So all the pain and suffering has paid off, because I now can give you a link to the complete budget. I’ll see everyone at Budget Forum.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tAPVvVN_mB9qe0xYFf6GVIA&output=html
Archive for the ‘Student Government’ Category
Budgets, Redux
Posted by Chris Given on Friday, September 11th, 2009
So long-time readers (hey, you two) will remember a piece of doom and gloom I composed sometime in August or thereabouts titled simply ‘Debt.’ Well there’s been some better news since then, and it is the subject of an article I have in the latest edition of the Free Press (the release party is tomorrow night at SMOG).
The figures have been revised downwards since I composed the piece, but we’re still in the black. For the time being, anyway.
Remember to sign up for Budget Defense on the sheet on the Student Activities’ office door. Click ‘Read More’ to, well, you know.
Elections and Getting Involved
Posted by Chris Given on Friday, August 7th, 2009
This is the final post in a series intended for the first-year class. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading along this week, and I look forward to meeting you after you arrive at Bard tomorrow.
So what if simply attending Student Forums just isn’t enough for you? What’s the next step?
Well, the two components of the title are not the same, or in other words, getting involved does not necessarily equal getting elected to something. So though you can of course run for a position, the dynamics of which I’ll explain below, there are other ways to have some input.
This website will be a great starting point for that. Here we’ll keep you updated on the latest issues we’re grappling with, and your input can shape the kind of policies we pursue. Also, though Forums are generally regarded as the Main Event, there are a variety of smaller settings where it’s possible for you to have a much greater impact. For example, both the Student Life Committee and the Senate have open meetings, which any interested student can attend. Also, once the semester gets started, we’ll likely be scheduling some additional meetings to discuss other issues. One particularly exciting topic to be discussed is how students can help shape the development of technology at Bard, something that we’ll start working on early in the semester.
For all of this and much more, stay tuned to the Calendar.
Of course, there are also elections. The politically inclined among you should follow me past the jump.
The Student Judiciary Board and Your Rights
Posted by Chris Given on Thursday, August 6th, 2009
This is the penultimate post in a series intended for the incoming first-year class. This post concerns the SJB, the Grievance Committee, and your rights as a student at Bard. Andy Simon, the head of the SJB, is off doing things much more important than writing blog posts for me, so I’ll fill in today with a brief overview of the Student Judiciary Board and the Grievance Committee. Be sure to join us tomorrow to learn about how you personally can get involved in student government at Bard.
Like many colleges, Bard has a Student Judiciary that hears cases involving infringement of college rules. The SJB seeks to preserve the well-being of the entire Bard community, and to protect the right of all students to live and learn in a safe and dignified environment. Any student accused of violating either the terms of the Residence Hall Agreement or the Community Standards of Behavior has the right to defend themself before their fellow students and to have these peers decide what disciplinary action they should face. In so doing, it allows the student body, to the extent possible, to be self-regulated.
The SLC and the Responsibility of Social Engagment
Posted by Jeremy Carter-Gordon on Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
This is the third in a series of posts intended for the incoming first-year class. I’d like to introduce Jeremy Carter-Gordon, the chair of the Student Life Committee. When I first met Jeremy last year, he was waging a huge campaign to improve food policy at Bard, which you’ll hear about below. That effort was a triumphant success. This year, as SLC head, he’ll be helping others to realize similar visions for how to improve Bard. We can expect some exciting results. – Chris G.
In this post, I will introduce the role and structure of the Student Life Committee, as well as some of our recent activities. I also ask that all members of the incoming class (and any student) get engaged with the SLC in some form. Bard’s student government is based upon the responsibility of the individual to take an active role in creating the change that they see as necessary. We have the inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness, and it is on our shoulders to pursue it.
As you begin your time at Bard, you will (hopefully) be excited to be in a new place, living a different lifestyle, and meeting new people. Living on a campus as opposed to in a town or city can be a really exciting experience, and Bard is a beautiful place to stay. However, nowhere is perfect, and over the course of four years, everyone will find something about life on campus that they wish was different. The Student Life Committee works to evaluate the needs of students and then to negotiate with the administration and Bard-hired contractors to make changes that improve your quality of life on campus. If you want more shuttles buses, better wireless coverage, different food at Kline, a better registration system, or more job opportunities, the SLC can help!
In Control of Our Own Cash
Posted by Travis McGrath on Monday, August 3rd, 2009
This is the second in a series of posts intended for the incoming first-year class. This post, written by Travis McGrath, the head of the Planning Committee, is cross-posted from the Hopson Cottage Blog, where it originally appeared. Travis was supposed to write something new, but an unfortunately timed vacation interfered. However, in the coming weeks, Travis will be updating this site with more specific information. – Chris G.
To start out I want to say I am not a blogger. This is new so if I ramble please bear with me. I’m writing to tell you (whoever you might be) about club funding at Bard.
Anyone at Bard can start a club and get funding. Not only can anyone start a club, they can make clubs about anything, and I mean anything. Alongside the Free Press (our newspaper) and the Jewish Students’ Organization we have Flying Eagle Falcon Squad (an acrobatics group that gives stilt lessons on Thursdays) and the Foursquare Club. Last semester we had 111 clubs sign up for budgets. What makes this so cool is that all these clubs get their funding through a process completely controlled by students.
The Student Association 101
Posted by Chris Given on Sunday, August 2nd, 2009
This is the first in a series of posts intended for the incoming first-year class. In this post, I will introduce the concepts of the Student Association, Student Government and its structure, and the Student Forum. In subsequent posts, we will examine each of the committees in turn, before finally looking at how you personally can get more involved.
Welcome to Bard! And welcome to the Bard College Student Association! By simply showing up next week, you automatically become a member. Congratulations!
Most colleges have a Student Government Association. Bard has a Student Association Government. Though the difference is usually obliterated when both are colloquially referred to as student government, it is significant. At Bard, the Student Association is the keystone of student organizations. Student government is just what holds it up.
Debt
Posted by Chris Given on Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
I’ve been putting off this post for a while. I’ve been telling myself that the reason is that I’m still waiting to receive exact figures from Kim Henschel, but it’s largely because I’m not looking forward to writing it.
So here’s the situation. The Student Association is in debt. Kinda heavily. To the tune of somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000 dollars.
I’ll let that one sink in for a moment. When it does, join me after the jump.
A sneak preview of the coming semester
Demystifying Student Government
Posted by Chris Given on Friday, July 10th, 2009
Published in the May issue of the Free Press:
In the last year, the size of Student Government has swelled, as has its complexity. At the same time, interest in its activities has continued to decrease. The combination of these two factors has led to a higher barrier to entry, and fewer students are willing to undertake the efforts needed to understand its intricacies and allow their voice to be heard.
So I’m going to simplify it. Here’s the basics, in five hundred words.
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