As a new semester begins, and a new Student Government Association (SGA) Cabinet takes over, students begin work on new initiatives. Most recently, building hours in Babbio and Gateway were extended, and extending the add/drop period was discussed but failed to be put into place.
At the beginning of last semester, the SGA proposed a referendum that, if passed, would allow for Cabinet members to hold executive board positions for other organizations, and according to SGA President Gab Poska, “lower the quorum requirement for amending the Constitution.” Both parts of the referendum vote ended up passing. This “allowed several of the current Cabinet members to be appointed to their positions,” according to Poska. Additionally, because the quorum requirement was lowered, the SGA has started “talking about some much-needed changes including a Code of Ethics and Inclusivity Statement.”
An initiative from last semester that has come to fruition is extended hours in Babbio and Gateway. The buildings are now open on weekends between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. However, this is a probationary period for these hours, so if there are issues with safety or cleanliness, the buildings will revert to being closed on the weekends. The SGA personally struggled with the previous hours the buildings were open because of meeting times, and after receiving further confirmation of this issue from the general student body in a Quae poll, they brought the issue to President Farvardin and Sara Klein, the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs.
Another concern the SGA tried to address was the add/drop deadline for Spring 2022. According to the SGA, students expressed concerns that since the first two weeks of class were online, students would not get an accurate representation of what the class would entail and could not make an informed decision on whether to drop the class or not. In a discussion with Eden Luvishis, SGA Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA), she stated that due to financial and government aid reasons, Stevens was unable to extend the deadline for this semester. However, Luvishis explained that administration is interested in pursuing an extended add/drop period in the future.
Creating a website for the SGA is another initiative being worked on, that would serve as a place to receive input from students as well as present all of SGA’s initiatives and progress.
The SGA Cabinet is also talking with administration about PE credit requirements and how PE classes could be improved. Reducing the credit requirement or throwing it out entirely. Students can voice opinions on this initiative by contacting Luvishis.
Be First to Comment