PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot
The effort includes increasing communication between students and the Union, as well as encouraging more student input in Union affairs.
President of the Union Andy Hogan ‘11 said the Union hopes to increase student involvement by starting an “involved student listserv.”
The listserv would be an informal way for the Union to poll willing students about the decisions it makes in order to be better connected to the pulse of the university.
“The union has been really good at advocacy,” Hogan said, “But there has been a less than desired amount of numbers behind what we say. This is a way to change that.”
This year, student involvement is especially important because of the upcoming constitutional review process, during which a student committee looks at the Student Union Constitution and decides what changes to make. The review process happens every four years.
Half of the committee will be appointed by Hogan, with the other half elected directly by the students, Union Director of Communications Sydney Reuben said.
Hogan said he hopes to have the committee set up by mid-October in order to complete the review process before the first week in March. After the committee reviews the constitution, the changed version will be submitted to a student-body-wide vote.
Ruben said the Union hopes for “complete student involvement in the revision process.”
Despite a stated interest in increasing communication between the Union and the student body, Hogan announced earlier this week that he would not be interviewed by members of the student press and that the press would have to instead speak to him through his Ruben.
Though that policy was revoked last night, Hogan said the short-lived policy was meant to “give me time to adjust to the pressure of being president without the pressure of the press.”
“That way I could hit the ground running without getting overwhelmed,” he said. “I don’t see it as having been less connected to the students.”
Ariel Wittenberg contributed to this report.
