One Part Student...

Missed this!

2011-06-17T18:12:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

So I have been absurdly busy since I last posted! Obviously, a lot has happened. I am going to do my best to put these pieces together really quick.

1) I fell out of the loop regarding a statewide student association. A lot of things were going on between academics, family, and job(s), and so I kind of fell out of the loop. From my understanding, discussions are kind of at a stand still, but I may be COMPLETELY off base. In the mean time, my goal on campus is to create a group dedicated to higher education issues on the UMass Boston campus- a group that will hopefully have someone consistently at the State House for lobbying, hearings, and other such issues.

2) Elections happened. Travis Henderson and I ran together as student body President and Vice President respectively. The weeks of elections were insane. When we weren't in class or doing our previous USG jobs, we were meeting with clubs and organizations, handing out flyers and candy, putting up posters, and talking to students. We also had a debate with out opponents that we thought went incredibly well. The videos are on our facebook page. With all our hardwork, alongside those of our volunteers and supporters, we managed to win with about 68% of the vote! We have already moved on rearranging our office to be more open, appointing a Chief of Staff, and bringing individuals into the Cabinet, in addition to setting goals and preparing a "To Do" list for the coming year.

3) UMass increased fees by 8%, or by about 800 dollars. Travis and I immediately responded with a Letter to the Editor that has so far been printed in the Salem News and the Standard Times, and may soon be in the Worcester Gazette. We hope that the student organization we hope to build around higher education issues in the fall semester will be able to help stop such increases, and state budget cuts, in the future.

4) I have received a summer job and internship! I am once again working for UMass Boston's orientation team as an Orientation Leader. I will also be joining Obama for America as a Summer Organizer for Organizing for America!

5) Travis and I are doing our best to help a UMass Lowell student to become student trustee in the fall. He was elected in the spring, but the results were thrown out by the Dean of Students, and so he has to run again. Based on what we have seen from meeting with him, and from the numbers he posted in the previous election, it is clear he should represent UML students. Unfortunately, the second election being postponed until September leaves the UMass students as a whole one vote short on the Board of Trustees given the rotating nature of the voting student trustees. Hopefully, this will be resolved and in the future another (or more!) student trustee(s) will be able to have a vote despite one student trustee's absence.

Those are all the major updates for now, if you have any particular questions, find me on Twitter (@DanMcDs), or on Travis and I's Facebook page (Travis Henderson/Dan McDowell). I hope to keep this blog updated more regularly with some student government and UMass Boston events throughout the summer, so keep your eyes peeled!

Rebuilding an SSA: Part 2- First Steps

2011-02-12T19:22:00.000-08:00

So, rather than try and come up with titles for everyone one of these posts, I am just going to make it a series of posts with a subtitle if I can come up with one. Dull, and lacking creativity, but I only have so much time on my hands.

We had an in-person meeting today at UMB, and we had 5 campuses and 2 different systems represented. During our 1.5 hour meeting we managed to identify our campaigns, fill out a strategy chart, and formally chose to head in the direction of forming an SSA- rather than become "just" a student arm of PHENOM. We also managed to set the date, time, and location of our next in-person meeting, set an agenda for our weekly conference call, and build energy for the upcoming campaigns ahead this semester.

After today's meeting, I am pumped for for the time ahead. We have made our first steps forward, and I am really excited to pull in more organizers as the semester goes on. I also am extremely excited our SGA is far more receptive towards an SSA than it was just a year or two ago. I cannot wait to see what role UMB plays in this process. Given our proximity to the State House, and a committee that could use a more specific directive, I am really excited to see what role UMB's students, and our SGA, plays in this process.

Next up: We need to formalize the upcoming SSA's structure, name, and bylaws. It may not be the most exciting part of organizing, but it is completely necessary if we want this to continue long after we all graduate and are the first alums of Massachusetts' new SSA.

Rebuilding an SSA

2011-02-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

As always, I am still incredibly busy. I have a couple of VERY difficult classes this semester, so it will definitely be an interesting few weeks.

Anyways, down to the point of this post. In the last couple weeks, a real push has been made to relaunch Massachusetts Students Uniting (MSU). A group of students from across the state have tried to pick up where we last left off with formalizing the organization & its bylaws, as well as beginning to look at campaigns for this semester.

For the first time in the last three years, we are looking at having real support from the student government on my campus, and I am seeing people eager to get started on the budget issues we will be facing, fee increases, and the mobilization that will be necessary for either issue. I have to say, I am really excited. I am hoping I will be able to do a lot, and I will be throwing whatever spare time I have left for this endeavor. I am just glad that the idea hasn't yet died. When MSU fizzled out, it marked a significant decrease in student organizing, both independently, and within organizations such as the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts (PHENOM). MSU's relaunch will hopefully come with passionate, a drive for recruitment, and being ready to plug people into a variety of places and issues. We can't let people fall to the side again- that is the major lesson I learned with my last involvement with MSU. Without something to do, individuals move to other passions, or simply slowly peel away. With a strong group of students willing to organize (and heck, if we can secure some funds too), we will be able to have an amazing impact on this state.

