Keenan Arnold is the new president of the Student Government Association and wants to change the direction of the organization from one of funding to one of student welfare. He also sees a disconnection between the main campus and the two satellite campuses of CCICS and El Centro. Arnold also wants to take another shot at getting the elusive CTA U-Pass on campus.
The SGA oversees a roughly $300,000 budget that funds 4 media group, the Independent, Que Ondee Sola a Puerto Rican rights monthly magazine, Apocalypse an annual literary publication and WZRD 88.3 FM the schools radio station. They also fund the Northeastern Programming Board and have an event-by-event budget for student organizations to hold events, go on trips etc.
Arnold described the current work of the SGA as a “funding body and rubber stamp for (the) Charter and Rules” (a committee of the SGA, who charter new clubs oversee and amendments to club charters and the SGA Constitution which governs them). Arnold and the SGA are set to do more.
The SGA has formed a new Student Welfare committee who will provide reports to both the SGA and to VP of Student Affairs, Dr. Melvin Terrell. The committee will hold open student forums, conduct surveys of students to get information to address student needs beyond funding and chartering clubs.
Arnold also said he has enjoyed a good relationship with University President Sharon Hahs, who called him when he won the election. Arnold said he has maintained a good and open line of communication with Hahs since.
Senator Al Cordero, former chair of the Charter and Rules Committee of the SGA said “I was a strong proponent of the student welfare committee. I believe it needed to be written in the constitution, it needs to be shown that we are we are continually looking for student feedback, not just as a one time thing with ad hoc committees.
Arnold said one of the first items on the agenda is to try again to get to CTA’s U-Pass on campus. The SGA held a referendum in 2006 on the U-Pass but the student turnout was so low for that election the SGA did not feel they really had a mandate.
The stumbling block for the U-Pass is that students would not be able to opt out of the fee, as can be done for parking charges. The CTA has said it either will provide the service to all the students or none at all.
CTA Spokeswoman Robyn Ziegler defended the decision not to allow the opt-out provision, telling the Independent “Students who drive cannot opt out of the program because the program’s intent is to encourage public transit use. It puts the U-PASS into the hands of the entire full time student population at the school and can introduce the convenience of public transit to some students who might not otherwise have considered the option” (see Independent March 2006). The CTA has not since wavered in their position.
Arnold also said he wants to include CCICS and El Centro more in the SGA and plans to hold the first SGA meeting in the fall at CCICS. “There is absolutely a disconnect between CCICS and the main campus, as well as El Centro.”
Arnold said one of the other first items on his agenda was to “focus on marketing SGA, letting people know what we can do for them.”