Hey UConn!

I am proud to announce that USG has just launched a new website: uconn.ideascale.com. On the site, UConn students can post their ideas for improving UConn, and vote the ideas of their fellow students up and down. Any idea that receives 50 votes will automatically be assigned to a committee in USG, so your ideas will really make a difference. It is our hope that this site will be a fun and easy way for students to share their ideas, let the best ideas float to the top, and make serious positive change on our campus.

Log on today and check it out!

Sam

Yesterday, the Board of Trustees held a meeting to vote on the proposed tuition increases that were discussed at the town hall meetings last week. Here is the statement that I made during the public comment section of the meeting:
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Members of the Board of Trustees,

Thank you for the opportunity to address you today. For those of you that I have not had the fortune of meeting in person, my name is Sam Tracy and I am the President of the Student Body here at UConn Storrs. I am here to speak on the topic of the proposed tuition increases.

However, before I am able to address the exact proposal, I would like to express my disappointment at the timing of this entire process. While I acknowledge that the Board is seeking to have tuition decided as early as possible in order to allow families more time to plan their financials, the timing of this discussion has prevented many students from learning about and voicing their opinions on the proposed increases. The town hall meetings took place last week, during finals, making it very difficult for students to find the time to attend. Also, this meeting is taking place on the last day the dorms are operational until the Spring semester – very few students remain on campus, and those who are still around are packing frantically to move out of the dorms by noon, when they close. When we were discussing tuition increases two years ago, I was one of many students who came to this meeting to speak during public comment. As you can see, I am the only one here today. Student involvement in the decision-making process should be a priority for the Board of Trustees, and any other group making decisions that will impact students at this University.

Due to this unexpectedly rushed process, the Undergraduate Student Senate has not been able to debate the proposed increases and issue an official opinion on the topic. We meet every other week, and since the final vote appears to be taking place just days after the town hall meetings, where students had the chance to learn about the proposal, we had no time to debate the increases. As I said before, I cannot stress enough the importance of allowing the student body time to learn about proposed increases and discuss them. While it may be too late to change the process this year, in future years, it is imperative that we start the discussion even earlier, with town hall meetings in the middle of the semester, and the Board voting on the proposals while students are still on campus.

While the Undergraduate Student Senate has not issued a stance on the proposed increases, I think I speak for every student when I say that we need more faculty. No matter their major, every student has had trouble getting into a class at one point or another. Hiring more faculty would allow for more courses to be open, and for smaller class sizes, which will lead to a better learning experience. As CFO Richard Gray said during the town hall meetings last week, from 1995 to 2011, undergraduate enrollment increased by 53%, while the number of faculty increased only 16%. This led UConn’s faculty:student ratio to increase from 14:1 in 1996 to 18:1 today. Having a better faculty:student ratio would not only help UConn rise in national rankings, but it would truly improve the quality of education for students, which is, after all, what those rankings are trying to measure.

While hiring faculty should certainly be a priority for our University, I find it unreasonable to push the entire bill on to students, who are already graduating with an average of $23,200 in debt. We are a public University, whose entire mission is to provide an affordable education to the people of this state in order to better our society as a whole. Despite our public status, the state has slowly been chipping away at its commitment to UConn. As I am sure you know, appropriations from the state of Connecticut made up 50% of UConn’s operating budget in 1991. Today, they make up only 27.6%. For decades, state contributions to UConn exceeded income from tuition and fees – but two years ago, the situation changed, and students’ money now makes up 34.4% of the budget, with the state only contributing 27.6%. And this change in percentage is not just because the total costs are increasing – the state’s contributions have actually been declining in dollar amounts. As I said before, we are a public University. While I do not expect the state to return to funding 50% of UConn’s budget in the near future, it should stop making cuts, and start renewing its commitment to higher education. And don’t get me wrong – I realize that the Board of Trustees is not in charge of state appropriations to UConn. But I say this to illustrate that it’s possible to hire more faculty without raising tuition, if only the state of Connecticut would renew its support for our University. The Undergraduate Student Government will certainly be working on this issue in the Spring, and I would love to work with any members of the Board, and anyone in this room, who is interested in working with us.

Of course, even if the state is willing to renew its commitment to UConn, that money will not be seen for this upcoming year. Therefore, I express my support for the current proposal of hiring more faculty in order to better the student experience at this University. I also strongly support the creation of a four-year plan for tuition. In my experience as a student, who is now paying his own way through school, knowing the cost of my education for my entire undergraduate career would have helped tremendously with my financial planning. While a four-year plan will not directly affect me, as I am a junior, it will be greatly appreciated by future UConn students.

Thank you very much for your time.

Hey UConn,

At yesterday’s meeting of the University Senate, Provost Nicholls told the Senate about the number of faculty in each school that would be hired for the 2012-2013 academic year if the proposed tuition increases are approved by the BOT. The numbers are as follows:

Business – 11
Agriculture – 6
CLAS – 25 (plus 2 “cluster hires”)
Education – 7
Engineering – 12
Fine Arts – 7
Law – 1
Nursing – 2
Pharmacy – 2

As you can see, if all of these searches are successful, over 70 faculty will be added to UConn. This will be bring the faculty:student ratio from 18:1 down to 17:1 in just one year, which will increase course availability to students.