We may not be able to stop the cuts in their entirety, but we can certainly try. Now is not the time for students to be inactive. This is when higher education budgets need the most protection- and this is when we need to step up as students and demand the defunding of higher education needs to end. We cannot let Massachusetts sabotage its own economy. We cannot stand idly by as the state declares families as an alternative revenue source for the University. It is time for us to become a constituency the state cannot ignore. We need to make ourselves heard.

Scheduling Time!

2011-01-28T19:50:00.000-08:00

I just realized just how much of this blog has update in the title, to say nothing of apologies for not posting as often as I should. Maybe I will try and add it to my weekly schedule & force myself to regularly update so this doesn't continually happen. Anyway, on with the show.

Sorry I haven't been frequent or regular with any of my updates. I have had a pretty crazy few months. Between 4 classes and 2 jobs last semester, not to mention my life outside of school, I haven't had much free time. Of course I will probably have more of the same this semester with 2 out of my 5 classes slated to be incredibly difficult, my student government work, my life, and plans I have in the works that I will probably talk more about in a couple weeks (if I manage to make the time, of course).

The USG seems to be coming together a lot better than I had hoped this semester. The Executive Cabinet is finally getting filled, and the Judiciary will be gaining another member as well next week- assuming all candidates are approved. We are running low on Senate members though, and our bylaws call for special elections. While that could be good in terms of manpower, it comes at a very difficult time- since our elections for the 3rd Senate and our 2nd popular presidential election are about 2 months away. I just worry that all that advertising for special elections for senators to serve until May, and then having yet another ad blitz for our elections will drive down turnout and will confuse some students. I do not want to see a drop in voter turnout back to what we experienced prior to last year's 12% or so. In fact, I was hoping it might go up again. I am sure our elections committee, which will hopefully be appointed next week, will do a great job- but it will be a lot for them to handle. All I know is that it will be an incredibly interesting experience.

Also, despite recent improvements- Senate turnover is increasing again. Granted, now the turnover is for many different issues than before (which is somewhat reassuring), but I worry that people will not step up. I have been trying to draw people into stepping up- and I have had some success- but we need more people than have decided to step up. I really hope I am wrong, and that this thought process is one of an exhausted individual who should really be in bed. I guess we will see in the coming weeks. I would love to find out that I am just late in receiving an update and more people want to take on more responsibility. It is certainly possible because of the chaos of add/drop period and unsettled class schedules.

Of course, with all this it is pretty clear I am pretty loaded down with work, I need to step back a bit from #SGAchat. Chances are I will definitely still participate when I can, but I am not sure I can continue to moderate the discussion, set up topic selection, and all that kind of work. I will still contribute to the SGA Collaborative (most likely through this blog), but that will likely be the extent of it. If you are interested in taking over, or learning a bit more about what acting as MOD requires, let me (@danmcds) and @tomkrieglstein know via DM on Twitter, or via e-mail. I hate to step back from such an amazing idea, but it deserves someone who can put the effort in to do the work already required, in addition to some recruitment efforts.

Thanks for bearing with me. Sorry if any of these areas ramble too much, or for the likely choppiness of this post. I promise I am heading to bed now, so no more sleep-induced paragraphs!

Inter-student Government Discussions

2010-11-16T17:57:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

I just got reports back from some delegates we sent to a group of Boston area schools discussing their SGAs. However, from my understanding, many of them seem disorganized, and seemed to want to keep discussions to a small group of people. While I can see the advantages, and fearing that a large body could cause break downs in communication, what are your thoughts?

I think having a large group conversation can be incredibly valuable. That's why I love ASGA's conferences and think they are so useful- because it gives SGA's that opportunity. That being said, I would certainly like to see regional discussions happen much more often than once a year- or heck, perhaps even see if it can be made into an annual statewide meeting. Plus, the way I see it, it would allow us to look at local issues, find common ground, and perhaps work together a lot more easily if we are meeting on a semi-regular basis. Maybe this could even be an intermediary step prior to starting (or re-starting) some sort of statewide student association.

Based on what I heard about the meeting this weekend, the group of schools that met isn't quite sure of their direction- and have the disadvantage of not having enough people within the network to organize/expand/etc effectively. A few of us here at UMass Boston have floated around the idea of moving forward with a similar meeting reaching out to institutions across the state- especially public institutions, with whom we share more in common than with the private institutions we joined the ranks of this weekend. I almost see it as a regional, in-person #SGAchat with the topics of discussion being recommended beforehand by students across the state (or perhaps beyond if any of you are in the New England region and would be interested in such a conference/summit/whatever you would like to call it).

