Dartmouth has an awesome opportunity this year to establish strong relations with College President-elect Jim Yong Kim, create greater connections with his administration and empower student government and student organizations on campus.
We also have great challenges -- the budget cuts must not be allowed to lessen the Dartmouth Experience for any student or organization.
Once elected, I will work to enact the changes I have outlined in my plan: Transparency, Communication and Tangible policies.
Short term:
-Promote Big Green athletics by offering PE credit to those attending events.
-Protect funding for student organizations by creating a common application, and promote transparency by establishing a Governance Communications Council consisting of executives of Undergraduate Finance Committee organizations.
-Revamp the Readership Program by replacing USA Today with The Wall Street Journal.
-Reform the Alcohol Management Program to safely reflect the realities of Dartmouth social life, and work with the Dean's office to pass it as quickly as possible.
-Launch a more transparent and accessible web site for Student Assembly that outlines budget expenses, events and initiatives.
-Elect a Student Assembly delegate to attend Hanover Town Council meeting to strengthen ties and foster communication within the Hanover community.
Long Term:
Transparency and Representation in Student Assembly:
Most students outside student government don't understand current Assembly practices, exacerbating the popular conception that the Assembly is an irrelevant and inconsequential body. To have a more transparent and representative government, I will reform Student Assembly by empowering all students with a vote and expanding the number of elected positions to include Secretary, Treasurer and half of all Committee co-chairs.
Greek Judicial Affairs:
Sanctions and probations in the Greek community represent unilateral ventures with no transparency or input from students, undermining the perceived validity of the disciplinary system, and fostering animosity towards the administration.
I have worked with the Undergraduate Judicial Affairs office on a proposal to form the Student Adjudication Committee (SAC) consisting of Greek, non-affiliated and athletic leaders that will work directly with the Organization Adjudication Committee in adjudicating organizational infractions, ensuring transparent decisions and greater consistency.
Probation is an ineffective and unsafe punishment in enforcing alcohol policy within the Greek system. Probation should be replaced with educational programs and community development initiatives that lessen the likelihood of repeated infractions.
Governance Communications Council:
Currently there is little transparency and much frustration in soliciting funds from any of the UFC funding organizations. In addition to creating a common application, I would establish a Governance Communications Council that coordinates funding, to ensure groups hit by budget cuts will be able to operate, and no organization is underfunded or over overfunded.
Commitment to Alternative Social Spaces:
Promote the expansion of alternative social events and spaces through greater collaboration of diverse communities on campus through utilization of the Inter-Community Development Fund (ICDF). Pangea programs and events have been a success, and their financial support should continue to be a priority.
Greater Student Advocacy within President Kim's Administration:
In the past, the campus in general and Student Assembly in particular have been reactionary and opaque in their administrative relationships.
President-elect Kim's appointment is a tremendous opportunity for Dartmouth to overcome this barrier; I would promote meetings and briefings on a regular basis with leaders in President Kim's administration and the Board of Trustees to solicit input and provide greater transparency in policy decisions that are germane to the greater Dartmouth community.
While there is no single policy to address all our needs, the best alternative is a process of governance that manifests the principles I outlined in my plan.
Communication, transparency and tangible policies are indispensable to the realization of a more representative student government.
My work and the perspectives I found in communities ranging from Hillel to Alianza Latina, from Ivy Council to Student Assembly, from the crew team to the Greek system and from Administrators and the students enable me to capitalize on the opportunities and confront the challenges of next year.
