Spring Break
Student senate seeks student input on campus issues, spending
Brittani McNeill
Issue date: 11/4/08 Section: News
Many ECU students wonder how their voices can be heard on campus, particularly when there is a question as to how to spend the student budget. The ECU Undergraduate Student Senate is the body in charge of making these decisions on behalf of students, and they are seeking more student input.
The Undergraduate Student Senate is the legislative branch of the Student Government Association. They control the allotment of a portion of student fees. This money can be used for various projects around campus, as well as used to help fund student organizations. Their purpose is to represent student interests, however many students are unaware of the power of the Student Senate, or the power that students have to direct their efforts and spending.
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Student senate president Mathew Burke says the group is looking for more student involvement, and working on making themselves more visible to the campus community.
"Undergraduate Student Senate is the direct representation of the student body at the administrative level," said Burke.
Burke says their goal is to address students' needs, to better their student experience. There are representatives from the different colleges and schools on campus, as well as class representatives.
One of the jobs of the senate is to try to find issues that need to be addressed on campus, but students can also bring their concerns to a meeting, or directly to a student senator. As president, Burke oversees the Senate and its meetings, and is not allowed to offer his opinion or cast a vote on issues, but he encourages the student senators to get student feedback and bring it to meetings.
"I encourage my senators to go out and look for problems, look for issues, talk to students, get out there."
Members of the student senate are looking to do just that. Emmanuel Wilder, student senator and junior computer science major, recently transferred from Western Carolina University where he served as
The Undergraduate Student Senate is the legislative branch of the Student Government Association. They control the allotment of a portion of student fees. This money can be used for various projects around campus, as well as used to help fund student organizations. Their purpose is to represent student interests, however many students are unaware of the power of the Student Senate, or the power that students have to direct their efforts and spending.
QUOTE
Student senate president Mathew Burke says the group is looking for more student involvement, and working on making themselves more visible to the campus community.
"Undergraduate Student Senate is the direct representation of the student body at the administrative level," said Burke.
Burke says their goal is to address students' needs, to better their student experience. There are representatives from the different colleges and schools on campus, as well as class representatives.
One of the jobs of the senate is to try to find issues that need to be addressed on campus, but students can also bring their concerns to a meeting, or directly to a student senator. As president, Burke oversees the Senate and its meetings, and is not allowed to offer his opinion or cast a vote on issues, but he encourages the student senators to get student feedback and bring it to meetings.
"I encourage my senators to go out and look for problems, look for issues, talk to students, get out there."
Members of the student senate are looking to do just that. Emmanuel Wilder, student senator and junior computer science major, recently transferred from Western Carolina University where he served as
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