Do any of you have a similar meetings, outside of conferences run by outside groups like ASGA? What do you think about this #SGAchat like idea? I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

Automatically cross-posted from One Part Student...

I can't sleep... so it's time for an update

2010-11-16T17:47:00.000-08:00

So, I've been taking care of my girlfriend today since she's been feeling so sick. Since making sure she's all set, and in bed early, I decide to try to work (unsuccessfully I might add) on a paper I have coming up. I know I can get it done in the time frame I have left, I just hate not being able to focus on a topic when I really want to and when I know it will end up being an interesting topic to write on. And yet, I can't sleep- so here I am.

A lot has been going on with the USG lately. We finally seem to have gotten our student polling initiative- Campus Connect- back up and running. Our Budget and Finance Chair is taking a leave of absence next semester, leaving us with a leadership hole we will be filling at our last General Assembly of the fall semester in about a month- which certainly has been interesting. We do have one senator who has already stepped forward and begun shadowing our current Budget and Finance Chair (Keith Raboin). Hopefully he will be willing to continue shadowing Keith, and perhaps run successfully for the position.

Finally, and perhaps the biggest thing to come up, is the assessment of the executive thus far by Steering with our current president at the helm. Everything so far has been pretty civil- which given pent up frustrations has been a nice change from years past where such issues would turn into shouting matches. Right now everything has been fairly calm, with the President looking to inform us of his accomplishments so far, his stating that he will increase communication, and his offer to step back and out of the Senate. Those assurances have helped, but many have remained doubtful. He has offered to resign if the Steering Committee isn't satisfied over the next few weeks, just prior to the end of the semester, so that the Vice President may step up and prepare to take on the coming semester. It has certainly been an interesting dynamic, but nothing that has blown up or stopped progress in the student government. In fact, we seem to be moving forward just as well as ever.

In any case, I may post one more update for the night, but then I am going to try and go and sleep again. Hope everything is well with all of you.

Updates!

2010-10-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

So, needless to say I've been all over the place. I can't really say I'm surprised, I have pretty much 0 free time between 9AM and 5PM + papers, homework, and the like after that, as well as a girlfriend & a little bit of a social life. I'm going to be toning it down next semester, probably leaving my job at admissions so my grades don't suffer. It's been difficult to keep up, but my supervisor understood and seems to be okay with it since I'm giving a heads up. They know I have a lot of responsibilities and am spread pretty thin, but I think it helped I offered to come back on to help out for the summer.

In any case, I'm hoping to take a step back from minimum requirements, like work hours. I would rather try and put in some time where I can for MSU and PHENOM, as little as it may be, to help out. It has the advantage where I can say no and scale back some if I'm stretched too thin, and I can get back to doing what I love- organizing and working on campaigns to better the state of higher education here (or at least do my best to prevent any more backsliding).

In a similar vein, I am hoping to try and spread how I do what I love, and spreading working strategies- by applying to be a Grassroots Organizing Weekend trainer for the United States Student Association. Given it's commitment of a few weekends a semester, I am more than confident I could do that work, especially with the ability to do schoolwork during any travel time and any downtime I have. Most of my schoolwork also happens to be during the week, so a second "job" on the weekends is far easier for me to handle than during the week. I miss being a core organizer for MSU, and I feel like helping others develop these skills would help until I try and return to being a core organizer next fall. Being on the fringes of public higher education new/happenings/etc really isn't all that fun. I miss trying to make things better with other students. I want to make this a priority not only for myself next year, but perhaps I can try and make it a priority for at least some people or individuals in our student government. Despite its importance, funding issues doesn't get much play until talk of fee increases or budget cuts come around, when the proper time to act is far earlier.

Well, I guess that is all the rambling I do for now. Oh, but one last thing, I am psyched I am getting to see MSU alumna/USSA president Lin McCluskey for the first time in a VERY long time. I'm hoping it'll be re-energizing since mid-semester has me feeling a little tired and burnt out. Besides, it's always fun to reminisce, right? Maybe that'll get me posting more.....

I'm done now, I swear!

The Year Ahead & a DREAM Act Resolution

2010-09-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I've finally gotten around to updating. It's been a very chaotic few weeks.

The end of the summer brought with it our first ever senator training which went pretty well. Turnout was fairly low, but most of those who did not come were senior senators, and so probably felt they did not need to, or had prior immovable engagements (international travel, medical issues, etc). All in all I am really excited for our new team. I can already see the dedication and passion so many of our senators have, and so I believe it will be a great year.

In addition to this, I now hold a job in addition to that of Speaker of the Undergraduate Student Senate. I am now also a tour guide for the admissions office, which certainly takes out a solid chunk of free time I'd normally spend on organizing (especially in hopes of reviving MSU), but I need the money, which makes it an unfortunate consequence.

