Advancing Change
What if you could get cheap textbooks online well before classes start? What if you didn’t have to swipe your card every time you wanted to open a door? What if you could reduce the chance that your party will get busted?
The Problem
There are many problems that the UA needs to solve – some new, some old.
The Solution
Now is the time to get things done. We will make improvements to academic policies, dorms, FSILGs, dining options, and internal accountability.
Academic Policies
Cheaper Textbooks:
We will push for a system where professors submit a list of all class textbooks to a website before the beginning of term. You will be able to access this information and save money by ordering your textbooks from competitive vendors.
Career Fair Holiday:
We will fight to get you a day off from school to fully benefit from the opportunities at the Fall Career Fair. As your representatives, we will always invest in your future.
Mid-term Course Evaluations:
Halfway through the semester, you will be able to submit anonymous complaints about your courses and professors. Your recommendations will have an immediate impact on your classes.
Stellar Access:
You will have full access to Stellar course websites, allowing you to learn more about classes before you commit to taking them.
Dorms
Proxy Card Readers:
All dorms will be equipped with proxy card readers, allowing students to tap their IDs against a sensor to gain access to their residences. This technology will save dorm residents a little time every day since they will no longer have to swipe their cards.
REX Participation:
Freshmen who are assigned to a Residence-Based Advising dorm should have the opportunity to participate in REX. All students should have the freedom to discover the living group that is best for them, and we will fight to give you that choice.
Performance Evaluation:
Just as you are allowed to evaluate your professors, we will allow you to evaluate your GRTs, Housemasters, and House Managers. This initiative will ensure that they are always responsive to your concerns.
FSILGs
Fraternity-Police Dinner Fund:
We will establish a fund that finances dinners where fraternity members and campus police can interact in a relaxed, social setting. Furthermore, we will assist fraternities with event organization and police invitations.
Harvard Bridge SafeRide:
We will work to add a new van to the SafeRide fleet that continually goes back and forth across the Harvard Bridge. This van will reduce the strain on existing SafeRide shuttles and save you valuable time.
ShuttleTrack:
We will work with the Office of Parking and Transportation to make necessary upgrades to the Shuttle Track system .
Dining Options
Independent Dining Options:
We will protect independent dining facilities, such as kitchens, which bring together students in many living groups. Furthermore, we will fight any effort to impose expensive, all-you-can-eat mandatory meal plans.
Expanding TechCash:
We will push for local vendors such as Star Market, Trader Joes, and Whole Foods to accept TechCash. Past efforts to do so have fallen through because they have not been pursued with enough vigor.
Internal Accountability
Fiscal Responsibility:
How do the UA and the Class Councils spend your money? How does FinBoard distribute around $200,000 of your tuition to student groups? We will regularly audit the UA to ensure that your money is being spent effectively.
Senator Legitimacy:
All Senators are given $100 to communicate with you. All Senators are tasked with completing an individual project that improves your life. Lately, communication has deteriorated and the project requirement has not been enforced. Senators are elected to represent you and must be held accountable by their leadership. We will ensure that Senators who do not fulfill their responsibilities are removed from office.