did and fielded every question,” Clemons said. "I think one of the things that her answers show is that there is a lot of work that needs to be done on this campus in regards to mental health, recreation and sexual assault. … It’s very clear that she’s not doing her full part to protect students on campus and that is a problem. That is something that we at ASMSU are going to continue to push for until the university takes the proper steps to protect students from sexual assault and ensure that their mental health needs are being met."