SA Outlines Vision

For the first time in the memories of the current students at the University of Rochester – and possibly in the broader recollection of The College’s administration – this student government has come together as a single focused unit. In August of 2003, the four major bodies within the Students’ Association government – the President’s Cabinet, SA Senators, the All-Campus Judicial Council, and the SA Appropriations Committee – met to deliberate over this organization’s most debilitating question – what structure for the SA Government is most effective and efficient?This event proved to be essential in forming a tight bondwithin the government that set us upon the right path this year.Who served as the source of inspiration and of funding for this effort? The very leaders of our college’s administration, striving to nurture the relationship with their students.Much time has passedsince the relationship betweenthe administration andthe studentshas been so strong.During our first semester, the Senate and Presidential Cabinet had the vision to fuse their efforts into one voice under the Senate Standing Committees in the spirit of Meliora – the inspiration to improve ourselves and our environment. For many years these two groups often struggled independently to accomplish their goals, but together they are strong and efficient.Under the leadership of fourSenate Committee Chairs, your SA Senate and Presidential Cabinet have made great progress in working to bring to the River Campus a student-run Sexual Education Center, a board of student experts to assist those brought before the school’s judicial and disciplinary processes, a late-night River Campus transportation route and more student freedoms concerning alcohol consumption. These student leaders are alsotackling issuesconcerning the River Campus social dynamic, the lack of dining freedom for underclassmen, late-night dining options, an aging DVD selection,and the student activity fee budgeting process, among other things.This semester, you can expect the Students’ Association Government to pursue with rigor and professionalism many significant concerns.We hope to bring more funds to SA groups and the SA government via an increase in the student activities fee, to preserve Dandelion Day as a long-standing and loved tradition of safe celebration, to revive the Hive website, to encourage more accountability and public disclosure of student activity fee spending and to establish a web-based forum that meets the demands of the massive student-to-student book exchange that occurs every semester. The SA government is aligned to make some unprecedented strides this semester.These goals, however,require initiative, dedication, and collaboration.We are well on our way to becoming a strong and coordinated Students’ Association. This organization will strive to create strong ties with administrators, and will work to expand this college into a better institution for all who call it their school, home, or office.