The DePaulia’s Editor-In-Chief Elizabeth Schuetz sat down with Student Government Association President Caroline Winsett about goals and plans for the new school year.

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Schuetz: What are SGA’s overall goals for the 2012-2013 school year?

Winsett: A host of twelve initiatives was officially adopted by DePaul’s Student Government Association on Thursday, Sept. 6. These span from augmenting the student voice and making administrative processes, such as the Strategic Resources Allocations Committee and the Tuition Pricing Committee, more transparent to enhancing school pride and campus affinity.

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S: What changes can students expect to see this year?

W: Throughout the summer, SGA’s executive leadership has worked tirelessly to plan for the upcoming year, specifically in terms of key events such as a Budget and Tuition Pricing presentation, quarterly health forums and MAP (Monetary Award Program) Awareness Day. We hope that by planning these events early and disseminating the appropriate information to our peers, students will have greater access to these critical opportunities to voice their respective opinions.

Perhaps more tangibly, we have already increased the student presence on crucial university-wide committees, notably that of the Tuition Pricing Committee. Furthermore, we have coordinated with the Office of Academic Affairs to sponsor the extension of hours at the John T. Richardson Library, Sunday through Thursday, until 2:00 a.m. This effort will last for the duration of Fall Quarter, serving as a pilot, intended to demonstrate increased utilization during these extended hours. We encourage students, faculty and staff alike to take advantage of this opportunity.

We are also attempting to use our various social media mechanisms as tools to connect with students, frequently updating them with important information. We hope that these will continue to be of use throughout the year ahead.

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S: How can students get their voices heard by SGA?

W: Students are always welcome at our weekly General Body meetings, held most Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. in the Office of Student Involvement Conference Room. In addition to attending these meetings, any student is able to serve on the three committees, which comprise SGA: Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Operations.

Students are also encouraged to connect with SGA via online tools, as well. We have a website, OrgSync profile, Facebook and Twitter, all intended to be used as communicative tools with the student body.

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S: Will course evaluations become available to students this year?

W: Over the course of this summer, SGA has met with several deans, as well as other university administrators and staff, to discuss increased student access to course evaluations. At present, we are in the process of redrafting a comprehensive proposal regarding this matter, intended to address issues of feasibility, as well as other concerns raised by faculty and staff members. The College of Law and the College of Computing and Digital Media already have these systems in place, and we are optimistic that more colleges and schools within the university will adopt similar systems relatively soon.

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S:Will students be able to cast SGA/2012 presidential elections votes completely online this year?

W: Yes, all voting for SGA elections will be completely online. Polls will open Oct. 1 and close Oct. 3.

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SGA can be reached at sga.depaul.edu, and Winsett can be reached at [email protected].