Over the course of the campaign, I received some interesting reactions to my Contract with RPI: “It’s a campaign gimmick.” “Too good to be true.” “The woman is clearly off her medication.” You can read it at http://www.contractwithrpi.info/ for yourself. Before I wrote the contract, I made absolutely certain that there were feasible solutions to each problem I sought to address, and I’ve already begun posting them on my website. I’d like to take this opportunity to explain my reasoning behind the Contract, in the hopes that you’ll not only see where I’m coming from, but also join me in the effort to make it a reality.
I believe that we, the students, are the customers of this Institute, and that we deserve to be treated as customers. When we pay our tuition, we deserve to know we aren’t paying more than we need to be. When we sit down in a classroom after paying that exorbitant tuition, we deserve TAs who are qualified and understandable. When we purchase a parking permit, we deserve a guarantee that there will be a parking space where we can use that parking permit. And most importantly, we deserve to know that, as the customers of the Institute, our rights as individuals will never be compromised by it.
We deserve better and if we work together, we are going to get it. I’m telling you this so you’ll understand where I’m coming from, and to encourage you to join me in this effort. We are about to open a new chapter in student government. It’s done being a club. It’s your government, your voice, your customer service desk. This is where we come together and say “enough is enough.” So if you agree with what I’ve said here, if you share my belief that we deserve better, then you owe it to yourself and to everyone else at RPI to find out what you can do about it. Email me at gm@rpi.edu to find out the many ways you can make a difference. Until next time, don’t forget: I am your GM, and it’s your student government.
