Hello RPI! I hope that everyone enjoyed their long weekend, and was able to relax and get organized to tackle the next month of classes. Thank you to everyone who came to our Union Activities Fair last Thursday night in the Armory. Student turnout was great, and most organizations saw a steady stream of interest in their events and activities. Now that you have seen what is available, get involved! It’s true; you might not be able to participate in every club that you signed up for, but I encourage you to take notice of the events and meetings that are going on around campus and attend those that interest you. So much of college life is about what takes place outside the classroom, and starting early in the year will help you to find your passions.
Now that students are back in to the swing of college life, the Union Executive Board will begin meeting again. This semester, meetings will be held on Wednesdays at 8 pm in the Shelnutt Gallery, in the Rensselaer Union. As always, they are open to the public and I encourage anyone who is interested to see how their Activity Fee is spent to attend. This week, the E-Board does not have much business, with only one club presenting a proposal. In addition, I will be hosting a small training for E-Board members, helping them get used to Union operations and the Club Management System. This will give everyone the tools necessary to begin meeting with Club Officers and discussing how clubs function and how they use their budgets.
If you are a club officer, please make sure to attend one of the two financial workshops being put together by the Union admin staff. The first session will be Wednesday September 12 from 4–6 pm in Mothers, and the second meeting will be on Thursday September 13 from 3–5 pm, also in Mothers. It is required that at least one officer from each Union-funded organization attend one of the sessions. These meetings will provide a basic overview of how to make purchases, fill out charge sheets, and find information about room reservations, available equipment, and other Union budgetary guidelines. I look forward to seeing you all there!
Finally, if you are new to RPI, please consider applying to the Executive Board. It is a group composed entirely of students that is responsible for managing all Union finances and interacting with the clubs, programs, and services that operate under the Union. Students on the Board will be assigned to a number of clubs, and will be responsible for working with those clubs to develop budgets, work through proposals, and gain an understanding of how each club functions. During Executive Board budgeting, each student representative will then serve as a liaison between clubs and the rest of the Board, answering questions related to each program and goal of a budget. Ultimately, the goal of the Union Executive Board is to produce a budget that accurately reflects current club operations and activities, and that maximizes the student experience funded by the Activity Fee.
I am looking to select two new members from the Class of 2016 shortly after Class Elections, so make sure to get those applications in soon. As always if you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please contact me at pu@rpi.edu, or stop by my office. My official office hours for this semester will be Wednesdays from 5–7 pm, but you can always stop in as long as I am there. Until next week!