By LINCOLN DAVIDSON
DavidsonNews.net

Expanding social options for students, improving the academic environment and internal reform are the main focus areas of the Davidson College Student Government Association for 2013-2014 according to a strategic plan released last week. Expanding student access to off-campus transportation and on-campus support resources are also among the 19 initiatives proposed in the plan.

SGA President Chris Ragsdale ’14, speaking to DavidsonNews.net, said he hopes the SGA will be able to accomplish its goals in the coming year and highlighted initiatives that are currently underway and close to completion. Chief among these is reforms to academic affairs guided by a year-long examination of student stress and mental health. Suggested changes will be voted on by college faculty in May.

Expanding social options for students takes a lead role in the SGA’s plan, Ragsdale said. “You see that in the pub/coffeehouse, in how we’re looking at social options in Charlotte, how we’re working with the town to increase awareness of those options as well. We’re creating more options for students on the weekends. Students are restless with what we have currently, so we’re working to raise awareness of the options available.”

According to the strategic plan, the SGA intends to “work with members of the community to establish more off-campus social opportunities and to promote awareness of said events and venues.” The SGA also wants to increase the number of local businesses that accept CatCard, Davidson College student IDs that function as pre-paid debit cards on campus and at some off-campus businesses.

Internal reform is also central to the plan, which highlights initiatives to improve the leadership skills of SGA senators, rebrand and improve the public image of the SGA, and review the SGA bylaws.

“The bylaws are archaic, they don’t make sense,” Ragsdale said, adding, “We want to make ourselves better and more accessible.”

A revised SGA website will be a source of information about the SGA for students, said Ragsdale. The website will feature the minutes of weekly SGA meetings and updates on the initiatives outlined in the strategic plan.

“Finally, we want to make sure that we are communicating the support services on campus,” Ragsdale said. “We’re creating a website, help.davidson.edu, where students can go to learn about these resources. There’s a huge increased need for these, especially in terms of health and wellness. That’s a higher education problem, not just a problem here at Davidson College.”

Ragsdale said he plans to tell the college’s Board of Trustees that the campus needs a wellness center, although he’s not hopeful there will be any action on this front in the immediate future due to the high cost of such a venture.

“Every time I’m in front of [the trustees] I want them to know that that’s a need for students,” Ragsdale said.

While there might be some initial pushback against the SGA initiatives, Ragsdale stressed that they were designed with the needs of the student body in mind. “Anything that changes on campus, students tend to back off immediately and want to know what’s going on. [The] pub/coffeehouse could pose some issues among student body – [its] location, opening date, what it serves, the way it affects other things that are already present, like Patterson Court. [But] once they realize the end goal students will realize it’s for the betterment of all students.”

2013-2014 SGA STRATEGIC PLAN

Student Affairs

• The SafeRide Van
• Campus pub/coffeehouse
• WeCar
• New Student Life staff
• Meal plan reform
• Convenience store
• LGBTQ affairs
• Help.davidson.edu

Academic Affairs

• Academic stress and mental health
• Davidson 101
• Future academic neighborhood

External Affairs

• Buses to Charlotte
• Catcards in the community
• Off-campus social venues

Internal Affairs

• Senate leadership initiative
• Ombudsman
• Bylaws
• Re-branding and public image
• Dinner at Davidson

RELATED COVERAGE AND LINKS

Davidson SGA Strategic Plan 2013-2014

April 16, 2013 – College SGA President: I want to give back to Davidson