That hasn't stopped everything though. I have been involved in statewide discussions regarding getting Senator Brown to sign on to the DREAM Act. In fact, a former student senator, and Student Immigrant Movement organizer, Renata Teodoro, came to campus and spoke to myself and our Vice President about getting a resolution passed. As Speaker, I could not announce any position prior to the meeting, and was unable to comment during debate of any kind surrounding the resolution- though I did participate in some office banter. What was great about this resolution, however, was that this is truly one of the first times students helped initiate something of this kind in our student government. 30-40 students signed a letter indicating they wanted our Undergraduate Student Government to support the DREAM Act. This was presented to one of our committees, who then voted to have a resolution placed before the General Assembly, leaving their Chair and myself to write and edit such a resolution over the next day or two. It was quite an exciting process, and passed overwhelmingly. What was even greater was the fact that partisanship was kept out of the debate, and it was very much a short, civil discussion rather than personal attacks or accusations. It was then my duty as Speaker, once it had been signed by our President, to prepare the resolutions and an accompanying letter to send to our Chancellor, University President, and Senator Brown, in addition to CCing our entire congressional delegation- by yesterday evening. It was quite the experience. Now all those offices should receive their letter and a copy of the resolution by Monday morning- just before the vote on the DREAM Act is set to occur. The timing was impeccable.

In any case, this year is looking more and more like it will be an exciting, passionate, and productive one. Our senators so far have shown themselves highly capable of facing controversial topics with maturity, and wanting to work with students. We already have gone to students and gotten hundreds of comments in feedback on UMass Boston, and are looking at having dozens of volunteers for the upcoming special elections & the rest of the academic year.

Some Perspective (Link Drop)

2010-08-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

Just dropping a link I think you should all check out. It is a new post on the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts' (PHENOM) tumblr titled "The Once Affordable University." It certainly puts things into perspective on the skyrocketing cost of attending a public college or university. I hope you all check it out.

I will be back later today or tonight to post a "real" update.

Busy, busy, busy

2010-08-10T18:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been incredibly busy.

ASGA on Saturday was great. I got a whole new take on all sorts of issues, and it was nice to be surrounded by SGA folks from across the country. The discussions I had with other student leaders covered anything and everything, including how to expand a SGA budget, which I would love to see happen given the info the Endicott College SGA officials provided me with. $10,000 really just isn't enough to support a vibrant campus life on a campus of that size.

I've also been busy drawing out my own personal plans for the year. I've officially been hired to work for Admissions as a Beacon Ambassador tour guide, and will continue my role as Speaker in the USG. I am also hoping based on my performance review today that I will be brought in as an Orientation Leader for the Spring 2011 orientations, and hopefully get re-hired next summer. I've also been working on all sorts of stuff that is USG related, including training, policy, and oh so much more. I'm just hoping I can get some of it ready for this year, because who knows what next year will end up bringing for me.

It makes me a little glad SGAchat is on hiatus, because I am absolutely EVERYWHERE right now. Oh, and my laptop has a cracked screen, so doing anything right now is a challenge for me. And my apartment has had some intermittent issues with the internet- so much so that I wrote this when I was on campus early this morning before work, just so I could have an update up tonight. Sigh. I'm just hoping I can get some research done for the conference call coming up!

Well, that's about it. I'll update when I have news and am able.

Training, Student Government Conference, and more!

2010-08-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

Well, it's looking more and more like we may have a training schedule for our senators. I am really excited about the upcoming program. It is a one day 6 hour session or so, including breaks and lunch. However, we do end with a Q+A period, so who knows how long it will end up going for in the end.

I am also excited for this weekend's ASGA training here in Boston. I will be going for a bit of a refresher course, and our Student Events and Organizations Chair will be joining me Saturday morning. I'll also get to meet #SGAchat participant @MichaelSCashman, which should be pretty cool as well!

I am really excited for the Boston conference. I'm sure it won't be as large or as "fun" as the national summit in D.C., but I can't wait to network with some local SGA leaders and hear their plans and expectations for the coming year, in addition to solutions to problems they've faced.

I'm sorry for updating so slowly, but between interning for State Senator Ross, working as an Orientation Leader, preparing for next year's student government, talking to Deval Patrick's campaign staff about volunteering in the office, and going through a job application process, I've been a bit busy. I am set to volunteer though once I send in my availability, and I got the job I applied for, so I'll be working for Admissions in the fall in addition to student government work, which will be fun, especially since it looks like it will be with a bunch of fellow OLs.

In any case, I hope to have a more substantive update soon. I've got a lot going on behind the scenes I haven't talked about yet, but I'll definitely be updating as progress is made/as stuff is ready to go public!

UMass expansion continues; State ignores success

2010-07-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

The Boston Globe has a piece up on the building boom currently happening across 4 of the 5 UMass campuses.It puts a spotlight on a fact that is oft overlooked and has been ignored on far too many occasions- the UMass system is an economic powerhouse. It provides our workforce, provides a reason for research institutions to set up shop in Massachusetts, and generates incredibly high amounts of economic activity.

