To the Editors of the Statesman,
We may have done a lot last year, but don’t mistake that for fatigue; this year’s Undergraduate Student Government is ready to govern.
This Summer, the USG focused on improving the experience of club leaders while planning events for the campus community. A major concern was club leaders would often be sent running between many offices just to get all the required paperwork in order.
We’re add-ressing this concern in three ways: firstly, clubs will submit A/V, events security and ticket office contracts directly to our Administrative Director, cutting the need to meet with three additional people; secondly, we have established a close working relationship with the Department of Student Activities in order to streamline the entire event planning process; and thirdly, we will be launching an electronic voucher system this October, ALLOCATE, which will move most of our paperwork online eliminating the need for most clubs to ever step foot into our office and establishing a more environmentally friendly process.
Last year, the USG made a historical change by passing the 2010 Establishment of Student Life Act. The Act overhauled the Student Activities Board (SAB), an organization that was relatively unchanged since its creation in 1964. We recognized that the old SAB structure was inadequate given the large increase in enrollment: 1,700 vs. 16,000. The changes focused on creating more USG oversight, targeting larger and more diverse populations of the student body, and giving the USG more flexibility in its event programming.
We will begin to see the results of the restructuring this year, and I think the events we have in store for you will be a pleasant surprise to the student body. The USG will also be sponsoring two fast growing Stony Brook traditions: Humans vs. Zombies and Rock Yo Face Case.
Our agenda as elected officials is to improve the experience of students here at Stony Brook University. Due to the diverse makeup of the USG, we sometimes we have differing opinions on the initiatives we each propose, but do not confuse this with a personal agenda.
We are not the Polity of a decade ago, but don’t just take my word for it; I invite the student body to our Senate meetings, every Thursday from 7:00pm – 9:00pm in SAC Ballroom B. If you can’t make it, just visit our office in SAC 202 and say hello. Any of the elected officials who are in the office will most certainly be willing to speak with you.
Best,
Alexander E. Dimitriyadi
USG Executive Vice President