Repaired broken water fountain in Clemons Library? Check. Umbrella sharing program? Coming soon. But what about having a voice in the bigger decisions made by University administrators and Virginia legislators?
In recent years, Student Council has addressed students' day-to-day concerns with a fair amount of success. But in doing so, it has put less emphasis on another fundamental - though perhaps less visible - part of its role at the University: representing student concerns and opinions to University administrators and to state legislators.
SpeakUpUVA has been instrumental in bridging the gap between Council members and students by offering an open forum to share ideas and concerns. Posts on the website have given rise to various initiatives such as UVAirBus and extended library hours during final examination periods. Now that Council has gathered a sizeable audience using that medium, it can go further to explore another part of its core purpose: to advocate on behalf of students to the University administration and beyond to the General Assembly.
Council has proven its ability to mobilize students behind a cause when administrative decisions lead to controversy. For example, in fall 2008 Council helped overturn the football sign ban in response student uproar. But long-term threats to student interests that affect the University's future should also be at the forefront of Council's agenda.
Naturally, there is less visible demand for this service because students are less informed about certain administrative objectives and policies being pushed through the General Assembly. Some of these issues include the out-of-state, in-state student ratio and proposed tution hikes. But to preserve the University's status as a top-tier public institution, it is in students' best interests to tackle these concerns and ensure their voices do not fall on deaf ears. After all, these decisions will affect students long after their time on Grounds is finished. For instance, decisions that affect the quality of the University will affect the way employers see its students in the job market. Consequently, Council should educate students about these decisions.
The best way to do this is through Council's Legislative Affairs Committee. Currently, the Committee primarily focuses on informing students about politics and encouraging them to vote on Election Day, Committee Co-Chair Matt Cooper said. Committee members also act as University ambassadors through their annual "UVA Day" event in Richmond when they discuss specific pieces of legislation with lawmakers. Cooper mentioned that the Committee sent surveys to various listservs to gauge student interest in pieces of legislation up for debate in the Assembly. Last year, Committee members lobbied against House Bill 1696, which would have mandated that all Virginia public universities enroll 80 percent of their undergraduate students from within the commonwealth. Currently, 68 percent of undergraduate students at the University are from Virginia. To further these efforts, the Committee should make a more concerted push to nurture the relationships with state legislators and to encourage University administrators to adopt certain positions on key issues throughout the year.
Council must engage as many students as possible to be successful on that front. One way to do this is by modeling a feedback loop similar to that of SpeakUpUVA. Specifically, the Committee must make the process more conversational by mirroring the way in which SpeakUpUVA appeals to the general student population and facilitates an ongoing dialogue between students and Council members.
Council has realized one part of its mission at the University by addressing internal student concerns. It should, however, broaden its scope to represent long-term student interests and must embrace its role as a liaison between students and key decision-makers both at the University and in Richmond.
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