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Student Council candidate platforms

We sent a survey to all candidates running for University Judiciary Committee positions asking them for their opinions to a variety of issues, and giving them a chance to elaborate where they felt necessary. Those candidates who responded are listed below. For a list of University Judiciary Committee candidate platforms, click here. For a list of Honor Committee candidate platforms, click here: College and Engineering // Batten, Nursing, Law, Commerce, Medicine, Continuing and Prof. Studies

Abraham Axler

Running for: College Representative

Has Speak Up UVA been successful at aggregating student feedback? Yes
Should StudCo use a percentage-based model to allocate funding to approved CIOs? Yes
Should so much of StudCo’s funding go to club sports? Yes
Should StudCo representatives be permitted an unexcused absence during the semester? No
Do you think the Entrepreneurship and Innovations Committee should reform its approach to facilitating communication between University entrepreneurs through UVAStart? Yes
Do you support recent changes to AccessUVA? No
Are you satisfied with the current level of student representation on the Board of Visitors? No
Has the allocation of GIFT grants done a sufficient job making U.Va. a greener, more sustainable University? No
Should the Student Activities Fee be increased? No

I would like to create a program of Studco ambassadors. Such a program would ensure that there is a studco presence at many more CIO sponsored events. This would provide more opportunities for students to communicate directly with their studco representatives. At the moment representation from these CIOs is dependent on either a representative’s incidental involvement in an organization, or the organization coming directly to studco. Their is a disparate need for a greater conduit between community concerns and studco representatives.

Jannatul Pramanik

Running for: College Representative

Has Speak Up UVA been successful at aggregating student feedback? Yes
Should StudCo use a percentage-based model to allocate funding to approved CIOs? No
Should so much of StudCo’s funding go to club sports? Yes
Should StudCo representatives be permitted an unexcused absence during the semester? Yes
Do you support recent changes to AccessUVA? No
Are you satisfied with the current level of student representation on the Board of Visitors? No
Has the allocation of GIFT grants done a sufficient job making U.Va. a greener, more sustainable University? Yes
Should the Student Activities Fee be increased? No
If you would like to expand on any of your answers above, please do so here.
How would you work to improve Student Council’s outreach to the student body as a representative?
What major and minor initiatives should Student Council undertake in the coming term?
How would you, if at all, reform the current Student Council committees and committee system?

Antonio de la Pena

Running for: College Representative

Has Speak Up UVA been successful at aggregating student feedback? Yes
Should StudCo use a percentage-based model to allocate funding to approved CIOs? No
Should so much of StudCo’s funding go to club sports? No
Should StudCo representatives be permitted an unexcused absence during the semester? Yes
Do you think the Entrepreneurship and Innovations Committee should reform its approach to facilitating communication between University entrepreneurs through UVAStart? Yes
Do you support recent changes to AccessUVA? No
Are you satisfied with the current level of student representation on the Board of Visitors? No
Has the allocation of GIFT grants done a sufficient job making U.Va. a greener, more sustainable University? Yes
Should the Student Activities Fee be increased? No
If you would like to expand on any of your answers above, please do so here.

My big issue is that there needs to be accountability in how exactly all the money we pay is spent. One of the main issues I want to address is the ever-rising tuition.

How would you work to improve Student Council’s outreach to the student body as a representative?
I personally plan to create a twitter account to reach out to the student body. The twitter handle will be @delaPenaStudCoRep

What major and minor initiatives should Student Council undertake in the coming term?
They should uniformly oppose the closing down of the lawn and call for increased accountability in how our tuition money is spent.

Sidney Gafford

Running for: College Representative

Has Speak Up UVA been successful at aggregating student feedback? Yes
Should StudCo use a percentage-based model to allocate funding to approved CIOs? Yes
Should so much of StudCo’s funding go to club sports? Yes
Should StudCo representatives be permitted an unexcused absence during the semester? Yes
Do you think the Entrepreneurship and Innovations Committee should reform its approach to facilitating communication between University entrepreneurs through UVAStart? Yes
Do you support recent changes to AccessUVA? No
Are you satisfied with the current level of student representation on the Board of Visitors? No
Has the allocation of GIFT grants done a sufficient job making U.Va. a greener, more sustainable University? Yes
Should the Student Activities Fee be increased? Yes
If you would like to expand on any of your answers above, please do so here.
If CIOs are seeing increased needs in funding, then considering an increase in student fees since that is where the most of the money comes from.

How would you work to improve Student Council’s outreach to the student body as a representative?
Continue to personally reach out to students and CIO leaders on a personal level and continue to invite them to speak at our General Body Meetings.

What major and minor initiatives should Student Council undertake in the coming term?
Continuing to advocate for Speakup UVa, bridging the communication gaps between minority represented organizations and Council as well as supporting the need for loan free financial aid for low income students.

How would you, if at all, reform the current Student Council committees and committee system?
The current committee system has proven to be a tremendous aid in brining change to Council. Our initiatives have been more mainstream and consequently more efficient. These committees, of the Representative body, should definitely remain the same. For other committees in Council I believe the communication about projects and initiatives specific to each group could be improved.

Ana Morais

Running for: Curry Undergraduate Representative

Has Speak Up UVA been successful at aggregating student feedback? Yes
Should StudCo use a percentage-based model to allocate funding to approved CIOs? No
Should so much of StudCo’s funding go to club sports? No
Should StudCo representatives be permitted an unexcused absence during the semester? Yes
Do you think the Entrepreneurship and Innovations Committee should reform its approach to facilitating communication between University entrepreneurs through UVAStart? Yes
Do you support recent changes to AccessUVA? No
Are you satisfied with the current level of student representation on the Board of Visitors? No
Has the allocation of GIFT grants done a sufficient job making U.Va. a greener, more sustainable University? No
Should the Student Activities Fee be increased? No

How would you work to improve Student Council’s outreach to the student body as a representative?
I would work closely with the Ed Council to create initiatives such as surveys and more events such as Cups & Conversations which members of the Council would attend and where they would interact with students.

What major and minor initiatives should Student Council undertake in the coming term?
Student Council should become more involved in the planning of UVA’s upcoming style of advising-“total advising”.

How would you, if at all, reform the current Student Council committees and committee system?
Since I have never been part of Student Council, I am currently not fully educated on all the details regarding the committee system.

For a list of Honor Committee candidate platforms, click here: College and Engineering // Batten, Nursing, Law, Commerce, Medicine, Continuing and Prof. Studies

Click here to read candidate platforms for those running for University Judiciary Committee.

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