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State of the
Student Body
By Jason Stuebe
At the end of every
semester it is incumbent upon the SGA President that he or she
shall report on the state of the student body to the Student
Government and to the campus. In our continued effort to keep all
students aware, the following is an updated version of the address
that was given at the last regular meeting of the Student
Government Association on April 18th, 2004.
Madame Vice President, Mr.
Sgt. at Arms, Madame Treasurer, Madame Secretary, Mr. Trustee,
fellow Representatives, students, faculty, staff, administrators,
and friends of the University of Illinois at Springfield,
It has been a year since this
SGA and I were elected to represent the Student Body of this
campus. Over the course of that year, the SGA and the Student Body
at large met many challenges, but I am proud to say that we have
made significant headway in regards to many of them. This SGA has
worked towards revamping antiquated policies, bolstering student
support and involvement, and re-establishing faith in the ability
of
 students
to not only lead but also aid in deciding the course of this great
campus. We were charged with restoring integrity and effectiveness
to Student Government, and it is my belief that we have done just
that. Therefore, I come before you today to declare that the state
of our Student Body is strong, resilient, and moving in the right
direction.
Many things have changed over
the past two semesters. To name just a few, we have welcomed a
third class of freshman, University Hall and new housing was
constructed, women's softball was added as our newest
intercollegiate sport, and full-time enrollment increased.
Students and faculty have continued to distinguish themselves, as
well. Tracy DiMezzo and Timothy Goode received a much-celebrated
grant for their work in biology. Elizabeth Saunders of the
Educational Leadership Program was recognized with an Outstanding
Online Faculty Award, highlighting once again this campus'
leadership in online education. UIS was also selected as the
pilot university for a statewide campaign spearheaded by Attorney
General Lisa Madigan to raise awareness of partner abuse among
students.
Student life and activities
have improved over the past semester as well. I want to extend a
special thank you to our Inter-Club Council Board Chairman Dan
Kovats and Student Activities Committee Chairman Christopher
Roberts and their respective members to congratulate them on a job
well done this entire year. Clubs and organizations were active
and we were met with new and innovative student activities such as
the Mr. UIS competition and the Emcee Battle, as well as a number
of diverse cultural and educational opportunities.
When I took office last July,
student government was in a state of disarray. Involvement on
important campus committees was low, SGA member participation was
dismal, the SGA took on the biggest budget cut in recent memory,
and this great institution for public affairs and policy couldn't
seem to get student leadership off the ground. However, through
the diligent efforts of your elected SGA members, we were able to
lay a foundation for progress and continued effective leadership
through active involvement and response to student needs. Another
major advancement for this SGA came under the counsel of Sgt. at
Arms Brace Clement, who along with his committee, worked hard to
revise our Constitution and presented it to the SGA for some of
the most intriguing debate and activity that I have ever seen on
this campus. In the end, these revisions shore up several holes
and will further promote more SGA member involvement and
initiative as well as give the SGA a better sense of direction in
its relationship to the Student Body. I'm proud of how far we've
come and I'm confident that UIS has found the right track and will
continue to move forward on it.
We have accomplished a lot and
have much to be proud of at this campus. Yet, we cannot simply
stop here – we must continue on in our progress, never settling
for anything less than what this campus deserves. As I alluded
to previously, we have laid the foundations for something truly
special for those who will follow in our footsteps. In the coming
months and years, I envision the students of this campus engaging
in even more activities that extend outward to the Springfield
community. This campus needs to establish a “communiversity”
program that dynamically involves students, faculty, and staff
with the capital city and surrounding areas. By strengthening the
bonds we have to Springfield and the State Capitol, more doors for
recognition and notoriety will open. Just this week, UIS will be
taking part in its first ever Lobby Day at the State Capitol
Complex, making our voices heard to those who make the decisions.
I can’t help but get excited over something like that and I truly
hope this is the start of a major tradition here at UIS and my
many thanks go out to Ed Wojcicki, Brace Clement, Maria Barajas,
the Office of Multicultural Affairs, and all others involved with
this major undertaking.
I have said many times that
this is a great place to attend school – but it will be even
better in ten to fifteen years given the direction we are
currently heading. As the current students, we hold all the
possibilities of greatness for this campus in our very hands. I
am pleased with what we have accomplished this year and I am very
excited about what awaits us in the future. In closing, I just
wanted to say thank you for the opportunity you have given me to
serve as your Student Body President this year.
On behalf of the entire
Student Government Association, I wish you all the best for the
remainder of this semester and summer. Good luck and go Stars!
Career Services
Proposes New Fee
By Jonathan Meyer
As the date of the 2004 elections
at UIS nears, one can get a clearer picture regarding the many
things UIS students will be asked to vote on. Among other things,
the campus will be asked to elect SGA officials for the coming
year. However, students will also be able to vote on a referendum
establishing a fee to assist the Career Services Department.
“The proposed fee would be six
dollars for each of the spring and fall semesters, plus $3 for
summer semesters,” said Tammy Craig, a Director of Career
Services. This quantity is less than the fee exacted at UIUC-$14.61.
UIUC also has many additional fees for accessing various Career
Service-related options.
The main reason for this proposal
is to offset some of the money lost due to cut-backs in state
funding. However, even with the fee, said Craig, “the budget
still won’t be what it was two years ago.” She said the already
small department had to let many people go due to budget cuts.
