Did you vote to pay an extra $8 every quarter so people at main campus can have shuttle service? Well, you do.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a place to go unwind between classes? Maybe shoot some pool, hang out on the couch and watch TV while you eat your pizza?
You already can, for now.
Have you had the need to save a computer file at school and not had the money to buy a $40 memory stick? Wouldn’t it be nice to have server space or someplace on the web to keep documents?
Yep, that exists, too.
Don’t you wish the clocks all said the same time in every building, and that it was even the correct time?
Wouldn’t it be awesome to get access to the indoor pool and health spa at main campus?
Well, it can be done.
Do you think professors should be able to drop students who don’t attend the first day of classes?
Should UC change withdrawal deadlines? Or be doing personal audits of students receiving financial aid?
What about having a walking trail around campus that would enable you to get the exercise you won’t get from the workout equipment you will no longer have access to?
Do you want to take classes in trailers with no restroom facilities?
Want to know why UC’s tuition is going up 5.4% next year, but RWC’s will go up 6%?
Do you want managers and teachers to decide what you learn, how you learn it, when, how often, who teaches it, and how they grade without a student representing you?
Yes, that is already done for you as well.
Wouldn’t it be helpful if we had a visual messaging system with monitors in the hallway for you to find important information about these kinds of things?
Who decides what student activities are offered to you? Who makes decisions about how our buildings and grounds are maintained and set up?
Who picks our technology options, our student organizations, our student policies and procedures?
Committees do.
And according to the 2005-2006 Faculty Handbook, you, the student, should be sitting on many of the committees such as these: Academic Action, Curriculum, Student Services Advisory, College Computer Advisory, and more.
In fact, the handbook slates EIGHTEEN seats for student representatives. How many seats are filled? I think there are two or three.
Do you know who those students are? Well, neither do I. In looking through the available minutes online from these committees, I’ve seen no student involvement at all.
There appears to be no responsible, mythical student who cares about the money we pay, the facilities we use, the programs available to us.
There is no mention within the most recent minutes displayed (which date back to September or October last year,) except a consistent show of faculty, administrators, and staff exasperated with trying to get you, the student, to respond.
It doesn’t matter what you want, how you feel, what you use, what you pay. It doesn’t matter if you don’t bother to fill out a form or go to a meeting or voice your opinion.
If you don’t read the flyers, or read your email or paper (or pass the word,) who cares what you think?
Well, hello. I’m Kelly Tanis, and I care. And so does your President, VP, Secretary, Treasurer, and Speaker. Your Student Government has kids and jobs and fraternities, clubs, and four to six classes a quarter, just like you. And we have collectively put in thousands of hours to help you.
But we need your help. We need you to be aware. We need you to know that there used to be students sitting on committees like the Building and Grounds Committee.
We need your voice. We need your input, your opinion, your names and contact information. We need people to bring ideas and help, and yes, for some of you, we even need your time.
We’re in the Flory Center, Room 10, for now. You can e-mail us at studgovt@ucrwcu.uc.rwc.edu, and our phone number is 745-5738.
We need to build a list of people who are willing to try: people who have no idea what amount of time they can afford, but are willing to read e-mails about things we need to do and are willing to do the best they can.
Cover your butt. Get involved. Contact us.
Welcome to my new RWC Student Government Column. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at cowanka@email.uc.edu.