More Affordable Textbooks

Propose a university policy requiring professors to declare textbooks earlier to increase used book buyback and a university policy requiring professors to search for the lowest textbook prices and investigate bundled products that increase book prices

Lobby state government to make textbooks sales tax-free on a state level

Tax-free textbooks could benefit all students. Without the seven-and-half cent sales tax, students could save about $40 on $500-worth of books. Getting the state government to create a duty-free book-sale system, however, would be a difficult and lengthy process. This is a good idea, but it hinges on uncertain government support.

Easily Accessible Financial Aid

Implement software that allows students to input their student ID numbers and receive information about all financial aid that is available to them — including grants, scholarships, work study or any other available assets

Increase awareness of and expand current financial aid advising available to all students

Information about most grants and work study opportunities is already available on students’ financial aid summaries from the University. Most departments also send scholarship information to students or readily provide it to people who ask. The students most likely to earn scholarships already know where to look for them. With so many scholarship search engines already available, another way to locate scholarships may be unnecessary.

Increased Advising Resources

Develop an interactive ARTS form that links the ARTS form, degree requirements, course descriptions and the online timetable

Create a physical and online advising help desk to give students that extra hand in navigating their advising resources

An extra advising desk and a more comprehensive, interactive ARTS form could help improve the University’s four-year graduate rate. Then again, plenty of resources and advisors already exist for students who take the time to find them. Students who don’t take such time probably wouldn’t utilize the extra resources anyway.

Bike Lanes on Jayhawk Boulevard

Designate bike lanes on Jayhawk Boulevard to make campus safer and more environmentally friendly

A bike lane on Jayhawk Boulevard would displace several faculty and handicap parking spaces as well as require parking department approval. The lanes wouldn’t necessarily be safer either because buses would constantly need to cross them to pull over at bus stops. The stop-and-go traffic on Jayhawk Boulevard would limit the unimpeded travel that bike lanes are meant to provide. This idea is interesting, but not that realistic or beneficial.

Academic Technology Borrowing

Design, develop and implement an academic technology checkout center where students can check out laptops with needed software packages, digital cameras, video recorders or any other needed technologies.

An academic technology checkout center would give students the freedom to work on projects without having to remain in the library. As long as the program is sufficiently monitored — unlike some past initiatives, such as the Y.E.L.L.O.W. bike program — this center has the potential to provide students with more convenient access to a variety of technical resources.

Redevelopment of the Student Orgs Web Site

Create a more visible link for current and prospective students to find student organizations in which they are interested

Create a resources Web site and online registration tool for organizations

This initiative is practical and useful. Student senators could easily create a new resource Web site without having to wait for outside approval, like with several other initiatives. Online registration could also increase the number of students who benefit from Senate funding and resources.

Weekend Circulating SafeBus

Create a SafeBus program that will circulate a consistent route to popular evening venues and living areas on weekend nights

Like bike lanes on Jayhawk Boulevard, this idea is interesting, but probably not realistic. One bus wouldn’t accommodate very many students. People who couldn’t catch the bus during peak demand times would be unlikely to wait around for an entire circuit. Furthermore, Senate just approved increased funding for SafeRide, which should improve the system already in place. If a weekend bus program is going to work, it needs to involve enough buses to give students quick and reliable transportation. A single SafeBus wouldn’t do this.

Expanding the Wireless Campus

Extend wireless to all campus classrooms

Initiate wireless in on-campus housing

Extending wireless Internet into on-campus housing should help attract more students to the University. Although much of the campus is already wireless, the University still seems to lag behind other Big 12 schools when it comes to wireless student housing and classrooms. This initiative is already moving on its own, but it’s important that students stay involved.