peterson for president
TRANSCRIPT
7/29/2019 Peterson for President
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Thepurposeofthisdocumentistooutlineandexplainthegoalsandinitiativesintroducedandsupportedby
currentJuniorSenatorandStudentBodyPresidentialCandidateAndrewPeterson,anditintroducesthenew
reformsandpoliciesthatwillbeaddressedintheupcomingacademicyear.Publicreviewisencouragedand
welcomed.PleasefeelfreetocontactAndrewPetersonaboutanyoftheproposedchangesandgoalsoutlined
below.
AcademicsTheacademicopportunitiesofferedatNCSSMarewhatmakethisschoolunique.Whilethisschooloffers
manyotheractivitiesforstudents,StudentGovernmentmustremainfocusedonmaintainingtheintegrityand
academicrigoroftheschool.StudentGovernmentwillworkwiththestudentbody,thefaculty,andthe
Administrationtoleadcrucialchangesandaddressstudentbodyconcernsineveryacademicdepartment.
AcademicAffairswillfocusonexpandingtheuniqueopportunitiesopentoallstudentsandworktoestablish
courseequality,resolveschedulingconflicts,andexpandresearchopportunities.• GradeTransparency
-GradeTransparencyisimportanttotheAdministration,Students,andtheStudentBody.I
willcontinuetoworkwiththeAdministration,thestudentbody,andStudent
Governmenttoguaranteegradetransparencyforthestudents.Ibelievethestudent
bodyshouldhaveaccesstotheirgradesatanytime,andthatourcurrentsystem
onlyhurtsthestudentsandtheteachers. -Accesstoaquick,onlinegradebookusedbyallteacherswouldbethemosteffectivewayto
achievethisgoal.Bypartneringwiththeadministrationtoimprovetheonline
gradingsystem,wecouldencourageteacherstousethesystemtobenefitthemselves
andthestudents.
-Bypartneringwithteachers,StudentGovernmentandtheAdministrationcouldsetupa systemthatgivestheteachersthenecessarycontrolovertheirgradebookwhile
givingstudentsuniversalaccesstotheirgrades.
• ExtendLibraryHoursDuringExams
-TheLibraryisavaluableresourceforthestudents.Unfortunately,ithasverylimitedhours.
Ihavealreadytakenstepstoextendlibraryhoursduringtrimesterexams,and
StudentGovernmentwillcontinuetoexpandonthisprogram.
+Thecurrentfundingallocatedtothisprogramonlyoffersupto10
additionalhoursoflibraryaccessduringeachexamperiod.Student
Governmentwillworkwiththeadministrationandthelibrarystaffto
extendthehoursfurther.
• SeniorThirdTriExamExemptions
- Myadministrationwillnegotiateworkwiththeadministrationandthedepartments
toallowseniorswhomeetcertainrequirementstoexemptexams.Seniorshave
workedhardfortwoyears,andtheyshouldnotbetestedinaclass
wheretheyhavealreadyproventhemselves.Thispolicywillallowteacherstofocus
onthestudentswhodoneedtheextrahelpandallowsseniorswhoaredoingwellto
focusontheirotherexams.
• Scheduling
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- Everytrimesterstudentsfacedifficultieswithschedulingclasses.Byworkingwiththe
registrar,StudentGovernmentwillhelpimprovethedrop/addprocessbymakingit
easierforstudentstoaltertheirschedulesbeforethebeginningofthetrimester.
Thisnewsystemshouldallowstudentstodrop/addacoursebeforethetrimester
starts,sotheydonotfallbehindintheircourseworkatthebeginningofthetri.
-Thisnewsystemwillalsomakeiteasierforstudentstooverloadbymakingthese
courseadditionsbeforethetrimesterbegins.Allowingthemtostarttheir
additionalcourseworkonthefirstday.
• ExpandingResearchOpportunities
-OneofthemainreasonsmanystudentscometoNCSSMistoembracetheresearch
opportunitiesavailableinthearea.Thisisanexpensiveandselectiveopportunity
giventofewstudentsatNCSSM.Wewillworktoexpandtheseprogramssoas
manystudentsaspossiblecanconducttheirownformsofresearcheitheroncampus orpartneringwithanotherlaboratory.
-Theseprogramsaremainlylimitedbasedonlackoffunding.Toexpandtheseopportunities
Iwouldreachouttothestategovernmenttobringtheirattentiontothebenefitshigh
schoolresearchopportunitiesandstressitsimportancetotheNCSSMstudentbody.
