Hello everyone. Last Wednesday evening the Senate spent two hours at each dining hall to do an important thing: listen. We listened to what you had to say and got literally hundreds of useful comments. I’d like to use this week’s column as an opportunity to share some of the feedback we got and how we are responding. Some students gave suggestions that will help us in projects we are already working on, and some gave us issues that we hadn’t thought about.
We asked students how they felt about the current advising system and what they would do to improve it. Many students expressed that they would like the option of choosing their own advisors. Several students said they were not allowed to switch advisors even though both the professor and student agreed to it. Many thought that the H&SS requirements are confusing and suggested that there be an H&SS advisor for each department to help students determine whether they are meeting their requirements. Finally, one of the biggest complaints was availability of advisors. All of these comments and suggestions will be considered as we re-architect the student advising system. The Senate, faculty, and administration are undertaking this huge task and we will work very hard to keep you informed of its progress.
Many students expressed that they’d like to see the athletic facilities opened to the public more. Several students asked that the tennis courts behind the Field House be fixed up. I have personally talked to Physical Facilities about the condition of the courts and am looking into the availability of athletic facilities.
Students expressed concern about the honor system at Rensselaer. Almost everyone we spoke with identified cheating as a problem that needs to be dealt with. Suggestions ranged from harsher penalties to a student written honor code. The Senate is currently working on a new student written honor code. We are also working with the Administration to investigate new enforcement policies.
Students living on freshman hill suggested that we could better upkeep the landscape behind the Commons. Many students also asked if the construction could begin at a later hour in the morning. Finally, the majority of students we spoke with would like to see more events sponsored by the Union.
The issues mentioned above are just a glimpse into the feedback we received. I have organized a response task force that will sift through all of the data and form plans of action. I have challenged them to move quickly and we expect a course within the next two weeks. We will post any findings in the Student Government Suite and on our web site—http://senate.union.rpi.edu. We made a major first step in our communication efforts. It’s about time that we went out of our way to listen to students and that is exactly what we are doing. We will be visiting the dorms again each month for the entire semester. In addition we will be visiting each and every greek house.
Enjoy the rest of your week and goodnight everyone.
