Thursday, April 7, 2011
With Student Senate elections approaching, students should reflect on this year’s leadership as well as goals future student senators should consider.
Student Body President Michael Wade Smith, Vice President Megan Ritter and the other student senators this year did a lot of good for the student body and made some progress on important initiatives. However, it is important to also remember what can always be improved upon and to demand more from each year’s student leaders.
KUnited was successful this year in many ways. One of the coalition’s central campaign platforms during elections last spring was the Wescoe Underground expansion. The expansion would add 139 seats to the crowded Underground facilities, in hopes of easing major congestion. University officials tentatively approved the plan last fall with hopes of starting construction in May.
Although not one of its platforms, the Jayhawk Buddy System also began this year under KUnited leadership. The program began in November and encourages students to pair up with a “buddy” and to look out for each other. This means intervening if your friend isn’t making healthy choices, and vice versa. According to a Nov. 23 Kansan article, research studies show that students respond better to positive messages about responsible drinking than preaching or scare tactics. The Jayhawk Buddy System will hopefully be as successful as similar initiatives at other universities.
In addition to these, KUnited also attempted to establish a Student Services Center on campus. Unfortunately, this goal could not be achieved, but is an effort that should be continued by future student senators. The center would provide many services, such as academic achievement and success, disability services and a writing center.
As students start to think about upcoming elections, it is important to also keep in mind what student senate can improve upon as a whole. Next year’s leaders should concentrate on student outreach, communication and transparency.
This year, Student Senate worked to revamp its website and make it more interactive. While the new Student Senate website is user friendly, it can still be improved. Currently, the meeting minutes and voting records accessible on the site are from 2009-2010, with nothing more recent than March 2010. Providing minutes and records creates transparency, and students should be able to access these easily. The redesign of the website cost $3,500. At that price tag the new site should include recent documents.
Furthermore, outreach and communication as a whole should always be a goal of Student Senate. Often students are confused by proposals made by Senate, and some neglect to get involved because the process is confusing. By making an effort to communicate clearly with students, Senate can develop trust.
A job well done can always be made better and by reflecting on this year’s leadership, students can also look to goals for the future.
— Erin Brown for the Kansan Editorial Board.
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Comments
Editorial: Successful year for Student Senate, but communication could improve
And yet the Exec Board continued throughout the year to give themselves ultimate and final say on most issues that could arise in Senate by attempting to destroy the Judicial Board.
Michael Wade Smith has continued to act as though he is above the rest of the Senate in an attempt to give himself more power. I find it deplorable that he would try to give the lawmakers the ultimate foresight on law interpretation, have any of these people learned about how checks and balances work?
KUnited doubled their own budget this year, that is a shame and highly suspect. The biggest problem lies in the fact that all other parties are a sad attempt at a response, they are usually former KUnited members that didn't get picked for big positions. They don't actually run on any new ideas, simply try to counter KUnited's plans.
These people deal with large amounts of money that directly comes out of our tuition, we should care how these matters are decided.
Editorial: Successful year for Student Senate, but communication could improve
Senate money doesn't go to KUnited. Also, Senate isn't funded out of tuition dollars.
Editorial: Successful year for Student Senate, but communication could improve
It is funded through student fees and that is essentially tuition. (non optional money to the university, despite not being for classes)
Editorial: Successful year for Student Senate, but communication could improve
The tuition money goes to the University, the fee money goes to Senate to distribute. Not the same, just saying.
Editorial: Successful year for Student Senate, but communication could improve
Senate money does not go to KUnited. But KUnited in block allocation forced through salary increases. In addition, separating the two is impossible, if you'll read the Kansan article from last year's election, KUnited won all but four of the elected seats. At a majority of that size, parliamentary-style coalition-building is not necessary. In fact, it was surprising that the KUnited members did not cave to their Exec Staff's attempt to eliminate the Student Senate Court of Appeals, an organization created in reaction to a former KUnited student Body President exuding too much authority. A serious political study could be done on KUnited and how they've been able to control the only voice students have at this University, for sixteen of the last seventeen years.
Beyond that, the tuition money is divvied again by the Office of the Provost and members of Student Senate sit on the boards and are able to offer opinion on distribution and tuition cost increases. It is disingenuous to suggest KUnited is not involved the decision-maker at this time.
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