2008 Woodie Awards
Ready, set, go for SGA
Michael Fox, Collegian Staff
Issue date: 9/8/08 Section: News
The Student Government Association is kicking off the new semester in a way which is strikingly similar to its focus last spring: with a mission to emphasize student activism on campus and make sure students' voices are heard.
One of the ways that the SGA plans on accomplishing these goals is by continuing to make sure negotiations made with the University's administration are met and that new negotiations are discussed. These initial negotiations were made after last year's student strike, which the SGA organized to address financial aid, diversity, police presence and student space issues.
The SGA said that it had made progress in the negotiation, claiming it had opened up communication with the University's administration. Negotiations that the SGA made with last year's Interim Chancellor Thomas Cole included an increase of $600,000 for student financial aid, a student "lobby day," a community/police advisory board where students can address issues such as undercover police presence in residence halls and a diversity advisory council where students can advise the chancellor on diversity issues.
"Regardless of the current administration's willingness to meet with students, negotiations that came out of the strike will continue because we as a student body will not allow our efforts to be wasted," said Shaun Robinson, speaker for the SGA senate.
SGA leaders agreed however, that it is too soon to tell if the University's new chancellor, Robert Holub, will follow up fully with last year's negotiations.
"While Chancellor Holub has agreed to meet monthly with us, he has not made any statements which point to him recognizing fully the strike agreements or the last part of the 'Student Administrative Agreement' which calls for continued negotiations," said SGA President Malcolm Chu.
In addition to continued negotiations with the administration, the SGA is expanding its efforts to strengthen student participation by making the SGA senate more accessible to students.
One of the ways that the SGA plans on accomplishing these goals is by continuing to make sure negotiations made with the University's administration are met and that new negotiations are discussed. These initial negotiations were made after last year's student strike, which the SGA organized to address financial aid, diversity, police presence and student space issues.
The SGA said that it had made progress in the negotiation, claiming it had opened up communication with the University's administration. Negotiations that the SGA made with last year's Interim Chancellor Thomas Cole included an increase of $600,000 for student financial aid, a student "lobby day," a community/police advisory board where students can address issues such as undercover police presence in residence halls and a diversity advisory council where students can advise the chancellor on diversity issues.
"Regardless of the current administration's willingness to meet with students, negotiations that came out of the strike will continue because we as a student body will not allow our efforts to be wasted," said Shaun Robinson, speaker for the SGA senate.
SGA leaders agreed however, that it is too soon to tell if the University's new chancellor, Robert Holub, will follow up fully with last year's negotiations.
"While Chancellor Holub has agreed to meet monthly with us, he has not made any statements which point to him recognizing fully the strike agreements or the last part of the 'Student Administrative Agreement' which calls for continued negotiations," said SGA President Malcolm Chu.
In addition to continued negotiations with the administration, the SGA is expanding its efforts to strengthen student participation by making the SGA senate more accessible to students.
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