Semster Update from VP of Communications

KSSG UPDATE

Semester Highlights from Your Student Government

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Academic Affairs

Engaged students in selection process for five new faculty members
Facilitating awards process for outstanding advisors, faculty, teaching fellows and CAs
Exploring alternatives for over-subscribed courses, such as creating “Budgeting in a Box” workshop
Building linkages for joint-degree students with each other and between schools
Documenting the international content of cases and courses taught at KSG
Launching an action plan to improve the Core through a new MPP Task Force

Activities

Planned successful and fun events like the Boat Cruise, Harvard-Yale Tailgate, Winter Formal and weekly Quorum Calls -- all under a smaller budget!
Increased diversity and accessibility of events through co-sponsorship with groups such as the Outdoor Adventures Club, LGBT Caucus, German-Austrian Caucus, and our Open Forum television show
Maintained real responsiveness to student concerns, from supporting childcare during events to keeping ticket prices as low as possible

International Affairs

Improving networking for current students with alumni in their regions of origin, to assist students with careers, fundraising and other avenues of collaboration
Creating a web presence integrating information and functionalities for international students, including bulletin boards and discussion forums
Created a listserv of international students as a separate email group to address specific challenges and concerns of international students
Working with Academic Affairs to increase international content in curriculum
Planning the first International Day on February 22 to showcase the ethnic and cultural diversity of students from 87 countries through cuisine, art and literature

Finance
Overhauled the entire student group funding process with accurate records and responsible quarterly accounting
Reviewed 145 applications for this past quarter funding; allocated the full $23,000 available for activities this quarter; received only two appeals to new process
Ensured funds will be available for student group events all year, while correcting last year’s deficit

Student Services
Treating every student concern as a priority: in response to student emails, replaced the volleyball net, put new whiteboard markers in all Taubman carrels, and fixed sticking doors in Littauer
Meeting with architect consultants to maximize the use of space at KSG
Working with the Administration to install a student refrigerator near the Forum
Discovered the reason for The Swamp: KSG is built over an old railway yard, resting on 4-5 feet of dirt piled over 4-5 feet of concrete. Grass irrigation creates drainage needs that cannot be absorbed by 4-5 feet of dirt. Because our entire campus is also under the water table, the corner of the courtyard closest to Littauer is destined to be muddy.

Internal Affairs
Approved two bylaws amendments: the creation of a standing International Affairs Committee, and the transfer of academic advising issues from the Student Services committee to the Academic Affairs committee
Proposing further bylaws amendments to improve the election process and clarify the eligibility of write-in candidates
Recognized approximately 70 student groups eligible for KSSG funding

Communications
Obtained a bulletin board outside the Taubman computer lab to post announcements and updates from all KSSG committees
Updated the www.kssg.org website with a Student Services page to enable access to student group activity funding forms, room reservations and other services
Exploring methods to consolidate heavy email traffic about student group events into a single, daily email, to de-clutter mailboxes and improve coordination
Posting detailed minutes of all KSSG meetings at www.kssg.org

Committee on Public Service
Investigated reasons for low rate of graduates entering public service