University of South Florida/Tampa (USF) - SG President, 04-05
Category:Accomplishments, Building/improving a student union, Developing/implementing plan to oppose unfair tuition increases, Goals, Goals/Accomplishments, Implementing/improving publicity, Increasing SG support staff, Starting an internship program, Starting/improving student safety program
Accomplishment Details:1. Starting an internship program
We are creating a lobbyist internship program to house 3-4 students in our state Capital for the duration of the legislative session in order to lobby on behalf of student issues. Each student will get course credit for their work and the reflection papers and reading that will be required. This is a joint effort of SG, the Political Science Department, and USF Office of Legislative Affairs.
2. Starting/improving student safety program
We run a SAFE Team late-night escort service for students to drive them around campus on golf carts so they do not have to walk alone late at night. However, we were concerned about the growing number of car thefts and cases of vandalism in parking lots - so we created SAFE Park which is a team of students on golf carts that patrol parking lots on campus sporadically and at all hours of the day in order to prevent such crimes.
3. Increasing SG support staff
We were able to hire two new full-time professional positions to work exclusively with Student Government: an SG Advisor and an SG Administrative Assistant/Receptionist.
Goals Details:1. Implementing/improving publicity
We have always had one position on the Executive Cabinet dedicated to marketing, but need serious attention to this area and therefore decided to create an entire Marketing Department for SG. Three people were hired at Agency Director salaries (so we could get better qualified candidates who are likely to keep their jobs longer than a year). They have at least tripled the amount of marketing we have been able to do in the past, but there is still much work to be done with this Department.
2. Building/improving a student union
We have begun the process with many meetings to assess campus and students' needs and goals for a new union. Right now the meetings are focusing on funding. Our goal is to secure funding and hire an architect in the spring and prepare the campus for the two-year building project.
3. Developing/implementing plan to oppose unfair tuition increases
Tuition increases every year yet the funding formulas that the state legislature are using to distribute funds is not equitable across the State University System. We want to lobby for equal funding based on the number of students enrolled.