The Student Government Association started the new school year with plans to reboot its policies and reignite student relations.
SGA will begin the school year with its Meet the Deans event Sept. 2 at 5:30 p.m. in R.C. Cook Union. This is a new event that is part of the organization’s plan to bridge the gap between students and administration.
“One thing SGA is here to do is connect you and to be a good liaison between (students) and the administration,” SGA President Jeffrey George said.
“And we figure, what better way to do that than to actually get the students and administration in the same room?”
At the event students will have the opportunity to meet and talk to the deans of their colleges and learn more about academic resources.
Later in the semester SGA will bring back its Creed Week.
They will work with students and organizations to promote safety and civility on campus.
This will bring back the It’s On Us campaign to promote sexual assault awareness and prevention.
Creed Week will also encourage healthy living and SGA members will urge students to sign the Creed and agree to uphold the values of USM.
“This year we really want to focus on reaching out to students and seeing what we can do to improve their experience,” George said. “I think now it’s really going to give us the opportunity for students to come to us and use us as a resource.”
Senate began working to initiate academic changes.
Dead week will be put into place as well as the three-exam policy.
The rules of dead week will not allow professors to assign test or assignments worth more than 15 percent of students’ final grade within the last five days of class.
The three-exam policy will prevent students from being forced to take three exams on the same day. Students will have the opportunity to talk to their professors and reschedule exams if they already have two other exams.
Senate will continue to develop the smoking legislation from the 2014-2015 academic year.
The organization is creating a campaign that will further allow students to voice their opinions to SGA.
“We want to give the students the channels and the ability to give us feedback. We want to make sure the students are 100 percent aware that if you have an issue or you have something that you need us to do, that we are here to do that.” – George
SGA will improve transparency within the organization and create a campaign that will further allow students to voice their opinions.
This will possibly include an electronic suggestion box on an update version of their website.
“We are also expanding what we report out and how we communicate it to different organizations.
We will be posting all of our passed legislation, voting records, and minutes on the SGA website for students to view week in and week out,” Stoner said.