However, in the same article it becomes apparent the state has been limiting the possibilities at UMass. Funding in UMass' budget provided by the state has been halved from just over a decade ago, and down to 14% overall. Meanwhile- this has led UMass to lean on fee revenue, which has caused increasing fees with the decline in state funds. Grant money has helped kept those increases at a more "reasonable" level- but treating public education like a business should not come as a praise.President Jack Wilson has kept UMass moving forward despite the lack of state funds- not because of them. And even with that progress UMass has only faced further cuts. Of course, this is not only because of Wilson pushing alternative revenue sources- whether students, licensing fees, donors, or grants. The state has not been doing its part to support it's higher education system- including UMass. To its credit- the Board voted not to increase fees any more than the $1100 increase that is no longer covered by stimulus funds upon hearing the governor planned to level fund higher education in the upcoming budget. Of course, since then, the FMAP issues have come to light, and the legislature has given our higher education system the largest cut in a decade. As for what this could mean now for fee increases- who knows. One thing is for sure though- UMass is continuing to succeed despite the barrier of decreasing state funds. But it is time to stop holding back UMass' progress. As the campuses continue to grow, alongside enrollment, state funds need to at least stabilize- if not increase. We cannot continue to withdraw support from one of the largest economic powerhouses in our state. The UMass system is something our state needs to be proud of, and adequately support. It will not be long if we continue down our current road that UMass is completely privatized- and will no longer be accessible to the students it was created to serve.

Congratulations to UMass on its continued expansion, but shame on the state for continuing to ignore the success of one of the main suppliers of the state's workforce.

October 7th Day of Action

2010-07-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

Given @studentactivism putting together a post about the largest student activism stories of the coming year, I thought I would put up a post of my own about what my Campus and Community Affairs Chair and I are hoping we can put together for the event.

We are hoping to direct all of our actions at the state. Whether that takes the form of a call in day, a rally, or lobbying, we aren't really sure yet, but we know that that is where the change needs to first happen.These cuts are not something we can let simply drift into memory. The state needs to recognize that students care, students vote, and students will not support politicians in state government who push cuts to higher education as a solution to our budget woes.

We are also hoping to coordinate with other SGA's at public institutions across the state. I have compiled a list and contact information for a majority of the public SGA's in the state. We are hoping that this become incredibly useful in getting other schools to join us and unite against funding cuts. This is about preserving the quality of our school system, preserving access for in-state students, and restoring our state's economy.

I am excited that we have seen increased actions from students not just in California, but around the country. In these economic times, it only makes sense to stabilize or expand public universities when so many need to prepare themselves to enter a completely new economy. In our service-based economy, education is more of a necessity than ever before. Cutting government funds from education only leaves us digging ourselves into a deeper and deeper hole as our number of college graduates declines. One day of action will not change that- but it will draw attention. From there, we have to keep up the pressure and awareness so that we don't dig ourselves so deep that we can't climb out.

Administrative Relations and Student Government

2010-07-21T18:49:00.000-07:00

Well, tonight's #SGAchat and post chat with @arjayquizon got me thinking about the importance of the relationship between administration and SGA members, especially officers.

In many cases, people who get elected to SGA are excited about representing the students, which is excellent. The downside to that is that they may see threats to students where there may be none, and often the target of such threats is administration.

Now, don't get me wrong. Administration can be sneaky and underhanded when they need/want to be. It happens. They know something will likely be unpopular, but they believe it needs to be done, so they announce it when students can't, or historically won't, protest. Luckily, this hasn't occurred at my campus, but I've seen it done elsewhere, and it can be a valid concern.

But, in many cases, students may perceive a threat where there is none. For example, students may blame campus administration for an issue- like increasing tuition and fees- that is the fault of the Board of Trustees and state appropriations. In that case I've often seen administration sympathetic, though they do follow the line given to them, but you cannot blame them for that. In other cases I've seen administration (in my case a student government advisor) accused of manipulating the outcome of an election (despite the fact that the student in question won, and was accusing the advisor of conspiring against her).

In positions like our own, it is understandable to want something tangible to fight against- to put a face to "the enemy." However, administration should be seen as a resource, not an enemy trying to take out the student representative body on campus. Our Director of Student Activities and Leadership, Dean of Students, and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, in addition to all sorts of individuals in our Administration and Finance department have helped us out in astounding ways, and been incredibly supportive. As our reach on campus grows, they take a more hands off approach and let our system work. This held true early this year when there was a dispute over space assignments between the Trustee and our Student Events and Organizations Committee. The Trustee appealed to administration, but once they saw that we had followed our own process and guidelines, the decision was not even reviewed by administration.

