SGA sets goals
Pat Howard
Issue date: 3/17/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
After the SGA elections last week, students are preparing for the annual changing of the guard. The end of a year is traditionally a time to evaluate accomplishments and set goals for the road ahead.
Second vice president-elect Crystal Preslar, who served this year as SGA secretary, will take office April 11. Second vice president is also called UPC vice president because this officer conducts the University Program Council's meetings.
Preslar's new office mates will be incoming president Anthony Sparks, first vice president Brett Bowen, and treasurer David Williamson.
The office of secretary will be filled at the SGA senators election this Wednesday, March 23. All students are eligible to vote for up to 34 senators and one secretary. Elections will be held in the SGA offices from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.
SGA secretary candidates Rachel Pansa and Kristi Clardy will hold a debate Tuesday at noon in the GUC.
In an interview last fall, outgoing president Katrina Brown outlined the SGA's top five goals for the year. They were: lowering the prices at student eating facilities; changing the school's attendance policy; maintaining campus security; raising pay for on-campus student jobs; and constructing intramural athletic fields.
Preslar said the SGA has made progress on these goals as well as others.
"This was my first year [on the executive committee]," Preslar said. "I was really surprised at the work ethic of the senators and the executives."
Two months ago, the SGA supervised the formation of an ad hoc committee of students and professors to address the cost of meals on campus. Dr. Steve Smith, vice president for fiscal affairs, is the head of this committee.
The group is considering the services of approximately six other vendors in addition to Sodexho to determine "what [other companies] could offer for the students," according to Preslar. However, she stressed that no decision has been made to replace Sodexho.
"We are going to reevaluate their contract," she said.
A decision about campus dining services should be made by the end of the semester.
The school's attendance policy is a source of debate among students and faculty all over the campus and the situation is no different at the SGA.
Students pitched several ideas to groups such as the faculty senate. The strongest possibility was one that would give the faculty the authority to set an attendance policy to replace the current one.
In the meantime, students have found a kind of compromise with the school's new 'W' policy for withdrawal from a course. Previously, students who dropped a class received a grade of 'WP' - withdrawn, but passing - or 'WF' - withdrawn, but failing. The new policy allows students to drop classes as late as two weeks before finals. Students simply receive a grade of 'W,' with no indication of their grade in the course.
Chronically ill students can take advantage of the 'incomplete' policy, which allows students to temporarily postpone their current course work. 'Incomplete' grades are only issued under extenuating circumstances, such as extreme illness or pregnancy. Students who receive an 'incomplete' grade can return to finish their work and receive a grade the following semester.
The issue of campus security has been on the minds of students this semester. The SGA was successful in creating overnight security guard positions in Appleby East and West residence halls. Preslar said that the Office of Residence Life has been very helpful this year.
The SGA also proposed the purchase of security cameras for the parking deck. The SGA discussed the issue with administrators, but currently the prices for cameras are cost-prohibitive.
"Now that the idea has been planted, hopefully they'll look at that in the future," Preslar said.
One administrator suggested that the cameras could be purchased through a recurring student fee, similar to the one that funds the Student Recreation Center. This would require the approval of the students through a majority vote. The student senate is currently discussing the issue; no decision has been reached.
Student workers on campus seeking pay raises were also on the agenda this year. The student welfare committee learned that raises are given on a case-by-case basis. Factors such as job performance and the departmental budget are also taken into account when determining raises.
The SGA sent a Pipeline announcement to students, faculty, and staff explaining that raises are between individual students and employers. The message encouraged students to be respectful and reasonable in their requests.
There have also been developments with the development of an intramural field for student use. The Office of Student Life is currently looking into a land plot, but Preslar said it's not the one on fraternity row that had previously been considered.
The intramural field is "a work in progress" and no timeline has been set for the project. In the meantime, Preslar said the SGA will conduct more research and possibly move more games to Veterans Park.
The SGA has also helped students communicated with the Department of Resident Life to resolve maintenance complaints more efficiently.
The students wanted to find a better system of "being notified when things are being taken care of," Preslar said.
Tom Martin, the associate director of housing, helped to set up an e-mail system for students to report maintenance issues, which has been in place since the middle of last semester.
Students with maintenance requests can send e-mails to housing-maintenance@una.edu and get a response directly from the maintenance team.
"The SGA has to give Housing a lot of credit," Preslar said. "They have been very receptive."
The group is also in discussions with Bret Jennings in the Office of Student Life about opening the Guillot University Center for a few hours on Saturdays. Additional requests for the GUC primarily concern new equipment, such as tables and chairs, as well as automatic hand-towel dispensers for the restrooms in the building.
Preslar said Jennings and his office have been very cooperative in considering SGA requests.
She gives the University Program Council credit for doing better promotion of campus activities and sporting events this year.
Developing school pride is "tough because of UNA being a suitcase college," but UPC has taken the lead to "promote what we already have going and pique student interest," she said.
As the new year approaches, Preslar is excited about her new position. She also looks forward to the completion of a project she says has been in the works for years.
The SGA is finalizing a proposal to allow students to put parking decals in a plastic sleeve that can be hung from a car's rear-view mirror. This would eliminate the hassle of removing and replacing the stickers on car windows each year.
Once it is completed, the proposal must go before James Glasso in the Office of Public Safety as well as UNA's parking and traffic committee. If it is approved, the SGA will begin selling the decal sleeves.
