SA forums aim for student input

In hopes of adding an extra element of student participation to their decisions, SA officials are seeking a big turnout for an open forum on Thursday, but the response to the planned discussion has been less than lukewarm.

Leslie Meister, SA Student Affairs director, said she's been promoting the forum for three weeks and has yet to receive any responses from the general student body.

The forum's goal, she said, is "to get the general student body's perspective of SA?Nwhat they like about it, what they don't, and what they want to see SA do more of."

SA held another forum last Thursday specifically for its clubs. Thirty-nine people, mostly members from sports clubs and three of the club coordinators, showed up to discuss student affairs issues and club concerns.

"We had the clubs talk about what they liked in terms of the E-board, delegates, Visions, communication, promotions, entertainment and student affairs," Meister said.

SA President Dela Yador, who attended the start of the first forum but left so the attendees could speak their minds freely, said it's hard to get students to show up at these kinds of functions.

"We have thought about using incentives for getting people to show up. We could go a million different ways," he said. "But it's going to help everyone. It's not just for my own good."

"I believe we already know what we need to work on," he added. "But we just want to get that student input."

SA Senate Chair Viqar Hussain, who attended last Thursday's forum, said there were several issues brought up that he previously didn't believe were very important but now sees are an issue for clubs.

Hussain highlighted club concerns about the SA Web site and budget allocations.

"This is a perfect opportunity," he said, "to get in there and fix up all the small problems. We're such a big organization. There's so much."

As for the second forum, Hussain expects there will be a crowd, but if there isn't one, he's not concerned.

"If they're not coming, then either that says that nobody is involved as every body feels, or that the stuff SA is doing for the general UB population, they're liking it," he said.

Keri-Ann Marshall, coordinator for the People of Color club council, said last week's forum went well enough, but it could have used more active participation.

"I can have a whole bunch of people show, but if they aren't going to say anything, it defeats the purpose," she said.

"Student's complain a lot, but when we give them a forum," she added, "they don't show up, so it puts us in a position of assuming (what they want)."

DeJuan LaGuerre, coordinator for the engineering club council, said SA has been better this year about opening the lines of communication, but he would hope for more input from students who aren't club members.

"The first step was just having an open forum where you can give feedback to SA," he said.

Although SA officials are opening the forum?Nscheduled for 5 p.m. in 330 Student Union?Nfor students to come and talk about anything. They are especially hoping for discussion on student affairs issues.

Hussain said SA has become solid on the entertainment side of things, but "if all (a student) wants to do is come to college, study and go home, we still have to have something for that student."

"We need to start hitting on the academic parts," he said.

Hussain pointed to extending library hours as an example where SA could make an academic difference. Yador said he will soon be meeting with UB officials to discuss language requirements for Teaching Assistants, and Meister said the topics discussed at the club forum ranged from Spring Fest to SA vans and food issues like pushing for the acceptance of campus cash in dining halls.

"Were trying to get students to tell us what they want instead of yelling at us," Meister said.

Yador understands that even if the forum is packed, he probably won't see much change during his presidency, but he said it's a matter of laying the groundwork now for future UB students.

"There are a lot of issues on the table right now," he said. "In the essence of time and the essence of being realistic, you want to focus on certain goals that you feel are small issues now and could become bigger later on in the future."