Make the most of administration as a resource- especially their expertise. Talk to your Administration and Finance department about budgeting and financial procedures, your advisor about bylaws, forms, and any other governing documents, and club advisors for advice on club policy and guidelines. As you use them as a resource, they will in turn turn to you for your expertise as student representatives. Using them as a resource requires the leadership skills that they seek out for University-wide committees, and shows initiative to make sure things get done efficiently, correctly, and by a well informed individual.

If your relationship is between SGA and administration is not the best- work towards repairing it. We all know that students turnover. Administration, on the other hand, tends not to. They will know what has worked and failed in the past, and what is going on at nearby peer institutions. That knowledge and stability can do a student government who may be weak or floundering under it's mission the ability to pull itself up and be successful in less than a year if it is an SGA with driven officers.

You will diverge on some issues with administration, and that's fine. No one expects you to agree with administration on everything (and if you do, someone somewhere likely isn't asking tougher questions, you are failing to represent students, or you have a Utopian university, and I would like the full graduate course offerings thereof). But, the trick is to be civil, considerate, and educated on your position when presenting it to administration. You can't have students swearing at administration, assuming their uneducated, or that they don't care about students. They will respect you for having a different opinion on policy, and backing that up. They may not accept it, or even look at it too thoroughly unless their own policy fails, but then you know you had a body that stood for the students and did it professionally.

I don't know what the policy is on recommending certain training organizations on SGABlogs, but I will say that ASGA has an excellent workshop during their conferences about working with administration, and I'd highly recommend going to check it out. Or, if you are an ASGA member, perhaps they'll send you the power point and handouts electronically. Can't hurt to ask.

The bottom line? Work WITH your administration, don't make unsubstantiated claims, and keep the relationship between your SGA and administration mutually respectful. The same should hold true within your SGA and between SGA members, but that could be a topic for another #SGAchat

As a warning I may go through and clean this up a bit in the coming days, because I'm a little scattered. So check back in soon. .

Resurrecting a Statewide Student Association

2010-07-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

Well, after reading about USSA's National Student Congress on Twitter, I am feeling more energized than I thought possible. As I've mentioned before, hard times are continuing for Massachusetts public higher education system. State colleges may soon be state universities, but that name change means nothing if we don't fund them adequately.

After reading tweets from NSC '10, I couldn't help but feel my own energy increase. Something can be done about these cuts if we band together. And we, as students, have a responsibility to stop these trends now so that those who come after us may benefit. Realizing this, I couldn't stop thinking about the cohesiveness I felt while Massachusetts Students Uniting was still actively engaged in state politics, nor could I stop thinking about how great it would be if we hadn't stalled.

So, tonight I sent an e-mail to our old internal listserv that has been silent since March. I am awaiting any replies that may trickle in. I hope to work to rebuild MSU with anyone who responds to the call. If I don't get ahold of anyone, or it is a small number of people interested, the push will be to reach out to the SGA's at our respective schools and build support for higher education as an initiative from within. From there, I hope to reach out to officers in other SGA's from across the state to encourage them to do the same, and hopefully hold at least some sort of summit before the end of the 2010-2011 school year.

A statewide student association in Massachusetts is long overdue. Time to make it happen.

Never Working a Day in Your Life

2010-07-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

First off, because it relates in so many ways to what I am about to go into, I would like to congratulate @mcclusk, a friend and Massachusetts Students Uniting alumna, in winning her bid for USSA President. Which leads me into the part that is relevant to SGA's themselves.

Chances are, you have some part of SGA that you absolutely love- drafting legislation, learning parliamentary procedure, impacting University policy, meeting with administrators, aiding your clubs and organizations, or any other number of things SGAs across the country do. If not, here is my challenge to you: find that passion. It is that passion that makes student government such an amazing experience- and what helps create the best work.

Next, I want you to take action. I want you to focus on that passion- hone it, and bring advance your SGA in that area. Being in student government, you've probably also met that person who tries to take on everything, or at least everything in a certain area. That's someone who has found their passion, and acted on it, but has gone a bit overboard. There may not be such a thing as too much passion, but we all know the fatal disease among student leaders known as burnout. That is something that can be avoided simply by having others with that same passion working with that SGA official (plus a little delegation training never hurt anyone either).

If you follow those steps, you will rarely ever feel like what you're doing is ever actually work. It may seem common sense, after all we all repeat the "work a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life" mantra. But, in the reality of the situation, that often gets lost to the concerns of "Do we have the space booked? Has the money been transferred to X account? Are the polling stations ready?" and countless other questions that run through our heads as we serve fellow students. Take some time this summer to pause, and realize that passion. Hone your skills. Not only will it help your student government, but in turn your fellow students, and your own job prospects.

