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In print | Published April 22, 2010

Dear Friends,

As some of you are already well aware, this year I served my term as Manager for the Student Budget Committee. Next year, I hope you will grant me the opportunity to continue serving the community as Student Council President.

As the SBC Manager I have worked with representatives from over 100 chartered groups, and have developed a good understanding of the activities and events they organize. Additionally, I am quite familiar with many of the student run services, and have worked with representatives from SAC, Olde Club, FFS and Drama Board, to name a few. Needless to say, I am very familiar with the funding process, and can safely say that I know the student budget like the back of my hand. As a member of the Ad Hoc Student Financial Advisory Panel, I am up to date with the slew of budget cuts that we will face next year.

I will only make one promise: that I will bring the same commitment and dedication to Student Council that I brought to the SBC. Whether during office hours, on the phone, or randomly at Sharples, I have always been willing to answer any questions students may have. Additionally, some of you may have noticed small changes that I have implemented over the course of my term: I created a Google Calendar and a Twitter account for the SBC to keep students updated and aware of student services and any unexpected changes. I conducted Spring Budgeting entirely electronically, saving time, money and paper as compared to previous years.

Though I have made only one promise, this does not mean that I have no other ideas. I will start the year by providing students with accessible means to help them set the Student Council agenda, and express their concerns or worries. I will create an online page that students can easily access to (anonymously) jot down some thoughts, or see what is currently on the agenda. Similarly, I hope to have giant poster boards set up at accessible locations across campus, such as the Science Center Commons and Kohlberg Coffee Bar, where students can scribble their thoughts while waiting in line. The same can be done specifically for BCC/IC and LGBTQ groups and locations.

Additionally, the Student Council Facebook page could be employed more actively, with members sharing their thoughts about meetings on notes, and involving other students, on campus or studying abroad, in the discussion online. Due to their busy schedules, many Swat students simply cannot make it to outreach events. While I am sure we will host a handful of these events as well, my focus will be on minimizing the difficulties students may face in contributing to Student Council by making use of easily accessible and interactive online resources.

In addition, I will streamline the funding process for students and minimize bureaucracy. For example, ideally students will only need to fill out one form, and send it along to one person, with more work being done behind the scenes. A standard application will also help committee members by allowing them to judge proposals more fairly, and directly communicate their concerns about proposals to students.

I also will work with students to implement a new, long-term policy to address the issue of the SBC budget surplus or rollover. Whether it will involve better use of rollover funds, or a plan on how to decrease the rollover overall, with budget cuts taking place across the board we simply cannot idly stand by as thousands of dollars go unused.

Given my experience with the student budget, I would be in the perfect place to lead this initiative as Student Council President.

I hope to involve the administration in the same or similar online outreach programs that will go out to students, and encourage them to share their thoughts with us so that there is an open dialogue for all. This will allow everyone — students, Student Council, and administrators — to stay in the loop and express any concerns or thoughts.

I hope that my platform has given you a solid idea of the type of president that I will strive to be. As always, if anyone has any questions or concerns, please feel free to let me know.

Simon Zhu ’11

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