-WiththenewNCSSMresearchcoordinator,StudentGovernmentwouldworkonexpanding
researchersintheareawhopartnerwithNCSSMtoprovidestudentresearch
opportunities.Byexpandingthenumberofmentors,wecouldofferstudentswith
moreresearchoptionsinthearea.
• AccessibleE-BookLibrary
-AsapartoftheUNCsystem,NCSSMcansharealle-bookswithotheruniversities.Student
GovernmentwillworkwithourbranchoftheUniversityLibrarytohelpencourage thedevelopmentofthisnewsystem,andbringittothestudentbody.
-Wealreadyhaveasimilarsysteminplace,butincollaborationwiththelibrary,wehopeto
expandtheprogramandmakeitmoreaccessibletostudents.
Student AffairsStudentAffairsworkswiththeStudentBodyandtheAdministrationtorepresentstudents’personalinterests
onandoffcampus.Wedefinetheneedsofthestudentbodyfortheadministrationandrepresenttheinterests
ofthestudentbodyonalladministrativelevels.IbelievethatStudentAffairsshouldtakeamoreactiverolein
campaigningforthestudents’interests.Weshouldworkmorecloselywiththeadministrationtodefine
policiesmoreclearly,improvecampuslifeandsecurity,andofferprogramsthatareencouragingandinviting
tothestudentbody.
• Curfew
-Myadministrationwillworkwiththeadministrationtoestablishawalking
curfewof6:00PMorsunset(whicheverislater),whichwillgivestudentstimeto
walkoffcampusduringsecondtrimester.
-Studentsshouldbeabletoaccesstheimmediateareaafterclassesthroughouttheyear.
Beingconfinedtocampusduringthewintermakesitdifficulttomaintainproductive
learningenvironmentanddoesnotprovidethestudentbodyenoughengaging
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activities.Awalkingcurfewof6:00PMwouldsetadefinitetimewherestudents
shouldbebackoncampus,butwouldstillgivethestudentbodyenoughtimeto
safetywalkoffcampus.
• RedefineDisciplinaryProcedures
-Thecurrentdisciplinaryproceduresareunclearandhardtounderstand.Student
Governmentisintheprocessofreformingthesepolicies,andwewillcontinuethis
processinthenextAdministration.Thereareseveralsectionsofthehandbookthat
concernStudentGovernment,andwehopetoworkwiththeAdministrationtomake
theappropriatereforms.
+TardyandAbsencePolicies
+RestrictedLocations
+AcademicRelief
• StudentSafety -SafetyPrecautionsaretakenandDrillsarepracticedregularly,buttherearestillconcerns
forstudentsafety. Nextyear,StudentGovernmentwillinitiateaschoolwidesafety
overviewwherewewilltakeanewlookatouremergencyprotocols,andtheschools
abilitytorespond.
+Acurrentareaofconcernisthelockdowndrillnotification.Werely
heavilyonatextmessagingsystem,butwealsouseamuchfaster
announcementsystem.Studentsinthepracticeroomsareunabletohearthe
lockdowndrill.
• PFMStudentAdvocacy
-StudentGovernmentwillcontinuetoadvocateforstudentsatthePFM,andwehopetoset
upaneffectivesystemofcommunicationbetweenthestudentbodyandthePFM. ThissystemwouldallowstudentstopersonallyaddressproblemswiththePFM
whileStudentGovernmentworkswiththePFMandtheAdministrationto
accomplishasimilargoal.
Public RelationsStudentGovernmentiselectedtorepresenttheneedsofthestudentbody.PublicRelationsfocuseson
determiningwhatthestudentbodywantsandbalancesitwiththegoalsofStudentGovernmentandthe
Administration.Ifelected,StudentGovernmentwouldseepublicrelationsexpandbeyonditscurrentrole,and
watchitbecomeapartofthestudentbodybyincreasingcommunicationandworkwiththestudentbodyto
determinewhatisimportant.• IncreaseStudentAwareness
-StudentGovernmentNewsletterssenttostudentbodyregularlytoinformthemofStudent
Government’sactivitiesandgoals.
+StudentGovernmentwascreatedtoadvocateforthestudents.Inorderto
dothis,studentsmustknowwhattheirStudentGovernmentrepresentatives
aredoing.TheStudentGovernmentNewsletterwouldcontain
articleswrittenbySenatorsexplainingthevariousprojectsStudent
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Governmenthasbeenworkingonandserveasalinkbetweenthestudent
bodyandtheadministration.