Now, why go off on this tangent? Well, USSA's new President is one of those individuals who first helped me find my passion surrounding issues impacting public higher education hear in Massachusetts. Since then, I have let that passion guide me in student government, reminding myself that, ultimately, we as an Undergraduate Student Government need to address these issues, not just for our current students, but our successors. These policy changes are unlikely to impact us, but we need to make a better tomorrow for our successors so that they may continue to move education and student organizing forward in the future. The Massachusetts Students Uniting listserv may be quiet, but the passion hums on. Each of us continues to try and make things better for the next incoming class of freshmen. Our counterparts of Salem State have successfully passed a bill granting the college University status through the state senate, and onto the desk of Governor Patrick. Undocumented students from across Massachusetts, including current and former UMass Boston students, held a vigil outside the State House protesting SB1070-esque legislation. And across the UMass and state college system, students have been actively engaging with PHENOM to try and reverse funding trends in our state that never should have occurred the first time, let alone over 3 decades.

I've found my passion guiding me these past few weeks as I try to make positive changes for our USG at UMass Boston. Drafting further legislation requiring and fostering respect amongst senators, hammering out job descriptions so all officers can more easily be held accountable, drafting legislation to not only better our officer transition process- but to create one, alongside drafting a to do list for creating a training regimen for our senators.

Let your passion guide you and move you forward, that, ultimately, will move you and your SGA into the future. After all, if you aren't passionate, why are you a part of an organization dedicate to serving one of the most passionate and future-oriented demographics in the world?

NOTE: Cross-posted to SGABlogs

15% cut to MA higher education

2010-07-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

Well, the aftermath of the budget signing the other day is in. There's been a 145 million dollar cut (about 15%) to higher education in Massachusetts. Of course, this comes AFTER the UMass Board of Trustees said they would NOT raise fees any higher if Governor Patrick's budget for higher education, which included level funding (which would have been a first in decades I believe) for our state colleges and universities. Instead, the state legislature has decided to add deep cuts, which will likely lead to a fee increase when the Board next meets. Even with the full effect of the 1500 dollar increase that was partly staved off by stimulus funds last year, it seems unlikely the Board will feel it can keep fee levels at their current level.

Massachusetts is shooting itself in the foot. We are a service based economy, and the only way to ensure we continue to have workers who stay in the state is to fund our higher education system. Our per capita funding is already dismal, with MA being in the mid to upper 40's for funding across the country. With this cut, I wonder if we'll hit dead last. Maybe that would wake up some of the people across the Commonwealth who have accepted these cuts year after year.

I sent out a statement to fellow student government officials at UMass Boston. I'm hoping they get back to me with some edits and jumping on board. This is not going to be easy to get together. It's a holiday weekend. But after some of our USG officials sign on, I'm hoping to send it to other campuses across the state to try and get more sign ons from SGA members. It is time that we all collectively stand up and say no to these cuts. We have stood idly by for too long. It's time to fight.

Christian Law Society v Martinez

2010-06-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, CLS v. Martinez was a case brought before the Supreme Court, arguing that the University of California-Hasting's Registered Student Organization (RSO) policy required RSOs accept all students, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, religious belief, race, ethnicity, etc. Today, the Court decided in a 5-4 decision that the all comer policy is Constitutional.

Justice Ginsburg delivered the majority opinion. In it, she particularly emphasizes the neutrality of the policy and that becoming an RSO at UC Hastings is not a necessity for the group, especially considering the University's offer of classrooms & posting space, as well as CLS' experience operating outside the benefits that being an RSO provides in 2004-2005. Furthermore, I was excited when Ginsburg highlighted the piece on student fees. All students contribute in some part to the budget of each organization, and as such they ought to have the right to participate as a full fledged member. That sentiment is one of the major reasonings behind the all-comers policy at my institution. If an individual is contributing to the functioning of the group, they have a right to play a role in that organization, as large or as small as they choose.

Furthermore, Ginsburg was excellent in touching upon the Code of Conduct that governs UC-Hastings students, which would aid in the prevention of a hypothetical take over and derailing of a student organization.Ginsburg also touched on the idea of self sorting, which is also an incredibly common phenomenon on college campuses. Anyone that passionate to see a group disbanded or failed is often either a) disruptive and punished via the campus' Code of Conduct or b) refuses to have anything to do with the organization attached to their name, let alone have their name on the RSO's membership rolls.

The Court's decision was the correct one. Becoming an RSO is not a requirement for groups on campus- it only provides further benefits. That distinction is one that cannot be stressed enough. Any group on campus may have a goal of reaching out to a certain group of students, but in order to be an RSO you must accept ALL students, not only the ones you are aiming for. It is fair for the sake of students making use of student fees, and their is no viewpoint or content discrimination at work within the policy.

Now, just a little outside the frame of the conversation, but still wholly relevant, as it is Justice Stevens' last day, I find it only fitting that I mention a piece of Stevens' concurrence I particularly enjoyed:

"In this case, petitioner excludes students who will not sign its Statement of Faith or who engage in “unrepentant homosexual conduct,” App. 226. The expressive associa-tion argument it presses, however, is hardly limited tothese facts. Other groups may exclude or mistreat Jews,blacks, and women—or those who do not share their con-tempt for Jews, blacks, and women. A free society must tolerate such groups. It need not subsidize them, give them its official imprimatur, or grant them equal access tolaw school facilities"

Thank you Justice Stevens for your thoughtful & independent opinions throughout your tenure. You will be missed as a fixture on the Court.

