I have been speaking with numerous students and administrators about the direction of the Student Association this year. Everyone I speak with is excited about our vision, and together, we are excited about turning student apathy into real action with tangible results at GW. The Student Association has been working hard all summer developing and implementing student-centered policies and putting in place mechanisms to advocate for students.
We will continue the successful Ask George! program this year; if you have any concerns, e-mail us at [email protected] and we will respond within 48 hours. Also, we are launching AOL Instant Messenger sessions under the screen name GWSAprez. If you catch me online, ask questions and let me know what we can do to make GW a better place. Look out for dates and times soon, but in the meanwhile, put it on your buddy list.
To enhance the abilities of student organizations, we have established monthly Presidents’ Council meetings to assist organizations in, among other issues, advertising, catering and funding. The SA is committed this year to empowering students and student organizations to do better and together we will. The meetings will be held on Sept. 21, Oct. 19 and Nov. 30 in Marvin Center rooms 310, 310 and 405, respectively. They will begin promptly at 9 p.m.
By executive order, I created two advisory commissions to reform election rules and the SA Constitution to make our student government more internally efficient and externally serviceable. Thanks to the help of Student Health Services, we have created a Commission on Student Health that will make recommendations to enhance both perception and services.
This year, we will ensure student groups will receive at least 81 percent of what students put into our coffers. Together, my Vice President for Financial Affairs and the Senate Finance Committee will educate student groups on the proper way to use SA funds, and will facilitate reimbursements in a timely manner.
I am making progress on my campaign promises of efficient class registration, safe residence halls and an online test/syllabi file. I will continue to move forward on the formation of an online class wait list system. The University has been supportive of the idea from the very start, and we will continue to make progress on it. I look forward to working with both administration and faculty to come to a consensus on how we can have a system that makes sense.
The University department of Residential Property Management has distinguished itself as a department that continues to put students’ needs first. We are working with them to establish a Residence Hall Renewal Project that will put forward a long-term strategy to renovate our residence halls, and it has been productive thus far. I can only expect positive results from our collaboration.
The test/syllabi file is an important service to students that we provide. We will place them online; however, in an attempt to bring our files into the 21st century, this summer we discarded almost 50 percent of our holdings because they were outdated. We need all students to bring in copies of syllabi and tests to keep this useful service available. We will be working with the Faculty Senate and the Joint Committee on Faculty and Students to urge professors to submit their syllabi before class registration to aid students in choosing their classes, in hopes of significantly decreasing the currently astronomical add/drop rates.
Lastly but very important is the GW Votes initiative. With a little over two months from a presidential election, we must focus on getting everyone to vote, specifically by absentee. Look out for events and information. For more about how to get involved with GW Votes, please contact [email protected].
As SA President, I will pledge my time, energy and effort to making GW a better place to live and learn for all students at this University. I also pledge to make our SA a more efficient and effective representative body by renewing a sense of selfless commitment to students. This year, the Student Association will fight for students, as students. Maintaining this perspective, we will have the most successful year in SA history and lay a firm groundwork for those who succeed us. We hope that everyone will join us in making this University and our Student Association the best, and at the least, institutions of which we can be proud.
We urge you to voice your support or opposition of initiatives and policies and to share your concerns about how the University and the Student Association conducts its affairs. Contact us via e-mail at [email protected] or call (202) 994-7100. Our doors are always open. We will be visible, available and at your service. Do not expect anything less.
-The writer, a senior majoring in International Affairs and Public Policy, is Student Association President.