-EncouragingStudentstoAttendStudentGovernmentMeetings
+EveryStudentGovernmentmeetingallocatestimeforthestudentbodyto
speak.Ifelected,IwantrepresentativesfromtheStudentBodytofeel
comfortableandwelcomeatStudentGovernmentmeetings.
-IncreaseStudentInputintoStudentGovernment
+Studentinputshouldbethebasisforeverystudentgovernmentdecision.
Ifelected,Iwouldcreateaquickwayforeverystudenttocommunicatewith
theirStudentBodyPresidentortheirrepresentativesthroughtheStudent
Governmentwebsite.Ivalueeverystudent’sopinion,andIwantevery
studenttohavethemeanstocommunicatewithStudentgovernment.
• StudentGovernmentWebsite -TheStudentGovernmentwebsiteshouldbeahelpfulresourceforthestudentbody.Itneeds
tobeupdatedandimprovedregularlytoremainanappropriatemeansof
communicationbetweenthestudentbodyandStudentGovernment.
-StudentGovernmentwillusethiswebsiteasaneasymeansofcommunicationforthe
studentbodyandbegintomoveawayfromlessreliableformsofonline
communication,suchasFacebookandTwitter.
Government RelationsNCSSMistheonlyhighschoolinthestatethatisapartoftheUNCsystem.Thisuniquequality
• RemainanActiveParticipantinASGandworkwithotherUNCUniversities -TheAssociationofStudentGovernmentsisanimportantresourcefortheschoolandthe
studentbody.ItallowsistocollaboratewithotherNorthCarolinaUniversities
acrossthestate,anditprovidesNCSSMStudentGovernmentwithaformalmeansof
workingwiththestatelegislature.
-Itiscrucialthatweremainanactivepartofthisorganizationbecauseitgivesthestudent
bodyawaytocommunicatewithotheruniversitystudents,encouragesstudent
governmentstointeractandworktogether,andhasaseatinthelegislature.The
studentsarerepresentedthroughthisorganization,anditwouldbeadisserviceto
thestudentbodyifStudentGovernmentdoesnotremainanactiveparticipant.
• UsetheResourcesfromASGtoimprovetheschool
-TheAssociationofStudentGovernmentsisfundedbythestate,andallocatesmoneyevery yearforCampusInnovationandGreenGrants.Thesegrantshavealreadyfunded
projectsoncampus,andStudentGovernmentwillcontinuetousethesegrantsasa
sourceoffunding.
-StudentGovernmentwillcontinuetousegrantfundingtoimprovetheschool,andwewant
toworkwithmembersofthestudentbodytogiveotherorganizationsontheNCSSM
campusaccesstothisresource.
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Sustainability NCSSM
• SupporttheGreenClubsOnCampus
-StudentGovernmentendorsesGreenProjectsacrosscampustogivestudentsmore
opportunitiestoimproveourenvironmentalimpact.Itisimportantwecontinuetosupport
environmentalorganizationsoncampusandassistintheirmeasurestoimproveourschools
environmentalimpact.
• DepartmentBasedEnvironmentalPurchasingPlan
-Workwithindividualdepartmentstoimprovetheirenvironmentalimpactbyimplementing
purchasingprogramsfocusonusingsustainableandenvironmentallyfriendlymaterials.
NCSSMStudentGovernmenthasinitiatedmanygreatprojectsthisyear,andhasalwaystriedto
helpthestudentbody.However,wehaveneglectedtoincreaseourinvolvementwithinthe
studentbody.Inordertoachievethegoalsoutlinedinthisdocument,weallmustworktogether.
Youhavethepowertochangeourschool,andyoucantaketheinitiativetoshapeourschool.
StudentGovernmentwantstoworkwiththeStudentBodyandweencourageyoutobecome
involved.Wewanttobeyourvoice.Wewanttorepresentyourpassionsandinterests.
ByservingasthevoiceoftheStudentBody,StudentGovernmentwillvoicetheconcernsand
beliefsofthestudentstotheAdministration.Wewillworkhardtoaccomplishthegoalslaidout
beforeustoimprovetheschoolwetrulyvalueandappreciate.
Thankyouforconsideringmycandidacy,andremembertovoteonMarch27th
!
CONTACTS
Ifyouhaveanyquestionsregardingthiscampaign,pleasecontactPresidentialCandidateAndrew
For any concerns regarding elections, the campaign process, or current Student Government
projects,pleasecontact
ChairofElectionsBoardKellyEom- [email protected]
StudentBodyPresidentAnitaSimha- [email protected]
StudentSenatePresidentSarahLee- [email protected]