The issue of faculty hires is tied closely to the proposed tuition increases, which will be dedicated to hiring these new faculty. If you want to learn more about this issue and share your opinion with the UConn administration, please go to the Town Hall Meeting on Tuition Increases this coming Thursday, at 3pm in Konover Auditorium (in the Dodd Center).

Hey UConn,

The Chairperson of the Recruitment and Retention Committee, Maeve Shea, has announced her resignation. She did an amazing job, both in her position this year and a Senator last year (winner of the Rookie of the Year award!), and she’ll really be missed by us folks at USG. Her vice-chair, Elizabeth Golas, will be serving as Acting Chair until a new Chairperson is appointed and confirmed by the Senate.

In order to fill the position, I am seeking letters of intent. The R&R Chairperson is in charge of leading the R&R Committee, whose mission is to recruit members to USG (both getting people to run in elections, and seeking non-elected members for committees and other areas). They also work with current members to ensure that they are getting the most out of the experience as possible, which includes running our mentorship program.

If you would like to be considered for the position, please email me a letter of intent outlining your experience and your vision for the committee. Keep it no more than one page in length, and email it to president@usg.uconn.edu by 5pm on Wednesday, 12/14.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me at president@usg.uconn.edu.

I have a column in the Daily Campus today recapping the past week for USG. Click here to read it on the Daily Campus site, or see below for the full text.
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Hey there, UConn! Student Body President Sam Tracy here with some updates on what your student government has been up to the past week. President Herbst’s office hours went very well, we met with State Representative Gregg Haddad about the upcoming legislative session, our ad hoc committees are really getting things done and our budget for the semester worked out almost perfectly.

As you may know, President Herbst is holding open office hours during the semester, and the most recent session was this past Monday. I attended with Comptroller Daniel Hanley in order to meet with Herbst about entrepreneurship and the CLAS commencement ceremony, and there were dozens of other students in attendance. It was really great to see such a high level of engagement by students and I highly recommend attending her next set of office hours. UConn is incredibly lucky to have a president who is so receptive to student concerns.

This past Wednesday, External Affairs Chairperson Ethan Senack and I met with Haddad, who represents the towns of Mansfield and Chaplin in the Connecticut House of Representatives. We went over what can be expected to be debated during the 2012 legislative session and planned out some student-centered bills and initiatives that can be introduced to the General Assembly. Also, Connecticut is nearly done with its redistricting process, and the 54th District (where campus is located) has shrunk from including Mansfield and Chaplin to including only most of Mansfield. This is due to the growing student population since the last census, and makes the student vote even more important in future elections.

During this semester, I have formed two Ad-Hoc Committees: the Funding Policy Committee, chaired by Agriculture Senator Ed Courchaine, and the Free Speech Committee, chaired by Brenna Regan. Both have been making excellent progress. The Funding Policy Committee had their first meeting last week, and is going to be working heavily over winter break to review other schools’ funding policies in order to figure out the fairest, most sustainable way to fund student organizations. At this week’s Senate meeting, Brenna Regan appointed the members of her committee, who were then confirmed by the Senate. The Free Speech Committee will be working to review both the policies of USG and of the University, and creating recommendations for ways to better protect students’ rights to free speech on campus.

Finally, on Wednesday, the Senate approved a motion by Comptroller Hanley to reallocate USG’s remaining money for the Fall 2011 semester. This moved money out of committees that did not need their remaining funds, including the Executive Committee, and moved it into committees that needed more funds for the semester, such as Funding Board and the Academic Affairs Committee. After this movement of money, the Funding Board was able to completely fund all of the applications for funds by student groups for the final funding session of the semester. I am very happy that we were able to fund every application, and did not have to turn anyone away due to a lack of funds. We at USG are doing all that we can to ensure that we are able to do the same thing for the Spring 2012 semester.

That’s not all USG has been up to lately, but unfortunately, I cannot fit everything into this one article. If you’d like to stay updated on what USG is doing, please check out our website at usg.uconn.edu, like us on Facebook, follow me on Twitter (@TheSamTracy), or listen to Vice President Lindsay Chiappa and I’s radio show, “The Powers That Be,” on WHUS on Thursdays at 6 p.m.

And as always, please contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas for improving UConn. My open office hours, held in SU 219, are Tuesdays from 2:30-4:00 p.m. or Wednesdays from 3:00-4:30 p.m. You can also email me at president@usg.uconn.edu.

Good luck on finals!

Hey UConn,

It’s recently come to light that USG’s Bylaws contain a conflict in their section about how the Multicultural and Diversity subcommittee chairperson is appointed. One section says the Student Affairs Committee has to confirm the appointment, and another section says that the Student Affairs Chair simply appoints the chairperson directly.

