SGA Weekly with Victoria Durgin, Asst. Digital Editor
The Student Government Association (SGA) will establish its own committee to deal with concerns surrounding food service on campus. The decision to create the group was made at the meeting Nov. 5 after several members of the body expressed concerns they had with multiple facets of dining on campus.
Among these was the current level of service and cleanliness at Starbucks. According to several members of SGA the food case is currently unused due to a recurring issue of bugs within the case.
Additionally, one member expressed concern over the training of current Starbucks staff, saying the employees were not properly trained and that service is below Starbucks standards.
The issue concerning the removing of plastic straws was also discussed. Susquehanna recently decided to remove plastic straws from Evert Dining Hall in its effort to phase out the use of straws completely by 2020. Susquehanna plans to offer a biodegradable alternative to plastic straws once a supplier which can adequately serve the size and demand of the campus is found. Plastic straws will also still be available, although only on request.
The SGA subcommittee on food will examine complaints, concerns and hopes to find constructive ways to address those complaints with Aramark and university staff.
Registration for Thanksgiving dinner in Evert Dining Hall will be emailed to students on Monday, Nov. 12. Students are advised to check their spam folders, as some university communication has been directed to spam in the past few weeks. Information on the dinner registration can be found on mySU.
SGA will also submit a letter of support for Public Safety’s initiative to receive funds for a new car. Currently Public Safety only has one car in its possession; it hopes to add another vehicle by the end of the school year.
Public Safety is also working to address commuter student parking concerns for SOAR admissions events. The original parking plan, designed to accommodate admitted students and their families, closed the commuter lot to Susquehanna students. Public Safety is working to design a new plan that does not completely eliminate parking availability for commuters.
Susquehanna students will have input on possible changes to the central curriculum that could come next year. Survey responses and other performance data will be taken into consideration when changes are proposed in the coming months. Any changes to the central curriculum will only be applied to current students if it results in less work for the student.
More information on possible changes to the curriculum will be available as discussions continue to be held with the Provost and campus committees of faculty and students.
Any students who need to make appointments with the Global Opportunities (GO) office must do so online. The requests can be made on the office’s website; no appointments can be made at the office.
On Nov. 14 the GO office will have a tabling session in Mellon Lounge. Language fellows and international students will be available to discuss experiences and opportunities. The tabling event coincides with a week of celebration of international education.
The University Board of Trustees plans to focus on student retention in the next several years. The board already has programs that focus on retaining students between their first and second years; the new plans will encompass all class years and aim to increase retention rates.