One of Student Assembly's highly-publicized initiatives from last spring, Ride Across Dartmouth community bike program, left something to be desired: functioning bikes.
For the 2004-2005 session, the Assembly expects to revamp the program with the addition of some 100 bikes and a more practical system of borrowing, according to Student Body President Julia Hildreth '05.
The Assembly expects to obtain most of the bikes through donations, Hildreth said. To facilitate more convenient and responsible use of the bikes, a flaw in the current program, she also plans to initiate a system in which interested students would pay a small fee to receive a key that would work for all of the RAD bikes.
This year students can also take advantage of six new machines at Kresge Fitness Center, courtesy of the Assembly. Those new machines should satisfy gym-going students' needs until the Board of Trustees-funded initiative to construct a new Kresge gym facility is completed. Construction is slated to begin this winter, with projected completion before the Class of 2006 graduates.
Other Assembly goals for the year are focusing on previously conceived projects. They hope to post class syllabi and book lists online to alleviate the stress of shopping periods at the beginning of the terms. Other student service projects include the potential replacement of seven-year-old Blitz terminals around campus.
In addition, Hildreth said she hopes to improve the Assembly's online Course Guide by recruiting more students to review their professors and courses. Another goal is to produce a mini Visions report, compiling departmental reviews and statistics every term, so students and faculty could take advantage of more pertinent feedback.
A revamped Diversity Affair Committee has plans to include updates on the creation of an Asian-American Studies program at the College and to create a Diversity Business Review to document events reported by students that concern unfair business practices based on race, gender or creed.
Hildreth also wants to strengthen the Communications Committee within the Assembly by collecting student opinion through meetings held in a "town hall" format.
"We want ways to make sure when we're speaking as students, we're not speaking as SA," Hildreth said.
