If all goes according to plan, next year's incoming freshman could have a regular audience with university administration.
Freshman Nicole MacLean is working with the Student Government Association to form a council that would let a group of 20 freshmen and a handful of upperclassmen meet several times a year with a different set of campus departmental and offices leaders each time.
Originally MacLean said she had hoped to form a president's council where freshman could meet each month with President Jo Ann Gora. She said part of the idea for that council came from hearing Gora's welcome speech to incoming freshman at the start of fall semester, in which Gora encouraged students to help make student-administration communication more than just a one-way path.
Since then, MacLean said she and other SGA leaders have adapted the idea for the council to eliminate the need to go through Gora to address problems that would only be delegated anyway.
"Administration is busy, and it will be more efficient to have the specific authorities there," MacLean, a marketing major and SGA senator said. "They'd meet with the provost if they're discussing academics, the transportation head to talk about shuttles, the head of dining if they're dealing with dining."
Freshmen are being invited to make up the council in part because of an experience MacLean said she had in her English 144 class during Fall Semester, when students were asked to write a persuasive paper about something they thought needs to be improved on campus.
"I was so surprised by how so many people all had such diverse ideas and really good solutions for them," MacLean said. "The majority of that class is freshman, and they already have a such a good grasp in their first semester of being here. Not that upperclassmen get burnt out, but as a senior you're leaving in a year and as freshmen you come in and have four years to make a difference here."
MacLean said she is working now to write SGA legislation and create advertisements for the council. She will try to inform incoming freshmen about the council at orientation and at Welcome Week. She said an application has already been created, and anyone hoping to serve as a student leader should look to apply in the coming weeks.
SGA President Kayla Stanton said she can see MacLean being successful with the program. Staton said it is a great way to get freshmen involved in extracurricular activities that will make their college experience worth the money.
"I want it to be a long-lasting thing," MacLean said. "It's just a matter of getting the word out and making sure the first year goes well and they have a good experience with it and the administration also reacts well to it."
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