The Student Conference Committee presented the findings of their annual survey, launched in December, to the trustees last Friday.
The committee is appointed through the Student Government Association (SGA) and meets with the trustees each year.
“The SCC is the only student group on campus that regularly meets with trustees. The idea is to communicate student needs and concerns to them,” said May Yang ’10, co-chair of the committee and president of the Student Government Association.
“Through the survey, the trustees are more aware of student concerns and are more informed when making decisions and approving the budget,” she said.
The survey was divided into 12 sections, including Community and Inclusion, Five College Transportation, Dining Services, J-Term, Financial Services, Public Safety, the Career Development Center and the Nexus program.
Some of the findings of the survey were different from the previous year. “Students of certain economic backgrounds don’t feel welcome. Political affiliation was another issue. Students whose beliefs don’t fall in line with the dominant culture on campus don’t feel welcome,” said Yang. When asked whether they agreed that students of all economic backgrounds felt welcome on campus, 25 percent agreed, 53 percent “somewhat” agreed, 19 percent “somewhat” disagreed and three percent disagreed.
Other results of the survey that varied from last year included concerns over issues of race. “Last year there was a lot of feedback from students of color regarding institutionalized racism. This year, however, there were more responses from students who did not identify as students of color who did not understand why students of color and international students felt marginalized,” she said. “A significant amount of feedback showed a lack of understanding. There seems to be a disconnect between the campus community about why certain groups of students feel marginalized.”
According to board members, the survey is a key tool in bringing student concerns to the the notice of the trustees and the administration. “Our survey was definitely a key motivator in the Kendall renovation. They also increased the printing allowance, since students raised concerns that it was not enough,” said Lauren Becker ’10, co-chair of the committee. “A lot of departments take the survey very seriously.”
“There are rarely immediate results. Even the renovation of Kendall took a few years of consistent statistical evidence strongly in favor of it. It’s much more complex than that,” cautioned Yang. “These issues are on their radar and their focus will push the administration to put more emphasis on these issues, resulting in a trickle-down effect.”
The next step for the committee involves presenting data to relevant administrative departments. “We will either send or present the information to different departments. For example, we could present the section on Public Safety to those on the Public Safety search committee, and even propose that they could pass it on to potential candidates for the job. We also plan to put the results on the SGA website sometime in the near future,” said Becker.
Related posts:
- Student Conference Committee survey results
- Student Conference Committee launches survey
- Public Safety launches annual survey
- SCC survey results released to campus, Trustees
- Students present campus opinions to trustees
