Starting with a strong presence at Colonial Inauguration, Student Association President Jason Lifton and Executive Vice President Rob Maxim said getting the SA’s name out is a top priority for next year.
“I think it’s important that the SA brands itself from the onset,” Lifton said. “People don’t really know what the SA does or who we are, but there’s a lot of potential for us to help if students came to us.”
Lifton noted communication in the SA has been lacking over the past year, despite it being one of the larger goals the organization set out to accomplish at the beginning of the term.
While he commended the work that former SA President Julie Bindelglass accomplished, he said students didn’t know to come to the SA for help because the organization did not have a visible presence.
“If the student body doesn’t know what the Student Association does, they’re not going to come for help [in] solving their issues,” Lifton said.
By focusing on communication and outreach early on, Lifton and Maxim – both rising seniors – said they intend to get their message out clearer and with a greater presence.
“With new connections coming in, it is important that we are making positive relationships,” Maxim said.
Freshmen are not the only new arrivals on campus next year. A new provost and dean of students have been hired, and the University is currently seeking a new vice president of campus safety and security.
“We have an opportunity to start fresh with a lot of the administration,” Lifton said.
“If we drop the ball and do not make administrative connections and prove that the SA is important to work with, we will leave that legacy to continue on into the future.”
In terms of institutional changes, Lifton said he hopes to have a better student reimbursement process in place by the first day of September. It currently takes about six weeks for reimbursements to be processed, but Lifton’s goal is to not have any lag time from the SA.
“I will not let people’s reimbursements be held up by our office,” he said.
They also cited traditional SA initiatives like improving dining and Gelman Library as goals for the year, but added newer concerns like campus safety and reducing technology fees for students. In March, Lifton named Gelman Library renovation a top priority for his administration.
“In the past, people have a fear of taking on big projects because we only have a year, but our goal is to leave the University in a better place by the end of the year,” Lifton said.
Lifton said unlike past administrations, he could prove to be a unique resource for the Student Association. After serving as EVP for this past school year, he already has the experience of working directly with the SA Senate, something that has not been the case in recent memory.
“Because I’ve been around all year and have been working on the issues, I have the knowledge of how the University operates,” Lifton said. “This is a continuation of what we’ve already started.”
