The Student Government Association and University Program Council hosted their first State of the Student Body Address to speak about the projects and goals set for this school year.
On Tuesday evening, Walker Byrd, SGA president and senior in finance, opened his address with statistics on the 2015 freshman class size and ACT scores, the addition of over 200 international students and highlighting the $1 billion “Because This is Auburn” campaign.
Byrd spoke about one of SGA's biggest projects of the year, the Mental Health Task Force, which SGA has initiated in the past seven months. The task force includes student, faculty, staff, administrators and community members and will look at the education, prevention, education and treatment of mental health.
The task force will submit a list of recommendations for improvement to the University administration on better equipping the campus resources and professionals in through the Medical Clinic, Health Promotion and Wellness Services and Student Counseling Services, Byrd said.
Byrd said students should challenge themselves to interact with international students, experience other cultures, and have an inclusive and diverse mindset.
“It’s very rare that you branch out of (your) bubble,” Byrd said. “But it is those experiences where you feel uncomfortable that you grow and that you shape and that you develop as a person. This is the Auburn we’re striving for. This is the Auburn we’re fighting for. An Auburn that is inclusive and accepting of difference. Because we are a family, and because we are bound by a spirit that is not afraid, let’s fight against these things that separate us.”
Alexandra Barnett, UPC president and senior in marketing, also spoke at the address, explaining UPC’s role on campus.
“We are a program designed to better every student’s Auburn experience through engaging, fun and educational events that we put on throughout the campus,” Barnett said.
Barnett said they host over 60 events throughout the year with a team of 51 directors and assistant directors.
Benjamin Baker, SGA director of governmental relations, UPC director of speakers and comedians and senior in political science, spoke about inclusiveness and diversity on campus.
“I refuse to believe the notion that Auburn is a university of rejection,” Baker said. “We preach the ideals of ‘we are family.’ But it’s time to live them. Would you rather be tolerated or wholly accepted for who you are? That is what a family is. That is what the Auburn Family is to me: accepting every Auburn student as they are. I believe that SGA and UPC want to make that happen.”
Arturo King, SGA co-director of international student relations and sophomore in electrical and computer engineering, spoke on his experience at Auburn as an international student and said SGA’s goal this year is to make international students feel like Auburn students.
“We’re challenging you this year to step out of your comfort zone and approach an international student and get to know them,” King said. “I believe I can best serve this university by serving, promoting and unifying the student body. I have made Auburn my home. And because I believe in Auburn, I know that I can count on my Auburn family to help me and SGA reach our goal this year.”
After the address, Byrd accepted questions from the audience. Several attendees brought up concerns about seeing SGA actively foster diversity through partnerships with multicultural organizations.
“We have not done a good job reaching out to other organizations,” Byrd said. “This is a major issue. I apologize.”
However, Olivia Tofani, SGA chief of staff and senior in English language arts education, said SGA is working with organizations on campus to foster diversity.
Tofani said she has met with Black Student Union President Erica Rutledge and with Allen Sutton, director of the Multicultural Center, to bring cultural competency to campus.
Byrd also spoke about an SGA project focused on the rising cost of textbooks. SGA is proposing a form of freely accessible, open license documents to serve as free alternatives to textbooks, though the University hasn’t officially adopted the resources.
Byrd also said SGA Senate is working on a resolution that would require each college publish where it allocates its professional fees.
SGA has also worked with the Office of the Registrar to make Tiger Scheduler, an interactive scheduler for students, which is currently available on Tigeri, according to Byrd.
Byrd also introduced the Auburn Memorial project, a project SGA has been working on for the past eight years. The on-campus memorial will take the place of the Garden of Memory, which is located between the President’s Mansion and The Hill dormitories.
Byrd said the memorial will be an accessible location for students and community members to honor members of the Auburn family who have passed.
“Though this is a student led initiative, it is an Auburn-focused one,” Byrd said.
The $1.25 million project has already raised $1 million dollars, according to Byrd. With the contributions of students, alumni, campus partners and friends, SGA hopes to raise the remaining funds, Byrd said.
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