Painted in white on the bright orange walls of the Student Association office, there’s a question.

Through every meeting attended, policy implemented, initiative put into place and sleepless night — it’s the only question that matters: What have we done for students?

This year, the 61st Legislative Session of Student Association has expanded on the positive advocacy previous sessions have accomplished. In this three-part series, we’ll outline what members of our organization have done for students. We have:

Continued to focus on Health and Wellness by:

• Successfully advocating for the expansion of SU’s Counseling Center, ensuring the implementation of a policy recommendation from the 60th’s Legislative Session’s Mental Health Report. (Invest Syracuse; Partners: Active Minds)
• Executing the Second Annual Mental Health Awareness Week. (Partners: Hendricks Chapel, Office of Health Promotion, Counseling Center, Office of Student Assistance, Active Minds, NAMI, Delta Kappa Alpha, Disability Cultural Center)
• Advocating and partnering to offer a free and confidential STI testing clinic. (Partners: Be Well SU)
• Putting on Frisky February’s Sexual Health Resource Fair. (Partners: Office of Health Promotion, Pride Union, It’s On Us, SASSE, Safer Sex Express, Health Services, Planned Parenthood CNY, Arc Health, SUNY Upstate Medical University)
• Partnering on communication during the mumps outbreak. (Partners: VISION for Entrepreneurs, E Club, Health Service interns from Falk College)
• Hosting an open forum allowing students to interact directly with health administrators. (Partners: Counseling Center, Health Services, Office of Health Promotion, Recreation Services, Division of Enrollment and Student Experience)
• Establishing the Health and Wellness subcommittee within SA.
• Supporting Take Back the Night on the planning committee.
  

We are continuing to work on:

• Expanding the pilot menstrual health program from the 60th Legislative by installing dispensers by the end of this semester.
• Publishing a policy implementation recommendation regarding the peer listening service, allowing students to voice concerns to trained peers; this service is scheduled to tentatively launch in Fall 2019 or Spring 2020.
• Forming a formal partnership with the Crisis Text line.

Continued to focused on students’ safety and transportation concerns by:

• Launching the Euclid Shuttle — a late night, off-campus shuttle to increase safe transportation options for students. (Invest Syracuse)
• Sponsoring 1,000 free Uber rides for students.
• Co-hosting “Trivia night with DPS” with the Department of Public Safety to increase communication between DPS and students.
• Successfully advocating for pedestrian safety by presenting student suggestions for the implementation of crosswalks and stop signs around campus.

Sincerely,

Angie Pati, Student Association Vice President

James Franco, Student Association President

The 61st Legislative Session of Student Association

 

Published on April 9, 2018 at 9:12 pm