Hot Issues

Right now there are a number of controversial issues affecting the Smith community as a whole. It is the job of the SGA and the President in particular to provide leadership around many of these issues. Although I would not necessarily have a specific role in determining the direction of these issues, the position of President has a unique power within the school. I wanted to share with students some of my thoughts on these issues to let you all know what perspectives I would carry into this position.

Dining
Paperless month
Elections
Gender amendment
Budget cuts and financial aid
Theme housing

Dining

My focus around this issue concerns the process by which this decision was made. It is understandable that budget cuts had to be made, as the college is in the midst of a budget squeeze. However, when a budget cut will affect a part of the community, that part of the community should have a voice in the process. The administration made a positive step in creating a committee and releasing a proposal with room for input around the issue of dining. The fact that the decision was finalized by the Board of Trustees just a few weeks later, without any room for student or staff proposals, has ruptured the morale of the campus. While the SGA-sponsored forums were a good first step in disseminating information, more needed to be done. It is my hope that next year the student committees formed to adjust the proposal will be expanded upon to allow for a more meaningful student input. I, like most students, would choose to prioritize financial aid and staff retention over dining halls, however, I think the closing of the dining halls marks a significant loss of tradition in this community. While there were no easy answers in this controversy, I believe there should have been more transparency and participation from all affected groups of the community so we could feel more comfortable and confident with this decision.

Paperless month

Some of you are probably saying, uh, paperless month? That’s a hot issue? While some of you involved with organizations that haven’t been able to publicize events or meetings know that paperless month has been a difficult month for many. While efforts to end excessive waste are laudable and the direction Smith needs to be headed, I believe that it was premature to institute paperless month without more venues for students to get the word out on the events they work so hard to coordinate. Resources such as prominently displayed bulletin boards, an effective email digest, and a daily updated calendar in the campus center are a few of the ways that paperless month could have gone smoother for the community. I strongly support moving toward a less paper-consuming system, but not before providing the resources to make student publicizing and programming possible.

Elections

There has been much controversy about the irregularities of SGA elections. Fair elections are required to give legitimacy and stability to the SGA, and the fluctuations in election internet procedure undermines the hard work and tough decisions involved in this process. I have seen past Elections and Appointments committee chairs work very hard to improve this process, and I believe that we need to devote more resources and person power toward making fair elections a top priority.

Gender amendment

As the chair of senate, I found myself at the heart of one of the largest controversies on campus this year, the re-gendering of the SGA constitution. In handling situations like this, I felt firm in my choice to remain publicly neutral to avoid abusing my power, and to take a proactive step in promoting civil dialogue on campus. I support senators in their decision not because of the outcome, but because of the process they went through to reach a decision. I was enthused to hear so many student voices, and saddened by the harassment that ensued after the vote. It concerns me that the Smith community often does not engage in dialogue with the civility and respect required to maintain a strong community, and as SGA President I would use my position to encourage student participation and civil dialogue where both radical and conservative viewpoints can be expressed.

Budget cuts and financial aid

In my opinion the most troubling aspects of the budget cuts are the reduction in financial aid and the downsizing of Smith’s staff. I understand the need for cuts to ensure financial stability, but I find it troubling for an institution to say that they prioritize community and diversity while choosing to not allocate resources toward enacting these priorities. I know the financial aid budget is growing too rapidly to cover all students’ need in the next few years. However, I am extremely concerned by the lack of appropriate planning to reduce or eradicate the amount of need-conscious admission that occurs every year. Smith is currently attempting to recruit more full-pay students to have more money for students on financial aid, as opposed to allocating a larger portion of their capital campaigns toward scholarships and other aspects of the financial aid budget. Besides financial aid, a large portion of the budget cuts affected Smith staff members. This is part of a larger trend at Smith of not treating staff like valuable members of this community, and this disrespect needs to end.

Theme housing

The recent proposal to enact between 4 and 7 theme houses on campus in the year 2005 contains a number of potential issues that I believe need to be seriously explored before applications are accepted. Currently I am still talking to students and administrators to learn more about the effects theme housing will have on campus. Already it has become apparent that this proposal would create new issues in the current living situation, pose new challenges for residential life, and potentially disrupt the distribution of classes in each house. I have also heard concern from students of color on campus who wonder about the impact this proposal could have on their communities. I think that these issues should not necessarily prevent theme housing, but rather should encourage further research and student input processes before the proposal is enacted upon.