Congratulations to the winners of the freshman class election! In particular, I am pleased to welcome Jordan Goff, Doug Kingman, Brandon Rudy, and Cindy Tang as the elected Class of 2007 senators. Thanks go to the over 600 voters who turned out at the polls on Friday.
Last week, Dr. Jackson, Vice President for Student Life Eddie Knowles, Vice President for Administration Claude Rounds, and Institute Secretary and General Counsel Charles Carletta met with the Student Senate. Dr. Jackson made a presentation touching on the major issues and initiatives being undertaken on campus, and spent about two hours, with the assistance of the other administrators, answering questions posed by Senators and audience members.
Topics covered included updates on the major construction projects, parking concerns, faculty hiring practices, improvements in the reputation of the Institute, the future of athletics on the campus, and the role of faculty and staff members in the daily lives of students. The dialogue was open and meaningful. Most of those in attendance felt it was a very positive first step in developing a beneficial relationship between student government and the administration.
Last weekend, the Senate went on a retreat. We met off campus, in Saratoga, to brainstorm ideas for projects to work on this year. These projects will tackle such issues as communication with students, the relationship between students and Troy, school spirit and programming related to it, the interaction between students and the faculty, and issues facing entering graduate students. This week the Senate will be refining those ideas into concrete project plans. As the semester unfolds, we will again conduct an aggressive feedback campaign to add the input of as many students as possible into this process.
This weekend, the Board of Trustees will be visiting the campus. Representatives of student government will meet with committees of the trustees to discuss the concerns of students. This is one of the most important weekends in the academic year, due to this open interaction with the directors of the university. Your student leaders are excited about this opportunity to be an integral part of managing the Institute.
Additionally, this weekend is the home opener for the RPI football team. At 1 pm on Saturday, the team takes on Coast Guard at the ’86 Field in the Shotglass Trophy Game. Admission is free for students. Seating is available in bleachers on the field, while standing room is provided on the deck of the JEC, overlooking all the action.
As always, we are available to answer your questions and concerns. You can reach the Senate at senate-listens@rpi.edu. You can reach me directly at gm@rpi.edu, “RPI Grand Marshal” on AIM, or 276-8597.
