Senior Meghan Kuentz, president of the Student Government Association, spoke about engaging the student body, the campus’ impact on the environment and the beginning of the 2015 Strategic Plan in her State of the Campus address.

On Jan. 21, Kuentz discussed the ways SGA is striving to improve its representation of students. Kuentz said that the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee is considering ways to represent students based on their residences, in addition to representation already offered by class standing and academic school.

The arrival of the new year marks the end of the 2010 Strategic Plan. The 2015 Strategic Plan is still being drafted.

Senior Alexis Konevich, vice president of Student Representation, said there are plans in place to involve students in the strategic plan.

“We are committed to have, not only on this committee [the Strategic Planning and Steering Committee for the Years 2010-2015] but on several really important administrative committees, to have two, three, four students serve on that committee, and their goal and purpose on serving in that committee is to represent the students,” Konevich said.

One of several ways in which SGA will try to engage more students will be by putting the association’s constitution up for a vote by the student body.

“Ten years ago, this was part of the normal process of confirming and adopting a constitution, and we think maybe it is time that we see this happen again,” Kuentz said.

Kuentz also briefly discussed controversial legislation from 2009, the plus/minus grading scale and Greek Life. SGA has voted to support the adoption of the plus-minus for several reasons.

“Graduate schools have a kind of software program which takes the A-F grade scale some universities use and translates them into grades that would have been achieved under a plus/minus grading scale,” said Kuentz in a post-speech interview.

Much of the concern in the debate over the system dealt with graduate schools’ views on undergraduate institutions that do not use plus/minus grading scale, as well as the concern that using straight A-F scales might be too lenient.

“Dr. [Peter] Austin stated [in his presentation to the Senate] that a switch to a plus/minus scale would hurt the GPA of those students who currently have a 4.0, but that it would actually boost the GPA of a ‘C’ average student,” said Kuentz.

In regards to the Greek Life debate, Kuentz said the concern focused on whether or not the addition of Greek Life would lead to exclusionary behavior.

“There are other concerns that basically revolve around the many stereotypes associated with fraternities and sororities—namely the drinking, licentious behavior and the potential for hazing,” said Kuentz. “However, junior Colleen White has presented on the issue several times in Senate, and she pointed out that frats do a lot of philanthropic work and serve their community.”

In addition, Kuentz discussed environmental initiatives at the university, which include cooperating with the “Don’t Mess with Texas” program to reduce the university’s carbon footprint and including more bottle recycling bins and cigarette-butt containers on campus.

Kuentz discussed the university’s spiritual foundation in the Congregation of the Holy Cross.

“The close ties to the Holy Cross community were felt this past week in Haiti, when the congregation of the Holy Cross lost one of their own,” Kuentz said. “The Campus Ministry office is asking for donations to aid those people hurt in the earthquake in Haiti.”

Kuentz also reflected on the university’s improved average GPA, new classes and lower student-to-faculty ratio over the past five years.

“To put it plainly, we are on the way up,” Kuentz said. “Academically, we have never looked better.”

Kuentz concluded the address by saying that she has confidence that St. Edward’s is heading in an exciting direction.

 

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