Student Organization Involvement
The Student Association is in charge of allocating money toward student organizations and groups on campus. As EVP, I would extend the Student Association's involvement with organizations beyond just the allocations process. I've been a member of student organizations, and know personally how frustrating the disconnect between student organizations and the SA can be, but this does not have to be permanent! The SA should be the vehicle through which student organizations communicate, and I will work to make sure this can happen.
GW student orgs need an updated online home, through which we can streamline funding requests and renewals, and share strategies on everything from listserv maintenance to transition dinner strategies. As we move into a new decade, the efficiency with which the internet improves communication and makes organizing easier must be harnessed.
Improving the Consistency of FixIt
FixIt is one of the most important tools to GW Residence Hall life. While GW consistently ranks among the best on-campus housing nationwide, not everyone can have a perfect housing experience. FixIt requests get lost or ignored, and students are left with damaged property and no progress. We've all been there, whether it be a broken towel rack, toilet that won't flush, or stove top that won't ignite. FixIt needs to become a more open process, by making wait times more consistent and information more readily available. If for some reason a FixIt request cannot be honored perfectly or in adequate time, the student has a right to know the reason as to why, and how to compensate in the mean time.
Clarification and Revision of SJS Policy
Student Judicial Services has some of the most detailed, and most confusing, policies on campus. SJS and CADE's Alcohol Medical Amnesty program is one of the most frequently misinterpreted policies on campus, because it has effects in both a student's "judicial" record and "administrative" record, and there is a disconnect between what the consequences of these two records mean. It wasn't until I personally talked with CADE that I truly understood how it worked, and what its shortcomings were. This policy should be revised and publicized, so that the true effects of it are known. If a student is EMERGed, they have a right to know up front what records it will go on, and for how long. A mistake made as a freshman should not affect a student years later, and a student should not have to risk getting in trouble for calling EMERG to help a sick friend.
Bookstore Policies and Prices
The GW bookstore is steadily gaining a reputation for overcharging students for new books, and undercharging them for returned books. As a result, online book rental programs such as Chegg.com and Half.com are steadily gaining popularity, and for good reason. The GW bookstore needs to begin offering better rates for students returning books, and a wider selection of used, and more competitively priced, new books. This can be realistically achieved by working with both efollet (our school bookstore's company) and the faculty senate, encouraging them to make better use of digital services such as Aplia and blackboard, and the mixture of older textbook versions with digital updates. Books need to be resources for students, not profit makers for companies.
Improvement of Mandatory Student Dining
Since GW began using Sodexo three years ago as their mandatory student dining provider in venues such as J-Street, the quality of food has diminished, and the drive to improve it has stagnated. The Student Association, as the representatives of all students, needs to continue to push to improve the quality of the food within J-Street, and maximizing the use of partners that Sodexo offers GW.
Sodexo does not need to correlate with sub-par dining options. At George Mason, the Sodexo-created Southside dining hall offers high-quality food in an array of varieties. Furthermore, it offers extensive vegetarian, vegan and organic options, and has a completely sustainable dining infrastructure, such as biodegradable serviceware products and food recycling programs.
Graduate Student Involvement
Over the past decade, GW has made tremendous progress in academic rankings and undergraduate community-building, however the sense of graduate community is still in development. This year, the GradLife Programming Council is restarting, and the Student Association should be among its strongest supporters and sponsors. Graduate students should be afforded an equal opportunity to take part in the wide array of unique opportunities and organizations that GW offers.
The Student Association is in charge of allocating money toward student organizations and groups on campus. As EVP, I would extend the Student Association's involvement with organizations beyond just the allocations process. I've been a member of student organizations, and know personally how frustrating the disconnect between student organizations and the SA can be, but this does not have to be permanent! The SA should be the vehicle through which student organizations communicate, and I will work to make sure this can happen.
GW student orgs need an updated online home, through which we can streamline funding requests and renewals, and share strategies on everything from listserv maintenance to transition dinner strategies. As we move into a new decade, the efficiency with which the internet improves communication and makes organizing easier must be harnessed.
Improving the Consistency of FixIt
FixIt is one of the most important tools to GW Residence Hall life. While GW consistently ranks among the best on-campus housing nationwide, not everyone can have a perfect housing experience. FixIt requests get lost or ignored, and students are left with damaged property and no progress. We've all been there, whether it be a broken towel rack, toilet that won't flush, or stove top that won't ignite. FixIt needs to become a more open process, by making wait times more consistent and information more readily available. If for some reason a FixIt request cannot be honored perfectly or in adequate time, the student has a right to know the reason as to why, and how to compensate in the mean time.
Clarification and Revision of SJS Policy
Student Judicial Services has some of the most detailed, and most confusing, policies on campus. SJS and CADE's Alcohol Medical Amnesty program is one of the most frequently misinterpreted policies on campus, because it has effects in both a student's "judicial" record and "administrative" record, and there is a disconnect between what the consequences of these two records mean. It wasn't until I personally talked with CADE that I truly understood how it worked, and what its shortcomings were. This policy should be revised and publicized, so that the true effects of it are known. If a student is EMERGed, they have a right to know up front what records it will go on, and for how long. A mistake made as a freshman should not affect a student years later, and a student should not have to risk getting in trouble for calling EMERG to help a sick friend.
Bookstore Policies and Prices
The GW bookstore is steadily gaining a reputation for overcharging students for new books, and undercharging them for returned books. As a result, online book rental programs such as Chegg.com and Half.com are steadily gaining popularity, and for good reason. The GW bookstore needs to begin offering better rates for students returning books, and a wider selection of used, and more competitively priced, new books. This can be realistically achieved by working with both efollet (our school bookstore's company) and the faculty senate, encouraging them to make better use of digital services such as Aplia and blackboard, and the mixture of older textbook versions with digital updates. Books need to be resources for students, not profit makers for companies.
Improvement of Mandatory Student Dining
Since GW began using Sodexo three years ago as their mandatory student dining provider in venues such as J-Street, the quality of food has diminished, and the drive to improve it has stagnated. The Student Association, as the representatives of all students, needs to continue to push to improve the quality of the food within J-Street, and maximizing the use of partners that Sodexo offers GW.
Sodexo does not need to correlate with sub-par dining options. At George Mason, the Sodexo-created Southside dining hall offers high-quality food in an array of varieties. Furthermore, it offers extensive vegetarian, vegan and organic options, and has a completely sustainable dining infrastructure, such as biodegradable serviceware products and food recycling programs.
Graduate Student Involvement
Over the past decade, GW has made tremendous progress in academic rankings and undergraduate community-building, however the sense of graduate community is still in development. This year, the GradLife Programming Council is restarting, and the Student Association should be among its strongest supporters and sponsors. Graduate students should be afforded an equal opportunity to take part in the wide array of unique opportunities and organizations that GW offers.
