Boston University Student Government heard a proposal to make the BU Bus and Boston public transit more accessible, endorsed the upcoming alumni Connect for Success event and confirmed the chairperson for the I.M.P.A.C.T. committee.
Three senators proposed StuGov endorse efforts to add signage along BU Bus routes, promote a survey on student transportation needs, inform students about transportation services available and lower the MBTA semester Link Pass and BlueBikes membership prices for students.
“We want to make sure that every student has equitable access to all the transportation options that are offered on campus,” said senator and CAS freshman, Jacob Aznavoorian.
The senators said they introduced the initiative to BU Parking & Transportation Services with the objective of subsidizing the $320 cost of MBTA passes for students.
With the recent re-opening of Fenway Campus, BU distributed semester-long MBTA Link Passes — which provide unlimited T and bus access — free of charge to students who reside in the area and commute to other campuses.
Aznavoorian said BU rejected StuGov’s initiative to subsidize MBTA passes for all students. StuGov has now shifted its focus toward addressing issues within the BU Bus system, though noted the University’s reluctance to invest in new buses.
“We asked BU to have more buses because during peak hours in the afternoon, there’s a lot of overcrowding,” Aznavoorian said. “People are standing. It’s just not a vibe at all. They said no.”
The University allegedly told senators there is no need for more buses, citing a low per-bus headcount as well as a desire to reduce emissions. However, Aznavoorian said most BU Buses are “supposed to be” electric.
The senators said they were collaborating with the BU Parking & Transportation Services to create an orientation video for students informing them about different transit options at BU.
“We’re trying to help them with certain initiatives that they want us to do in order to build a relationship with them in the future, to maybe get them to do some of these things,” said senator and CAS junior Janez James.
Endorsement of the BU Bus Initiative passed unanimously with 39 votes in the affirmative.
Vice-President Hessann Farooqi, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, presented an upcoming event for Connect for Success, an alumni networking event designed to connect BU students to internships, research programs, graduate and phD programs and careers opportunities.
“Back in the fall, we conducted some surveys via our Instagram stories, where we were able to get real time data from our audience about which fields they’re interested in,” Farooqi said. “And we gave this data to the alumni relations office who has connections with alumni from all over the world. So that office put together a list of alumni that our audience is going to be the most interested in.”
Alumni from Blue Cross Blue Shield, Moderna and the Massachusetts Port Authority, among other companies, are expected to attend.
StuGov’s endorsement of the event was confirmed with 37 votes in the affirmative.
The Connect for Success event will be held in Metcalf Ballroom, located on the second floor of the George Sherman Union, this Thursday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free.
The meeting concluded with the confirmation of CAS junior Ricky Nieto as chairperson of the I.M.P.A.C.T. committee — which StuGov designated last week as its committee specifically dedicated to advocating for marginalized communities.
Nieto was confirmed with 36 votes.
