Welcome back! Although the freezing temperatures here in Troy don’t complement your radiant tan from Florida, Mexico, California, the Bahamas, etc., the end of spring break signifies that the semester is more than halfway finished. So you can start planning your next tropical excursion, as we only have a few weeks remaining in the semester!
I’m always impressed at how a microphone and a lecture hall bring out good concerns from students who are usually otherwise silent. At Monday’s town hall meeting, students expressed concerns about the “Virtual Jihadi” controversy, the potential of mandatory sophomore housing in upcoming years, the recently created study abroad program within the School of Engineering, and the future of the Environmental Engineering department and corresponding Bachelor’s degree at RPI. I have no doubt that this barely scratches the surface of what is on students’ minds, so I want to take this opportunity to let you know that we’re here for you. These are perfect examples of things that you should be going to the student government about.
It has been a long year, and while I’m proud of the tremendous contributions that students have made to the Institute through the student government and its affiliations, the primary duty of that organization is to be the advocate for the students of RPI. I went into President Shirley Ann Jackson’s town hall meeting Monday with this duty in mind, and I was pleased to learn more about the amazing transformation that is occurring at RPI.
Over the past year, in my meetings with administrators and trustees of the RPI, I emphasized the impact that past tuition hikes have on students, particularly if financial aid was not being increased a proportional amount. I was pleased to hear that, while tuition will be increasing 5.9 percent and 3 percent for room and board, overall financial aid expenditures will increase 14 percent. Jackson expressed a clear understanding of the pains that tuition hikes can represent, and I applaud her for addressing it. I realize that the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies has yet to yield an Institute money tree, and that there exist limitations on what the Institute can and cannot do.
The emphasis Jackson placed on conservation and decreasing our energy usage was also encouraging, especially as “sustainability” has been a major platform of the Student Senate for the past year. This was another point I have sought to drive home: in the face of rising fuel and utility costs, RPI simply cannot afford to ignore the countless opportunities we have to decrease our energy consumption. In addition to saving money, it also sets a positive example for the community and helps preserve nature.
Some of the other points which were raised at the meeting warrant closer study and, if necessary, criticism. I find it hard to imagine that everyone is in complete agreement with the proposed policies regarding sophomore housing and studying abroad. I am still in the process of doing research and amassing information on topics like these so I can form an opinion, but I cannot stress enough the importance of participating in the discussions that you care about. This sentiment was especially evident at the town meeting, as many students took the time to patiently wait in line for their turn to ask Jackson a question. In speaking with Vice President for Student Life Eddie Knowles following the meeting, he pointed out that he was very impressed with the level of student involvement at the town meeting, something that hasn’t always been a given at meetings such as this one. I hope this is a growing trend.
As always, please send me questions, comments, and issues or topics that you feel should to be addressed: gm@rpi.edu. If you are interested in directly affecting a change on campus, the Senate is always looking for committee members. I am also still in search of students interested in participating in the judicial branch of student government at RPI, including the Judicial Board and the Review Board. Elections are also fully underway, so check out http://elections.union.rpi.edu/ to find out how if and you can run for one of the many student government positions here at RPI.
