The Student Government Association (SGA) is utilizing a new tactic to reach students by using the app Quae, a digital platform created by Brendan Probst ‘24 and Samuel Schmitt ‘23. In an effort to increase community engagement and streamline the decision making process, the SGA is using a student-created tool to expand the reach they have on campus.
The intention behind Quae was to bolster the democratic process in select communities through engagement and voting. The app allows users to create or respond to existing posts from certain groups such as the Stevens or Hoboken groups. In short, Quae is designed to amplify the voices of those who—for some reason or another—are often drowned out in socio-political discussions.
Probst and Schmitt initially reached out to the SGA this past summer, asking the Vice President of Student Interests, Gabriella Poska, for “advice on how to move forward with getting the app more involved on campus and ultimately within administration.”
Quae was designed to increase community engagement, so the pairing with the SGA came naturally, as Poska stated that “the SGA and Quae could have a mutually beneficial relationship.” Poska further solidified the legitimacy of the relationship between Quae and the SGA, affirming that “We [the SGA] intend on continuing to use the app to poll students on pressing issues around campus and using the results of that voting to bring our case to administration.”
The SGA is currently using Quae to gather feedback from the Stevens community on two pressing issues: COVID-19 testing availability and Student Emergency Housing. Poska recently posted through the app a poll to collect student input on if COVID-19 testing should be made more available on-campus. Additionally, discussion surrounding emergency housing on-campus is also being facilitated through the app.
When asked about the overall experience using Quae, Poska stated that “they’ve [Schmitt and Probst] done nothing but amaze us so far.” Poska further explained that “after every conversation with them, they [have] come back to us [the SGA] with a new idea or a new feature that will work great for us.”
The SGA expects to continue their usage of the Quae app. The issue of student emergency housing is currently being decided, but it is unclear if the app will become a central place for student discussion. Quae recently posted on their Instagram that there are only 100 members of the Stevens community who have joined the app. However, by participating in recent campus club fairs and now partnering with the SGA, their reach is spread.
For those looking to voice their concerns, raise awareness about a new issue or development, or get involved in student initiatives, email sga@stevens.edu. To download the Quae App visit the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
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