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A University of Maine student senator recently proposed an ad-hoc committee for student interest in the UMaine FirstClass forum, designed to reduce the student body’s disconnect from its student representatives. The proposal has received mixed reactions from students online and from other student senators.
This committee would remain in effect for the rest of this year’s session and then be re-evaluated. It is the idea of Sen. Nelson Carson, who said he wants to “create transparency and foster a stronger relationship between Student Government and the student body.”
Carson said this committee would maintain a FirstClass folder that would appear on every student’s desktop where they could voice their opinions and suggestions. The committee would then make recommendations to General Student Senate based on those suggestions.
The ad-hoc committee for student interest would also be responsible for weekly surveys of the student body that would consist of questions about services, classes and other issues Student Government might be dealing with. Carson said the first survey would test students’ knowledge and opinions of Student Government.
Carson said he has seen student senate approve resolutions based on the senate’s impression of students’ opinions. He said Student Government could more accurately represent students if it reached out to them more.
“What I see and what I feel is that if a senator is presented with an opportunity to help a student, they will do that,” Carson said.
Carson hopes a committee for student interest would give senators those opportunities, but acknowledged not all students agree with him. Since posting his idea to the student forum, he has received mixed feedback. Some students posted replies to the forum, saying the committee would add another level of bureaucracy to Student Government.
“They believe, and rightly so, that senators should already be reaching out,” Carson said.
Aaron Sterling, a former president and vice president of Student Government, asked Carson on the FirstClass forum about the specifics of the committee proposal.
“First, and most simply, UMSG Inc. is funded solely by undergraduate students, and as such, only represents the undergraduate student body. In fact, graduates have their own form of Student Government. Therefore, how do you justify this new group being a mouthpiece for both undergraduates and graduates? It is inappropriate to require senators to try to represent the opinions and wishes of a group of people who aren’t in their constituency,” Sterling wrote.
Carson replied graduate students’ opinions make a difference to Student Government as well, regardless of whom General Student Senate serves.
“Everyone has an opinion on how to make this campus a better place, and it should not be limited to just the constituency we represent,” Carson wrote.
Sterling wrote that even though graduate and undergraduate students could have mutually exclusive ideas, undergraduate students’ ideas take precedence “in a situation like this.”
Daryl Martin, a fourth-year business marketing student, wrote on the forum, “We have a folder for Student Government in FirstClass right within the student resources page,” but added nothing posted in it relates to Student Government.
“If you are truly interested in making Student government more transparent, it doesn’t take a new cabinet of people to read UMaine forums from time to time,” Martin wrote.
Sen. Ryan Gavin opposes Carson’s proposed committee. He said, “Sen. Carson’s idea is a good one, but the idea of forming a committee to deal with this is not.”
Gavin said Student Government already has a paid position to deal with matters of student interest — the director of External Affairs. He said a new student interest committee would only overlap other committees already in place, creating confusion and inefficiency. Gavin proposes a change to the standing rules that enforces a senator’s responsibility to reach out to students.
Sen. Dayna Margarita said she agreed with Carson’s concerns but doesn’t think his ideas are an effective way of dealing with them. She agreed more outreach is necessary but said the director of External Affairs already has a FirstClass folder like the one Carson is proposing.
Gavin said Student Government has made strides in improving outreach and has greatly increased the number of voters in SG elections this year.
Margarita hopes the senate will wait until next semester to make a decision about Carson’s proposal because President-elect Brian Harris and Vice President-elect Nyssa Gatcombe may have their own ideas about how to reach students.
Both Margarita and Gavin believe small changes could make a big difference in how students view Student Government. They suggest visiting classes, hanging a group picture in the union and improving their Web site.
“The way to get people excited isn’t through another committee,” Gavin said.
