Student Council formally unveiled Speak Up UVA - an online forum for students to publicly voice their opinions - as part of its outreach initiatives for the year at last night's meeting.
Council hopes the Web site, which was created by Chief Technology Officer William Reynolds during his Council campaign this spring, will give rise to more substantial communication between Council and University students than there has been in the past.
"It's an outlet for student expression," Director of University Relations Jennifer Bristol said. "It's more effective than [student] surveys - it provides qualitative information and allows students to collaborate."
Reynolds' campaign platform stated that he created Speak Up UVA to "return student governance to the students." The Web site allows students to submit ideas for Council to pursue, as well as vote and comment on the ones currently displayed on the home page.
Topics are ranked by a point system, Vice President of Administration Nikhil Panda said. He explained that visitors to the Web site are allotted 10 points per account, which they can award to topics of interest. He also said that students have the option of granting 0 to 3 points on any given topic but can choose to cast votes anonymously.
Even if they vote anonymously, students are encouraged to create accounts to receive e-mail updates about topics they have created or about which they have commented. Additionally, used points will be returned to users after the ideas they have voted on have been completed or deleted, Panda said.
Most importantly, Council hopes the Web site will help bridge the gap between Council and the greater University community.
"It'll allow [Council] representatives find out what's on the mind of students," Panda said. "We're trying to be transparent and trying to do more outreach this year."
Though some students said they are enthusiastic about the concept, others are worried about its outreach potential.
"I think it's a good idea but I don't think it'll be 100 percent effective," second-year College student Justin Feltman said.
Currently, Council is working to start a Web site publicity blitz that will include information flyers and library drop slips.
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