As the makeup of the campus culture
has changed, the department has tried to change its approach to
deal with new needs. “Capital Scholars come in groups,” said
Craig, “usually when one comes, we see many others shortly after.”
Career Services hopes to accomplish
a lot in the near future. One such idea is to make Career
Services more accessible to students by getting more material
online and possibly on Blackboard. The department believes
students are often busy and do not have the time or think it
necessary to walk all the way across campus.
If passed, the revenue the fee
would create may go toward hiring another career counselor to
assist with the operations of the department.
In order to save money, Career
Services plans to restructure itself in the near future in order
to spend money more efficiently. One idea in this area gives
students a larger role.
In this plan, students will certain
interests wishing to get a foot in the door in fields of their
interest can sign up. These students will then be given
opportunities to assist in areas relating to their interests
around campus.
The plan is that while this is
happening, these students will gain valuable experience and make
contacts which will prove beneficial later in life. The tasks
assigned are to be more professional oriented that will look good
on future resumes.
These students would help the next
group along. Craig believes this proposal, if enacted, will give
other members of the department more time for other tasks.
This plan is also geared to ease
the financial burden. Students in the program would be asked to
work roughly ten hours a week. The University of
Missouri introduced a similar plan a few years ago. According to Craig, their
statistics show that forty of these “Career Specialist Trainees”
will cost UIS as much as two full time employees. The current
plan is to have a much smaller group-around eight-participating in
the first year.
The department hopes to obtain an
assessment on what students are looking for in Career Services.
The assessment will be given next fall. Craig plans to embark on
a massive advertisement campaign to get the word out.
Craig said Career Services also
hopes to do a better job of keeping the student body informed
about what the department has to offer, as well as the dates and
times of workshops, career fairs and job fairs.
News Briefs
Summer
Employment Opportunity
3 positions for
summer ecology camp counselors at Lincoln Memorial Garden are
needed. Requirements include a minimum of 1 year of college,
experience with children, and a basic knowledge of science. A
high level or energy and creativity and previous camp or outdoor
education experience are recommended. Salary is $7.25 an hour
(40hr/week) from June 7-July 30, 2004. If interested contact Sally Patterson at 529-1111
or forward resume, cover letter and 3 references by April 30 to
Lincoln Memorial Garden 2301 East Lake Dr. Springfield, IL 62707.
Prize money for student scholars
The Illinois State Historical Society invites Illinois high school
students to participate in an essay contest about Abraham Lincoln
and the Civil War era. Essays should be between 1,000 and 1,500
words with an annotated bibliography and suggestions for further
reading. The focus of the essay should be on Abraham Lincoln or a
significant event in the Civil War period in Illinois. The winner
will be awarded an award of $1,000, plus a certificate at the
Banquet of the Illinois History Symposium in December 2004. For
more information, call Tom Teague at 525-2781, or visit the
Society’s web site at
www.historyillinois.org. The deadline for 2004 is May
31.
UIS study abroad opportunities
The Global Experience Program is offering area residents a
number of opportunities to spend part of the summer studying
abroad, in subjects ranging from community work in
Jamaica to Chinese
ceramic art to excavating prehistoric sites in Germany. To
receive academic credit from UIS, regular tuition and fees and
registration deadlines also apply. We are going to Jamaica from
May 16-June 6. Seinor learners can register for the course for
$10 and faculty and graduate assistants can receive free tuition.
The deadline for registering for the Global Experience Program is
April 22. Please contact Jan Droegkamp at droegkamp@uis.edu if
you are interested in receiving 4 credits for Sociology 474 or
coming along on the experience. For information, contact Jonathan
Goldberg Belle, UIS director of International Affairs, at 206-6678
or go to the website at
www.uis.edu/internationalaffairs/studyabroad.htm.
New use of i-card
Your i-card can now be accepted at UIS Bookstore to pay for
books or other purchases, using your Campus Cash account. Please
note that student’s residential meal plans cannot be used in the
bookstore. Contact the i-card office at 206-7718 if you have
questions.
Donations for
School Supplies
Teacher Education is collecting new and gently used school
supplies for Jan Droegkamp's class to take to
Jamaica this
summer for distribution in the schools they will be working with.
A collection basket is located opposite the third floor elevator
on the classroom side of Brookens. Supplies appropriate for any
K-12 students would be appreciated.
Intramural
Softball Hitting Contest and Home Run Derby
The hitting
contest and home run derby will take place on Sunday April 25 at
3:00 pm at the UIS Softball Complex Diamond #4. Come and register
in the Campus Rec Sports office before Thursday, April 22 at 11
pm. The event is free to UIS students and Rec Center Members with
valid i-cards. UIS Non-Rec Center Members will be required to pay
a $10 fee. Participants must be at least 18 years old or a UIS
Student.
Intramural
Tennis Doubles Tournament
The doubles
tournament will take place on Saturday, May 1 at 10:30 am at the UIS Tennis Courts. Come and register in the Campus Rec Sports
Office by Monday, April 26 at
11 pm. The event is free to UIS
Students and Rec Center Members with valid i-cards. UIS Non-Rec
Center Members and Non UIS are required to pay a $10 fee (Non-UIS
must sign waiver form). For more information, contact Dale
Schultz, Recreation Assistant at 206-6658 or by e-mail at
RecSports@uis.edu.
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