Within the four schools at Stevens, each offers a unique opportunity for students to participate actively in their education: a student advisory board. An advisory board is a group of students who work with the school to offer insight and feedback and act as a line of communication between the academic administration and the student body. While some differences exist between the schools and their boards, all boards work together to ensure a better academic experience for all students. The Stute spoke with Dean’s advisory members from the schools of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) and Engineering and Science (SES) to learn about these boards.
One of the significant differences between the advisory boards, specifically the SES one, is that SES has an advisory board for each department that then sends a representative to the board for the entire school. For example, the Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering departments have their respective advisory boards for their department chairs, each sending one individual to the Dean’s advisory board for the school. On the other hand, HASS has one board that invites students from all majors but does not have specific boards for each department.
The primary function of each advisory board is to have regular meetings throughout the academic semesters. Some meet more often than others, with some meeting once a semester and others meeting multiple times monthly to prepare for an event.
Beyond planning events, the main focus of the advisory boards is to act as a line of communication from the student body to the faculty, administration, and staff. As a significant goal of the Student Government Association (SGA), the student advisory boards should act as a way for students to voice concerns about their education. If a student on a board hears from their classmates about a particular issue, the hope is that bringing up the issue on the advisory board will warrant a response from the administration. Issues that one may expect to be brought up in board conversations include courses not covering topics mentioned in the syllabus, access to major-specific areas, and opportunities to engage in research as an undergraduate student.
The most important aspect of the student advisory boards is their ability to highlight issues the administration may need to notice. Whether it be feedback on a new program or a repeating complaint, the boards communicate with those who can improve the school. Through help from the SGA and different offices from across campus, the student advisory boards ensure that students’ education maintains a high standard and that students stand up for changes they want to see —both a valuable and enjoyable educational experience.
