Even if you do not know where the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs (WCSA) meets every Monday, your voice can be heard with the click of a button. At the Sept. 7 full senate, a new comment feature made its debut.
Class of 2017 representative Jessica Choate, a junior, developed and presented the online system. Students can find the interface on the WCSA website. After selecting a specific committee to contact (or the general senate) and inputting their comment or suggestion, studentsâ ideas are sent directly to their student government leadersâ emails.
âThe online comment cards mean that WCSA is accessible to students, now more than ever before,â said Choate. âAnd thatâs really exciting.â
Sophomore Areena Arora, chair of the academic affairs committee, informed senators about an upcoming academic forum. The forum brings “students, faculty, and administrators together to discuss a topic of general interest,â said Arora. âLast year it was about general education requirements. This year, we want as much student input as possible.”
Senior Emma Drongowski, vice president of WCSA, mentioned that the new comment feature would be an efficient way to receive feedback about the forumâs subject of discussion.
Several senators who brought lunch from the Ham-Will Food Court announced that reusable containers, an ongoing project on WCSAâs books, had finally been implemented. Students can opt for the eco-friendly carry out boxes in lieu of the standard white paper cartons.
“When a student picks a reusable container, they are charged five dollars and can bring it back to reuse,â said Drongowski. âItâs an awesome step to reduce the amount of cardboard and paper students use.”
Once a student returns the reusable container, the initial charge is refunded.
Before the end of the meeting, Public Safety (PS) officer Bob Wood also addressed the full senate. He wanted to explain the recent switch to a digital application for parking permits. He said that âbecause the PS staff was reduced by half,â due to budget cuts, they are âtrying to think of ways to move inefficient office tasks online.â
He also mentioned that due to a lack of use, PS is considering changing the âBâ parking lots behind the fraternities to âCâ lots.
“Itâs all about making it more convenient for students,” Wood said.