Student Leadership experience & your resume

2010-06-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

After reorganizing my resume (thanks Keith), I realized just how valuable my experience as a student leader has been so far.

Over the last two years, I have learned far more skills than I had really thought about- consensus building, coordinating three committees & their work, interacting with concerned students, making cold calls to prospective students and families, event planning, policy research, Robert's Rules & parliamentary procedure, and a ridiculous amount more. I started this as a way to show off how important the co-curricular experience is (and to keep a more thorough record of my time as a student), but it really only just hit me how far I have come as a student, a student leader, and as a person.

Before coming to UMass Boston and joining the student government here, I was always the quiet one who second guessed himself in almost every situation. Now I am a confident student leader, taking on problems I likely would have handed off or walked away from when I was in high school. The reality of how much this has impacted me has finally set in.

In addition to that, looking at what I've done, and how I can reflect that on my resume, has made me more confident about the prospects of getting some sort of job upon graduation. I look at all the experience I have, and the different skills I've learned from that, and I can't see how I wouldn't be able to find some sort of decent job after I graduate. After all, I am only half way done.

I hope I'm right. I'm applying for an internship with a state senator in the coming days, so hopefully that resume and my references at least land me an interview so I have a chance at sealing the deal.

For all of you other student leaders out there, I hope you're keeping track of the skills you've learned & your accomplishments in your field(s). There may be too much there to put on a single resume, but a "master" resume/list of sorts will allow you to tailor your resume to any job or internship for which you apply. If you aren't keeping track, start now, and try and figure out what you've learned thus far in your career. It can only help!

And, on a completely personal and unrelated note, wishing you luck on your caveman diet Heather!

How do you train an Undergraduate Student Government?

2010-06-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

That's the question I've been asking myself the past few days as I start looking forward to the fall semester. Much of our student government, excluding those in leadership positions, are new. The easiest (and seemingly the most boring, and likely unsuccessful route) would be to have a one day on-campus event filled with power points that include an overview of our governing documents, and breaking into committees so there can be a deeper focus on the areas in which each senator will be working. Maybe throw a meal or some snack breaks in there for good measure.

But that's not the kind of training I want to commit to, at least not if I can avoid it.

Yes, the above needs to happen, but there has to be a better way.

First, I want to see this be a two day event. Cramming everything in at once over several hours is the least appealing to me, let alone any new senators. Spreading it out over two days gives an opportunity for decompressing/break periods, as well as expanding the program. We'd be able to include a dreaded (and yet, somehow often successful) team building event. Furthermore, it would allow the opportunity for some informal time for senators to hang out with one another before and after training- which would also help build a community feeling. Doing at least part of this off campus would also help keep people energized and (hopefully) abolish any sort of idea of a strong hierarchy before it can take root.

If done right, I feel like a training done this way could be wildly successful. It would put everyone on equal footing, cut down rumors before they start with the idea that we are all here working together to get something done, and adequately train USG officials on how we operate and accomplish what we set out to do.

I guess I'm looking for a bit of advice as to how I might be able to pull this off. Any other SGA officials out there do similar training? Or done it and found out that it really didn't work as planned?

Well, here it goes...

2010-06-09T19:03:00.000-07:00

Well, with the slew of new student blogs popping up, I thought I'd join the trend. Besides, if I were to post all my thoughts over at SGA Blogs all the time other writers would rarely get a chance to showcase their ideas!

I guess I should do a bit of an introduction before we get things going. To start, my name is Dan and I am a Junior at UMass Boston. I have been an active student leader there the past two years, and look forward to doing the same the second half of my undergraduate career. I currently serve as the Speaker in the Undergraduate Student Government, and have played an active role as an organizer for Massachusetts Students Uniting, and served as Chair of the Campus and Community Affairs committee prior to being elected Speaker. I am also currently working on campus as an orientation leader, so at times I may go quite awhile without posting.

I feel like I've done a lot in my time at UMass. I have played a role in overhauling a student government- aiding in rewriting the governing documents to transition from vague and general governing documents delineating a parliamentary system to a full, transparent, and detailed set of governing documents creating a three branch government with checks and balances.

In addition, I am working with committee chairs to ensure a (relatively) smooth transition to the new system, as well as ensuring our student government is as open, welcoming, and visible as possible. Keith has done an amazing job at helping all this come together (in addition to doing a lot of legwork), as have many of our other officers.

So much has happened over the last two years; what I wrote about above is only a small hint. I hope to document these last two years well here, so that any other student leader who stumbles across this just might have find something helpful and worthwhile.

This is going to be a helluva two years.