The Platform

• Transparency and Accessibility
• Student Voice
• Support for Campus Workers
• Community
• Sustainability
• Students as a Top Administrative Priority
• RSO Funding

TRANSPARENCY AND ACCESSIBILITY.
Open government hinges on visibility and accountability, and it is important to us that we see what the Administration is doing and it should be important to you to see what Student Government is doing. We will continue to use secretaries to take minutes of our SG meetings and use our blog to make sure everyone knows about our dealings with the administration.

We pay the University vast sums of money each quarter. It is important that the Administration go above and beyond to demonstrate how this money is spent, and the priorities they have for University Spending. Obviously this cannot take the form of line-item accounts, but we should be able to have immediate and simple access to knowing what pots of money our tuition goes into.

In addition to being transparent, SG must also be accessible. We will make ourselves a presence on campus and have open office hours as well as times to sit and talk about any issues over meals in the dining halls. We want to know you and your concerns, and we want you to know us!

STUDENT VOICE.
Students should have real agency over decisions that have a large impact on their lives, and need to be involved in the beginning steps of University Decisions when their voice can make a difference. We will work with the administration to voice our concerns, and conduct surveys to listen to students’ opinions. This year Student Government had big successes in bringing back the A-Level all night study space and Emergency Contraception to the SCC, but both were reactions to decisions that were already made. We want to work to have an impact before students feel left behind by carrying out a sustained dialog with the Administration.

Student Government should not have a passive role in listening but one that actively seeks student input and advocates those views to the administration. With greater understanding of student opinion comes a greater ability to advocate for change. Our credibility is fundamentally tied to our ability to know the student body.

SUPPORT FOR CAMPUS WORKERS.
While Student Government is the appropriate forum for working on issues of Student Life with the Administration, when dealing with issues of campus workers (whether or not employees are students), the University should deal with workers directly. TA pay affects all students, and the lack of support in this area needs to be addressed with the employees themselves, and raised to levels commensurate with our peer institutions.

COMMUNITY.
The strength of our community lies in its diversity. Our student community and our relationship with our neighbors can and should be more cohesive and connected. Whether it is issues with the bus stop for the 171 or problems with the University Master Plan, the U of C is an integral part of this neighborhood (the largest employer on the south side!) and should work closely with other stakeholders.

The idea of campus community is the inspiration for our name, and we feel like the student body needs to feel more connected. How many undergraduates want to go to law, or business school, or even academia and would benefit from connections with other students who had been in their shoes recently? By thinking of ways that all 14,414 students can relate and share in their UChicago experience.

SUSTAINABILITY.
Sustainability captures the idea that we are building for the future. This not only incorporates ideas of environmental sustainability (itself very important), but also ways in which we interact and build that will build for the next generation of students. The University has made some steps in the right direction in terms of its environmental efforts by hiring a sustainability coordinator, but this is only a part-time position. If the University made this issue a priority, they would work with a full-time coordinator on a master plan for University Sustainability.

STUDENTS AS A TOP ADMINISTRATIVE PRIORITY.
When the University is setting its priorities for fundraising and spending, the top of the list should be support for students at the University. It is disheartening to hear the Provost state that gargoyles are falling off buildings as a reason to not fund current graduate students. Students here are smart enough to know that a physical plant needs maintenance, but we want to know we are a top priority. This is important for many reasons: students make this their home, and they should feel part of a vibrant student life, and have the resources to focus on academic and co-curricular pursuits without excessive fear of debt, loans, or starvation! Whether through Financial Aid to match peer institutions or support for Teaching Assistants that fits the cost of living, Students should be shown the support the deserve. This should also have a regenerative effect, as students who have a better time on campus should be more willing to give back to their Alma Mater.

RSO FUNDING
Student Groups go through a lot of work to put on great programming and to make campus a more enjoyable place for everyone. Finding the money to make this happen should not become a nightmare, and as student leaders, we know this well!!! We are willing to work with all student groups to make the process as simple as possible to create a vibrant student life.