Stony Brook University’s Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Senate gathered for its first official meeting of the fall 2024 semester on Thursday, Aug. 29, with a focal point on innovation and growth entering the new school year.
Hank Hardy, a student success specialist at Stony Brook, kicked off the meeting with a look into reasons why students may not return to the University.
“What I am doing is I am conducting research,” Hardy shared. “I’m looking at data, and I’m trying to find ways to create a greater sense of student belonging and connectedness to the university.”
He and his team conducted research from common data sets and other sources, revealing that 16.07% of first-time, full-time students did not return for the second year. Commuter students were particularly at risk, with 40% of re-enrolled commuters having low engagement with campus-wide activities.
“We look at what are other schools doing,” Hardy said. “How do we compare to them? […] How can we do things differently to maybe break potential patterns?”
The Student Success Team’s solution: a proposed “Plus” project to enhance engagement among sophomore and second-year students through focus groups and targeted events. Activities include a welcome-back ceremony, pop-ups and personalized outreach.
The motto for the Plus Team is introduced as “Because We Care,” emphasizing the importance of personal connections and making students feel valued.
The Senate then discussed the approval of a new recording secretary. The Legislative and Vetting Committee (LegVet) approved the candidate, Drisana Shanthan, for extensive campus involvement and strong practice minutes. She was appointed unanimously.
At-large Senator Peter Joyce introduced a resolution to add the Weekend and Evening Event Enhancement Grant to the USG Financial Bylaws: An additional $100,000 for club events this year, specifically in the evenings and on weekends.
The grant, part of the Office of Student Life’s budget, requires Stony Brook’s Student Engagement and Activities (SEA) approval and is capped at $4,500 per event.
“Since it is technically SEA money that they’re donating to us with certain stipulations, do they want to keep it open to grad students?” USG President Nistha Boghra asked.
Boghra articulated the importance of clarifying whether this grant is open to graduate students or just undergraduate organizations in the financial bylaws.
“The grant is technically still our money but returned funds from the Office of Student Life, and its guidelines will be detailed in the bylaws,” Joyce reiterated.
Joyce went on to explain that the grant is not in its final form.
“Any adjustments to the grant allocation or processing will be subject to review and may affect the final amount available,” Joyce said. “There might be a portion of the grant shifted to payroll for administrative processing.”
At-large Senator Ana McMahon brought up the future of this grant for years to come.
“So this grant, is this only for this year, or is it going to be sustainable?” McMahon asked.
“This grant is intended for this year specifically as a test. If underutilized, it may be discontinued,” Joyce responded.
The senators agreed to return to the grant discussion as it evolves.
“We need to ensure that the grant’s guidelines are clear,” Boghra reiterated. The Senate approved the grant with the stipulation that further refinements to the guidelines may be needed.
USG Vice President of Student Life Tanisa Rahman then introduced the election for the Student Activities Board (SAB) at Stony Brook University. The election involves selecting two new members to join the SAB, a division of USG that plays a significant role in organizing major campus events.
Candidates were able to be nominated by peers as well as nominate themselves for the role. Each candidate was given four minutes to present themself, explain why they are best fit for the role, and answer questions from other senators.
At-large Senators Brodi Bajrami, Rayan Iqbal, Russell Erfan, Peter Joyce, Ana McMahon, Christian Jean-Pierre and Eesha Uddin all ran for the position.
Erfan highlighted his strong desire for progress and excitement about working with students to enhance campus life.
“What experience do you have in event planning?” At-large Senator Laiba Rajput asked.
Erfan mentioned his high school experience managing a tutoring program and overseeing event planning, as well as involvement in Stony Brook clubs such as the boxing club and neuroscience club. He also included his recent efforts to work on campus initiatives, such as proposing permanent hammocks on campus
“I want to push for a feeling of urgency and necessity,” Erfan said. “I navigate with different clubs and know a lot of different people. I’ll push for a sense of importance around events.”
In his speech, Jean-Pierre mentioned that he served as a senator for two years and as an SAB senator last year. He highlighted his commitment to the role through personal sacrifices, such as taking time off work to assist with event setups and breakdowns.
“I gave up everything to show up at 8 a.m. to set up the barricades,” Jean-Pierre said. “And I would do it all again to make sure students have a great experience.”
At-large Senator Uzair Mahmud questioned the growth that Jean-Pierre could bring after two years of serving on the board.
“How do you plan to make events bigger and better, especially considering your experience last year?” Mahmud asked.
Jean-Pierre suggested that the role of SAB Senator extends beyond organizing big events. He said he aims to enhance the effectiveness of the program by promoting and supporting other student organizations through grants and advice.
“It’s not only about us holding big events but also about helping other student organizations,” Jean-Pierre said. “We can provide guidance and coaching to make their events better, even without direct financial support.”
Upon considering the nominees, senators vouched for their favorites and discussed the strengths that they could bring.
Both Erfan and Jean-Pierre were elected as SAB Senators with little to no push-back.
The USG Senate concluded their committee meeting with the election of three new USG Senators, Rick Vatawat, Lauren Fanter and James Gill.
Vatawat explained his extensive involvement in campus organizations like the College Democrats and Model UN, as well as roles such as a field organizer and clinical director. Vatawat aims to address significant issues on campus, particularly around support for victims of Title IX incidents, an area he feels is currently underrepresented.
“How would you approach connecting with students and improving support for Title IX?” At-large Senator Charlie Brown asked.
Vatawat emphasized his understanding of the gaps in support and his commitment to improving it.
“I would use my experience to advocate for better support and work on bridging the gap between students and the support systems available,” Vatawat said.
Fanter also emphasized her dedication to enhancing engagement and visibility for student clubs and activities, aiming to improve general student involvement and social interactions.
“How was your experience running in the election, and what did you learn from it?” At-large Senator Anood Cheema asked.
“I enjoyed it because I really got to understand what students care about and how to better engage with them,” Fanter said.
Gill brought to the table a plethora of both campus involvement and professional experience. The discussion centered mostly around his past run for chief justice of USG, which garnered significant support.
“Running for chief justice last year and receiving roughly 500 votes shows that there’s a strong interest in what I have to offer,” Gill said.
Leg-Vet also mentioned that running last year for the Chief Justice Mission with 500 votes speaks to the impact he could make on campus and appointed him unopposed.
All three candidates were elected unanimously.
