The Student Government Association has made progress and turned out results for their nine platform points less than a month into the academic year.
Mobilizing discussion about OpenStax core textbooks – On hold
“We are currently internally filling the position of academic affairs, so secretary of academic affairs, and so that is something when we get a secretary of academic affairs, we’re going to be able to start that conversation with department heads,” SGA president Greg Carbó said.
Assisting/expanding current academic programs and resources on campus – In progress
“It’s going to be mostly like a fund and things like that too, so like that’s just something that Kaia, the treasurer and I, are currently working on. We’re working on funds for that,” secretary Lizzie Ford said.
Fostering student teacher relationships – In progress
“Then also for the student teacher relationships, for students to be able to use that fund and help out teachers in some way,” Ford said. “We’re working in the process of those funds and figuring out all of the details and qualifications.”
Advancing technology on campus – In progress
“That was kinda broken into three, that was the printers in the library, the charging stations and then the Blue Loop. We worked with the library over the summer, so they reallocated printers onto the third floor,” Carbó said. “Additionally, we are doing our alpha testing of our charging stations. We put charging stations on every floor in the library and so that’s where we want to see what they [students] think. If they do enjoy it then we can get more, we can put them in different locations with the university.”
Organizing UPD cadet initiative – Unsure
SGA did not comment on the progress of this platform point.
Initiating a 5-year art plan – In progress
“It’s still in the beginning stages. Honestly, the art department can’t go around and paint buildings,” Optic vice president Katy Volikas said. “It would have to be something the university approves, so we’re just working together on finding the path that you need to go through so we’re not taking off more than we can chew.”
Establishing a central location for diversity resources – In progress
“So, Ball State is redoing its website currently, so we’re going to be working with them on that as part of our initiative to help centralize diversity resources and how to pinpoint those on the Ball State website,” Ford said. “Previously, if you went on the Ball State website in the diversity area, it just kind of links you to office and departments and not necessarily directly to resources.”
In addition, Carbó and the Secretary of Diversity Mariann Fant will sit on the Beneficence Dialogue councils, which Ford said will help SGA learn more about diversity resources and how to compile them.
Providing incentives on multicultural organization collaboration – In progress
“Lizzie and I worked on putting a survey together that we want to use to reach out to presidents of campus organizations – especially multicultural-related campus organizations to focus on intersectionality Ford added – to be like, ‘Hey, who do you really want to work with, and how will that actually function and be put into guidelines so that everybody can follow this and that be the standard to measure and receive funds,” treasurer Kaia Thompson said.
Promoting mental health initiatives on campus – In progress
“SGA is fully committed to supporting Ball State suicide prevention week coming up here in the next couple weeks, and as for just health initiatives on campus, we’ve been in contact with the Health Center,” Carbó said.
Along with collaborating with the Health Center, Ford plans on hosting social justice events with Secretary of Social Justice Kandice Grimme with health-related topics.
Currently, OPTiC is focusing on their nine platform points before they focus on finishing Summit’s previous platform points, Carbó said.
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