You may have seen all the surveys, postings and Facebook groups lately asking where you want your tuition dollars to go, and you may or may not have personally responded, but in the past few weeks we have seen a considerable portion of the student body bring forth their top priorities. In all, the Student Government Association (SGA) was able to collect more than 3,500 responses, representing approximately one quarter of the Northeastern student body. Using your feedback, SGA has been able to prioritize our goals based on the first-hand wants and needs of the student body. From there, we have worked in collaboration with the administration to develop attainable goals and specific plans of action to make those priorities reality.
Several of the projects are relatively low-cost and high return, making them easy goals to achieve. For those desiring free laundry, you can expect to see a new program in the near future that allows on-campus students a specific number of washer and dryer uses each week. In response to the need for expanded computer labs and printing capabilities, we have suggested a plan that might bring the successful QuickPrint stations into various residence halls – imagine not having to run across campus to print that paper five minutes before class.
For those looking for more study time in the library, we are exploring the possibility of keeping the first floor open until at least 2 a.m. We have also recommended keeping the food vendor in the CyberCafe open as long as the library remains open, so you would not need to leave the building to get that energy drink or midnight snack. Similarly, it looks like students may see Outtakes open later, with an improved offering of food choices.
To address the top priority, a desire for more merit scholarships, we will begin bringing more student involvement into the university’s fundraising initiatives, hopefully creating the opportunity to fund those scholarships.
The one hesitation for these projects would be our lack of knowledge on the specifics, like what kinds of food students want and when they want it, or what exactly the students mean when they think of “merit” scholarships. In the next few weeks, we will be doing our best to reach out and gather that information, so we can begin looking at how to make improvements in ways that will be most beneficial to the student body.
One thing to consider is that I would never have thought of suggesting free laundry until a few students posted it on a Facebook group, and now come to find out approximately two-thirds of the students want it and may see it as early as next semester. It just goes to show you how important it is to speak up. Being just one person is no excuse not to tell us what is important to you because it may very well be something that is important to a lot of other students.
These projects are only happening now because the students wanted them. In the next few weeks, take a minute to respond to a survey when you see it. And in the future, be proactive in voicing your opinions.
Come to us with what you want, and it very likely could become a reality. There’s strength in numbers, and you will never know what is possible until you ask.
– Rob Ranley is a junior finance major and vice president of financial affairs for the Student Government Association, chair of the Budget Review Committee and grand master of ceremonies of Kappa Sigma fraternity.
