Increased student body participation in Student Council governance and further departmental interaction between students and faculty are some of the proposed goals for school and class councils in the upcoming year, according to several of the newly elected councils' executive officers.
For the class councils, the election results are as follows: Christina Polenta and David Newsome, Fourth-Year Trustees president and vice president; Michelle Henry and Kadeem Cooper, Third-Year Council president and vice president; and John Buttram and Yassee Pirooz, Second-Year Council president and vice president.
One of the main objectives for the Fourth-Year Trustees is to help ease the transition of fourth-year students from the University to the real world in way that will let "everyone stay connected," said Polenta, a third-year Commerce student.
"Fourth year is the most exciting year ... it's the beginning of a new great adventure," she said.
Bringing in more new faces to the Trustees who will bring "fresh ideas and perspectives" is another goal for the upcoming year, said Newsome, a third-year College student.
Polenta and Newsome have previously worked together on class councils and will be switching positions for the Trustees, Polenta said. Newsome, who is currently the Third-Year Council president, said he is excited to be working with Polenta again next year.
"We're going to do everything that we can to make fourth year the best," Polenta said.
For the Third-Year Council, Henry, a second-year College student, said she plans to involve CIOs in sponsoring class council activities, which will allow the council to serve as an interface between the student body and independent organizations.
"Working together is a better way to create class unity than just bringing people together with free food," she said.
To increase student participation from the rising third-year class, Henry said she also plans on developing a Web forum that will allow students to raise ideas about activities and to become more involved at different levels of planning.
As for the Second-Year Council, "next year is going to be all about people" said Buttram, a first-year Engineering student who plans to concentrate on bringing the Class of 2011 closer through different activities and social events.
Newly elected officials in the school councils include Architecture School Council President Mary Becica and Vice President Larry Galante, Arts & Sciences Council President Lindsey Turner and Vice President Madhu Reddy, Education Council President P. Jesse Rine, Engineering Student Council President Kristine Cheesman and Vice President Beth Martin, and Nursing Council President Jacqueline Brooke Giles and Vice President Catherine Martin.
According to Cheesman, a third-year student, the main goal for the coming year in the Engineering School is developing stronger relations between faculty and students.
"We want to make sure that students are more connected with the people in their departments," she said.
She pointed out that it is also important for the Engineering School to remember its status as a member of the National Association of Engineering Students, in that University Engineering students are "not only an university, but a community among other engineers around the country."
In the Commerce School, the main focus for the council will be "improving and increasing faculty and student interaction" said Bandy, a third-year student.
"The faculty are a great resource," Bandy noted, adding that she plans to provide many new opportunities next year for students to better get to know the faculty in the Commerce School, such as organizing dinners and activities within the school, as well as making use of the recently completed Rouss Hall.
Bandy added that she encourages increased student input to the Commerce Council, which will be made possible through implementing "an effective system for student feedback," which is still in development.
"I look forward to acting with my peers, faculty and administration," she said.
Upon election, all new executive officials in both the school and class councils are responsible for their new positions. Class councils, however, experience a transition period in which newly elected executive officers may serve simultaneously in their former and new positions, Newsome said.
"This type of transition is a little convoluted," Henry said.
Newly elected executive council members for the various councils will start planning for the next year in April, Henry said, even though their titles do not take effect until the end of the semester.
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