| Academic Affairs
The Academic Affairs Committee is concerned with improving the academic and scholastic experience of all undergraduates. The committee works to maintain an engaging academic environment and looks to improve relations between faculty and students. In past years, the committee has hosted Majors Night, managed the College Readership Program, worked to lower course packet prices, collected feedback on campus study spaces, led student discussion on the recruitment and tenure of Catholic faculty, worked towards establishing excused absences for underclassmen internship interviews, and began the Last Lecture Series. In the upcoming term, Academic Affairs will continue several of these initiatives while building an online syllabus database, representing the student voice in library renovations, strengthening the peer mentoring program, and creating affordable options when purchasing textbooks.
Campus Technologies
The Campus Technologies Committee is a committee that was created this past term. This committee focuses on technological problems facing current students as well as discusses possible future technological improvements. This past year, the Campus Technologies Committee has helped in adding printers to each residence hall, aiding in the transition from WebMail to Gmail, improving cell phone network coverage, increasing wireless internet capabilities, and much more. Next year the committee will work with the Office of Information and Technologies to continue in improving several of these initiatives as well as increasing dorm and cluster support for the additional printers, reevaluating InsideND, Concourse, and WebFile, and looking to continue in the modernization of the class registration process. Committee members will continue to investigate other opportunities to advance technology on campus.
Community Relations
The Community Relations Committee acts as a liaison between the South Bend Community and the Notre Dame student body with the goal of building a positive, lasting relationship with members of the community and ensuring that the student body plays an active role in community life. In the past, the committee has prepared an Off-Campus Transition Seminar, organized a Community Summit with area university and community leaders, programmed the Taste of South Bend, and worked to establish student discounts at off campus venues. Among other initiatives, the Community Relations Committee will continue working to improve off-campus student safety, organize a campus-wide community service day, and work towards integrating students within the community while also bringing community members onto campus. Additionally, the Community Relations will work to create a student “Know Your Rights” handout and will also work with the University Affairs Committee in order to implement taxi reform.
Gender Issues
The Gender Issues Committee focuses on improving student life with regard to gender-related issues. By promoting awareness on concerns from sexual abuse to eating disorders, its mission is to create a more informed student body and improve relations not only between males and females, but relations within the same sex. In the past, the committee has planned Sexual Assault Awareness week, Stand Against Hate Week, and organized a Health and Body Image Conference to promote and expose students to academic discourse on these topics.
Multicultural Affairs
The Multicultural Affairs Committee is the policy voice for Notre Dame students of all race and ethnicity, including international students. The committee’s initiatives have a special focus on engaging all students regardless of ethnic heritage. Past initiatives include improving resources for Native American students, organizing a service day in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and increasing students’ exposure to diversity in the classroom through recommendations of diverse faculty and courses with a cultural focus. This year an International Showcase and Student Government involvement with Spring Visitation Weekends will be some of the Multicultural Affairs Committee’s initiatives.
Oversight
The Oversight Committee monitors the transition, internal review, and overall process of the Student Union as outlined in the Student Union Constitution. Its primary responsibilities include amending the Student Union Constitution and monitoring all departments governed by it. The committee is essential to ensuring the proper and effective functioning of the Student Union by holding departments accountable to their duties and responsibilities as outlined by the Constitution and ensuring appropriate records are maintained from year to year.
Residence Life
The Residence Life Committee has jurisdiction over a broad range of issues relating to campus and dorm life. Past initiatives include implementing the Guest Meal Exchange program, expanding the use of Domer Dollars to the football stadium and the JACC, and making improvements to dining hall menu options, dorm fitness facilities, and efficiency of laundry machines. In addition, the Residence Life Committee has created the Free DVD Program and sponsored Safe Spring Break Week. In addition to acting on general suggestions for improving campus life, in the coming year this committee will oversee the implementation of hot Grab n’ Go options, developing plans for the future of the LaFortune Arcade Room, advocating for discount specials among on campus restaurants, debating the need for more on campus food venues (DeBartolo), reevaluating the process for moving in/moving out on campus, and finally, looking closely at the process for students to get onto campus in their vehicle.
Social Concerns
The Social Concerns Committee addresses student needs and concerns as they relate to socioeconomic issues, religious diversity, sexual orientation, and the student body’s role in local and global events. The committee also promotes campus solidarity through related education and awareness activities. Among other initiatives, the committee has worked on increasing locally-produced food options on campus, improving the University’s non-discrimination clause, recommending a global studies academic program, fundraising for civilian protection in refugee camps in Darfur, and increasing student participation in the University’s human development initiatives. This term, Social Concerns will continue several of these projects along with working closely with National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), develop a program for off campus recycling, along with one of the biggest projects of the year, the Global Water Initiative.
University Affairs
The University Affairs Committee responds to student needs in terms of the student body’s role in major topics of campus dialogue and relations with other members of the University community. Ultimately, this committee serves as a “catch-all” group, a committee that works towards integrating important policy changes within the student body. Initiatives tackled by this committee in the past have been improving student-alumni relations, hosting the Student-Faculty Debate Series, programming related to the annual Notre Dame forum, helping with energy and environmental awareness events, conducting the 2008 Mock Election, and providing Off Campus Discount Booklets for off campus venues. In the upcoming term, the committee has several large initiatives on its plate. The committee will work with Community Relations on the Taxi Reform initiative, evaluate parking options on campus, increase alumni connections within student government, advocate for student preferences within Eddy Street Commons, and much more. |