For all of you that have been annoyed not knowing where you stand academically in your classes, rest assured. We have a plan. Before next fall, I will bring forth a proposal to the Faculty Senate requesting their help implementing a midterm grading policy. Doing so would require that unofficial, record-less grades be issued to students on SIS. This will ease the pressure at the drop deadline, make the Early Warning System effective so that we can get help for struggling students, and will reduce stress levels if a certain percentage of the overall grade is required by the midterm—ultimately preventing “back-loading.”

For those of you who depend on the shuttles, look forward to a new shuttle monitoring system that allows you to log onto the Campus Parking webpage and see exactly where the shuttles are on campus. No more will you have to endure those 20 minute waits in the bitter cold. We have a plan in place to do this for under $1,000 and I will be meeting with Chief Information Officer John Kolb in the coming days to discuss its implementation.

For those of you concerned about how you are going to come up with additional money to pay for the tuition and room and board fees next fall, know that I’m fighting for you. As a private school, we are unique in the fact that we can’t lobby our statehouse for greater education funding, but we can be creative in finding ways to assist our students in practical ways. I’ve outlined a new student lobbying effort that works with our state and federal government to increase Tuition Assistance Program funding and fight for higher Pell Grants. I’ve appointed a very experienced leader, Mike Goldenberg, to spearhead this effort and collaborate with Rensselaer’s Washington, D.C., office. The same student lobbying group can surely have an impact in lobbying for greater research funding as well.

These are just a few of many initiatives I will be pushing throughout my term. In order to make this a year to remember, though, I need your help. I’ll continue to build an effective student government that actually responds to student needs and produces tangible results, but I need you to push yourself even farther in your academic endeavoring and extra-curricular involvement—beyond every limit you’ve ever imagined. Limitations define mediocrity; Rensselaer students defy them. We pride ourselves with some of the hardest curricula in the world for a reason. Our resources, innovative spirit, and academic talent spur our students to stretch their possibilities every single day. You’ve met that challenge and we have the results to prove it. Now let us focus on making a robust culture on campus that is responsive to the multitude of impressive events we are lucky enough to host.

Every year, we bring impressive personalities to this campus, but we never see the student turnouts that are necessary to merit hosting similar events in the future. I applaud the dedication to academics, as I know that there have been times I’ve used homework or studying as an excuse to miss an event, but I challenge you to break this habit. Take an hour or two to get involved and to broaden your experiences on a regular basis. It’s a part of the college experience. Close your books, call your friends, and enjoy what we have to offer. This doesn’t have to include just colloquia, speakers, and club events, either.