A search of the word ‘transparency’ on the Wesleyan website by date resulted in: 1) a site depicting how to make overhead transparencies (important I suppose but not what I was searching for), 2) an acknowledgement of the actions on December 15th calling for greater administrative transparency (the recognition of a pervasive problem), and 3) numerous links to the WSA documents recognizing the obligation that we, the Wesleyan Student Assembly, have to increase our own transparency (the attempted response from the WSA). This notion of transparency and all of the ramifications that follow have been the subject of intense WSA focus for the past several years, claiming a space on numerous committee agendas and being spoken of in full assembly meetings on a regular basis.
However, despite our increased efforts, it is not yet enough. As a result, we are in the process of undertaking an aggressive strategy to increase our transparency as the Wesleyan Student Assembly in both a broad and issue-specific sense in order to keep students informed of all we are working on. That’s where this new Argus column comes in.
This column, Point of Information, is intended to provide the voice of a different WSA member every other week, speaking about and reflecting on issues the Assembly is currently working on. We are committed to greater transparency and in keeping with that larger objective, conveying our goals, projects, failures and successes clearly to the student body. Thus, this column’s purpose is to offer greater detail and opinion on each topic addressed.
The WSA has also pushed forward several other initiatives to better inform the student body. Our first Annual WSA Mid-Year Report was printed and mass distributed in January. It allowed us to provide an accurate portrayal of some of the issues that may not have been clearly conveyed in the administration’s report issued on January 19th. This report is available at 190 High Street and on the WSA website www.wesleyan.edu/wsa. Likewise, we have worked to send out weekly WSA emails with information regarding the past week’s meeting, held several student forums, and have recently begun holding Treasurer’s Office hours on Tuesdays from 12-2pm.
With this notion of increased transparency, the WSA is also moving to support greater, informed student voice. As President of the WSA, I feel strongly that all student voices must be heard, and the search for the new Dean of the College is one way that, beyond the students on the search committee, all students can provide their input. This new position is directly linked, in so many ways, to administrative roles but also to student life. Students’ opinions on the candidates matter, and thoughts and concerns should be emailed to President Bennet before spring break.
In line with greater transparency and student voice, the WSA is in the process of codifying how changes are made to the Code of Non-Academic Conduct. Given that this is the Code that all students are required to abide by, it seems particularly pertinent that our concerns and voices are part of it. Currently, while a good number of changes are made after collecting student input, there are also those that result despite a severe lack of student voice. It’s my hope that this codification can be in place by next fall and will ensure that no changes are made to the Code of Non-Academic Conduct without the appropriate processes being followed.
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