The reason this conflict exists is because USG just amended its Bylaws this past Spring. Student Affairs was restructured to have five permanent subcommittees: Residential Affairs, Sustainability, Commuter and Transportation Affairs, Multicultural and Diversity, and Health and Wellness. Also, Student Affairs would not meet as a whole, and instead, the Student Affairs Chair would have regular meetings with the five subcommittee chairs. Previously, all subcommittee chairs had to be approved by the Student Affairs Committee, but it was decided that since the new Student Affairs Committee would only be made up of chairs, it did not make sense to require them to approve the appointment of chairs.

I wrote this Bylaw, and mistakenly forgot to remove Article VI, Section 5c, which states that the MCD Chair needs to be confirmed by the Student Affairs Committee. The clear legislative intent was to not require confirmation, but the Bylaws ended up the way they are due to an error on my part. My Executive Order, attached below, clarifies this issue, and I will be formally removing Article VI, Section 5c from the Bylaws at the next meeting of the Undergraduate Student Senate.

EO re, Student Affairs conflict

Members of the University of Connecticut Community,

There have been recent allegations that the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) has engaged in censorship of a performer, Jasiri Smith, that we brought in for an event on November 4, 2011. I will be clarifying that particular issue, including the events leading up to the decision, in a separate document. I strongly believe in individuals’ right to free speech, and do not want USG to take part in any sort of censorship. I would like to take a moment to outline some actions being taken to assure that USG maintains and strengthens its commitment to free speech.

First off, I am forming an ad-hoc committee to address the issue of free speech, both within USG and at the University of Connecticut as a whole. The text of the Executive Order is attached. It will be charged with evaluating the current practices and policies of both USG and the University as a whole, as they relate to free speech, and will then create recommendations for changes to USG’s policies, and for changes to University policies for USG to endorse. These recommendations will then be presented to Senate, where they will be debated and voted on. The committee will also seek to raise awareness about free speech on campus by hosting an event in the Spring 2012 semester focusing on 1st Amendment rights. It is my hope that this committee will serve to improve the way USG operates, ensure that USG advocates for free speech rights at the campus level, and raise awareness of free speech rights among the student body.

Secondly, there is a bill on the agenda for Senate on Wednesday, November 16, entitled “An Act Concerning the Right to Freedom of Speech of the Members of the Undergraduate Student Government.” The text of the bill is attached. I fully support the intent of this bill, which is to protect USG members’ right to free speech. However, there are a few issues with it that, once addressed, will allow me to support the bill. I would like to see it amended to include that while members of USG are fully within their right to express their own opinions, they are not permitted to speak on behalf of USG as a whole. Also, it is important that USG has a debate about the distinctions between elected officials and appointed officials. On this note, I would support the creation of a code of conduct for officers, which will enable USG to draw a clear line between expression of personal opinions and behavior that is unbecoming of an officer and detrimental to the organization. I will take great care to ensure that USG consults with relevant organizations, such as the ACLU, before formalizing any sort of code of conduct, in order to avoid any conflict with state or federal law.

While there have been moments of division and argument regarding recent events, I hope that both USG and the student body come out of this stronger and more unified than ever. Together, we can work to improve our University and ensure that it is a place where students feel comfortable voicing their opinions and engaging in thoughtful, constructive debate.

Sincerely,

Sam Tracy
Student Body President

Eo re: Free Speech Ad-Hoc Committee

Free Speech Legislation

Hi UConn,

I would like to thank all of the students who sent me letters of intent for the University Committee positions I had advertised. All of the positions have now been filled. If you are looking for a way to get involved with issues on campus, please fill out a form at http://usg.uconn.edu/joinusg.php and we will get in touch with you!

Hey everyone,

Lindsay and I are going to be gone this week, starting on Wednesday. We will be attending the Drug Policy Alliance‘s International Reform Conference in Los Angeles, from November 2 to 6. So, that means we won’t be in our office hours, won’t have our radio show or Daily Campus article this week, and I won’t be very able to respond to my emails.

We’ll be back on Sunday and will then be back to work, and will be sure to bring what we learn back to UConn so we can improve drug policies at both the campus and state level.

Sam

Hey undergrads,

If you’ve been reading the Daily Digest, as I know you all have, you’ve probably heard of the new position UConn just created: the Vice Provost for Engagement and International Affairs. Among other roles, the new Vice Provost will work with faculty on increasing UConn’s participation in international programs and partnerships, making UConn not just a leader nationally, but globally.

As with all search committees at UConn, there will be an undergraduate student serving on the committee. (S)he will work to ensure that the student voice is heard in the selection process. This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to be involved in shaping the leadership of our University, while learning about the selection process at a public institution.

Meeting times have not yet been determined, but the search is expected to be completed by mid-December 2011.

Please email me a letter of intent, one page maximum, to president@usg.uconn.edu if you are interested in serving on the committee.