Holding their first General Assembly meeting five weeks into the semester, the Boston University Student Union’s Executive Board said the semester was marked by a lot of planning and research, but did not result in much action.
“Well I didn’t have a treasurer for the first month and a half of school,” Union President Jon Marker said. “I would have had a full email from the start … the president needs to get acclimated before we can do things.”
Although committee members and e-board members have met with university administrators and individual college heads, they still say they are in the meeting and research phase. Many said they hope for action and progress next semester, but that little of that action will be seen before the campus breaks for winter vacation.
The Guest Policy Committee submitted a proposal to President Robert Brown at the end of October, but Marker said there is no new information about the Guest Policy.
“We are in that meeting stage, pretty much the same as we were last time,” the College of Arts and Sciences junior said. “President Brown really liked the proposal and it’s being used as a sort of discussion point.”
Union Treasurer Caroline Cahill oversees the Academic Provost Committee, which works on the issues of getting course information online, Teaching Assistants’ English proficiency and grade deflation.
Cahill said the majority of the committee’s work so far has been an effort to get course information online.
“We were really working on getting the course syllabi, books and evaluations online,” the College of Communication junior said.
Cahill said, in terms of grade deflation, Brown wants more information and research that proves that grade deflation is reflected in the final grades throughout the university before he considers any future actions.
She also said there is the problem of not having a clear definition of grade deflation.
“The president and some administration and faculty are unsure of what grade deflation is,” she said, “and that’s a huge problem. We need to actually define what we mean by grade deflation. We need to do a lot of research before we define it, a lot of talking to the deans at different schools or even the academic provost.”
Union Vice President Jonah Goldberg oversees the Dining Committee, which met with Dining Services Director Josh Hubbard Thursday to discuss the committee’s goals.
“We made a lot of progress,” the COM junior said. “As for the [George Sherman Union], we talked about using credit cards. President Brown thought it would not work because it would raise prices, but after the meeting, Josh said it might be feasible.”
As far as extending dining hours, the Union has to put together a survey to find out where people eat most and how they want the hours extended.
Following the survey, Goldberg said the Union will have to go through an experimental period to test the effect of the time change.
Goldberg also outlined the work of the Communication and Technology Committee, utilizing a student residence website called The Back Door.
“We hope to have the portal software going by next semester,” he said. “The Back Door will be up over break with all the info about the dorms. The Union website has been updated and there are new forums up, and we’re putting the meeting minutes on there.”
The forums, which allow students to post questions for committee members, are new to the Union’s website.
The Technology Committee is also still in the process of working with Student Activities Director Carolyn Norris to streamline the BU calendar, Goldberg said.
Union Secretary Ricardo Junquera oversees the Academic College Committee. He said the main focus of the committee continues to be academic advising.
“The Academic College Committee, basically it started as a review of different colleges, finding the positives of the college,” the College of General Studies sophomore said. “We’ve been going school by school, seeing what’s better at each one and talking to its staff to find out what worked and what hasn’t worked. We’ve been doing that from the start of the committee in about mid-October.”
Junquera also oversees the Environmental and Recycling Committee and said its main goal this semester was making students more aware of the environmental issues on campus, including energy and recycling.
“We’re trying to make people more aware of energy conservation, like reminding them to turn off their lights and so on, and also recycling,” he said. “Just telling people where they can go to recycle.”
The committee also worked with the university’s Sustainability Committee and the task force to put on America Recycles Day. Junquera said the committee will also continue its efforts to bring recycling to remaining residences and academic buildings.
Junquera said Brown expressed interest in the efforts of the committee. However, Brown said he would like to see more research on the subject.
“President Brown requested that the committee get more numbers and statistics revolving around the issue,” he said.
Cahill also oversees the How to Be You Committee. The committee’s main goal this semester was producing a pamphlet containing helpful information for BU students, and then distributing it to freshmen.
Cahill said the majority of the work the committee did this semester was researching how to compile the book.
“We did a lot of research about whether to make an actual book or make it online and research about what to include in the book,” she said.
According to Cahill, university deans said the book would ease the transition of freshmen into the BU community, Cahill said.
“[Dean of Students Kenneth] Elmore and Assistant Dean of Students Allen] Ward said it could be a great resource in connecting kids from orientation to freshman year and onward,” she said.
The committee is currently distributing informational forms to offices around campus, and they are meeting with BU publications to discuss printing and distributing, according to Cahill. She said the committee hopes to distribute the guidebook to next year’s incoming freshmen.
Marker said the committee meetings will create long-term relationships between the Union and the administration.
“I think this will help make lasting relationships,” he said. “When I graduate, other people will know the administrators. They won’t have to start from scratch.”
2005 Union presidential candidate Nick Riotto said the Union appears to be making progress this year, but said he does not know how effective the administrative meetings will be in changing policy.
“It seems like they’re making a lot more progress in talking to people,” the COM junior said. “But I don’t know where that will lead.”
COM junior Patrick Sullivan said despite the numerous meetings, he still does not think the Union will influence policy.
“I know that the Union has had meetings,” he said. “I know they’ve had lots of meetings, but meetings frequently result in little progress. Committees are formed and progress is tabled. This is painfully obvious in the case of the Student Union because very little that has been requested by the students has been put into policy.”
Marker said despite common perception, the Union cannot actually make policy, but rather they are meant to represent the students’ interests.
“The Union doesn’t make policy for BU,” he said. “The Union is a lobbying group and I think that’s a misconception. Things are going to change, but we have to keep looking at the big picture.”
Riotto said the majority of the policy changes have more to do with the administration’s opinion, rather than that of students.
“Since I’ve been at BU, I don’t think I’ve seen any impact of the students on the bigger issues,” he said. “For example, last year we got cable on campus. But I think that would have happened regardless of who was in office. It’s a matter of if the administration wants it done.”
Junquera said one way the Union can be more successful is through better communication with the students.
“We’re going to do a better job next semester of gauging the opinions of the
student body,” he said.
Marker also commented on the need for more communication between the Union, students and the administration.
“There’s a lack of communication,” he said. “I think it’s getting better, though. Our network is expanding. It’s still not perfect, but we also have a large campus. We’re trying to tackle the everyday, just getting out and asking everyone about everything.”
Despite the lack of policy changes this semester, Marker said he still feels the Union was successful this semester.
“I think we need to judge the Union solely on what it is,” he said. “[It went] from a Union with no constitution to a Union with students meeting with every top administrator at BU. Our opinions are respected and we’re involved in policymaking that comes from that. But we certainly have a long way to go.”