SGA ELECTION RESULTS
President Anthony Sparks Unopposed
First Vice President Brett Bowen Unopposed
Second Vice President Crystal Preslar 64% Ashley Reeves 36%
Treasurer David Williamson Unopposed
Secretary To Be Announced
Second vice president-elect Crystal Preslar, who served this year as SGA secretary, will take office April 11. Second vice president is also called UPC vice president because this officer conducts the University Program Council's meetings.
Preslar's new office mates will be incoming president Anthony Sparks, first vice president Brett Bowen, and treasurer David Williamson.
The office of secretary will be filled at the SGA senators election this Wednesday, March 23. All students are eligible to vote for up to 34 senators and one secretary. Elections will be held in the SGA offices from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.
SGA secretary candidates Rachel Pansa and Kristi Clardy will hold a debate Tuesday at noon in the GUC.
In an interview last fall, outgoing president Katrina Brown outlined the SGA's top five goals for the year. They were: lowering the prices at student eating facilities; changing the school's attendance policy; maintaining campus security; raising pay for on-campus student jobs; and constructing intramural athletic fields.
Preslar said the SGA has made progress on these goals as well as others.
"This was my first year [on the executive committee]," Preslar said. "I was really surprised at the work ethic of the senators and the executives."
Two months ago, the SGA supervised the formation of an ad hoc committee of students and professors to address the cost of meals on campus. Dr. Steve Smith, vice president for fiscal affairs, is the head of this committee.
The group is considering the services of approximately six other vendors in addition to Sodexho to determine "what [other companies] could offer for the students," according to Preslar. However, she stressed that no decision has been made to replace Sodexho.
"We are going to reevaluate their contract," she said.
A decision about campus dining services should be made by the end of the semester.
The school's attendance policy is a source of debate among students and faculty all over the campus and the situation is no different at the SGA.
Students pitched several ideas to groups such as the faculty senate. The strongest possibility was one that would give the faculty the authority to set an attendance policy to replace the current one.
In the meantime, students have found a kind of compromise with the school's new 'W' policy for withdrawal from a course. Previously, students who dropped a class received a grade of 'WP' - withdrawn, but passing - or 'WF' - withdrawn, but failing. The new policy allows students to drop classes as late as two weeks before finals. Students simply receive a grade of 'W,' with no indication of their grade in the course.
Chronically ill students can take advantage of the 'incomplete' policy, which allows students to temporarily postpone their current course work. 'Incomplete' grades are only issued under extenuating circumstances, such as extreme illness or pregnancy. Students who receive an 'incomplete' grade can return to finish their work and receive a grade the following semester.
The issue of campus security has been on the minds of students this semester. The SGA was successful in creating overnight security guard positions in Appleby East and West residence halls. Preslar said that the Office of Residence Life has been very helpful this year.
The SGA also proposed the purchase of security cameras for the parking deck. The SGA discussed the issue with administrators, but currently the prices for cameras are cost-prohibitive.
"Now that the idea has been planted, hopefully they'll look at that in the future," Preslar said.
One administrator suggested that the cameras could be purchased through a recurring student fee, similar to the one that funds the Student Recreation Center. This would require the approval of the students through a majority vote. The student senate is currently discussing the issue; no decision has been reached.
Student workers on campus seeking pay raises were also on the agenda this year. The student welfare committee learned that raises are given on a case-by-case basis. Factors such as job performance and the departmental budget are also taken into account when determining raises.
The SGA sent a Pipeline announcement to students, faculty, and staff explaining that raises are between individual students and employers. The message encouraged students to be respectful and reasonable in their requests.
There have also been developments with the development of an intramural field for student use. The Office of Student Life is currently looking into a land plot, but Preslar said it's not the one on fraternity row that had previously been considered.
The intramural field is "a work in progress" and no timeline has been set for the project. In the meantime, Preslar said the SGA will conduct more research and possibly move more games to Veterans Park.
The SGA has also helped students communicated with the Department of Resident Life to resolve maintenance complaints more efficiently.
The students wanted to find a better system of "being notified when things are being taken care of," Preslar said.
Tom Martin, the associate director of housing, helped to set up an e-mail system for students to report maintenance issues, which has been in place since the middle of last semester.
Students with maintenance requests can send e-mails to housing-maintenance@una.edu and get a response directly from the maintenance team.
"The SGA has to give Housing a lot of credit," Preslar said. "They have been very receptive."
The group is also in discussions with Bret Jennings in the Office of Student Life about opening the Guillot University Center for a few hours on Saturdays. Additional requests for the GUC primarily concern new equipment, such as tables and chairs, as well as automatic hand-towel dispensers for the restrooms in the building.
Preslar said Jennings and his office have been very cooperative in considering SGA requests.
She gives the University Program Council credit for doing better promotion of campus activities and sporting events this year.
Developing school pride is "tough because of UNA being a suitcase college," but UPC has taken the lead to "promote what we already have going and pique student interest," she said.
As the new year approaches, Preslar is excited about her new position. She also looks forward to the completion of a project she says has been in the works for years.
The SGA is finalizing a proposal to allow students to put parking decals in a plastic sleeve that can be hung from a car's rear-view mirror. This would eliminate the hassle of removing and replacing the stickers on car windows each year.
Once it is completed, the proposal must go before James Glasso in the Office of Public Safety as well as UNA's parking and traffic committee. If it is approved, the SGA will begin selling the decal sleeves.
SGA ELECTION RESULTS
President Anthony Sparks Unopposed
First Vice President Brett Bowen Unopposed
Second Vice President Crystal Preslar 64% Ashley Reeves 36%
Treasurer David Williamson Unopposed
Secretary To Be Announced
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