Candidacy Announcement

I am officially announcing my bid for re-election as a Delegate to the General Assembly from the Class of 2011. Over the past two years I have served as both the Chairman of the Student Life Committee and as liaison to the Dean of Students.

Voting will take place on March 30th from 9am-9pm in Pryz Lobby and online at http://vote.cua.edu/

Students at CUA have the right to have their voice heard, and should be a major factor in decisions that will affect Student Life and Academics. For this reason I have decided to pursue another term on the General Assembly. If elected I will build upon the successes SAGA has experienced over the last two years and I will not shy away from addressing the tough issues that affect CUA students.

We have an obligation not only to our class but to every class that will follow us to create a system of student governance that is legitimate, respected, and effective.

Check out the blog I have set up to let you know a little more about what I have been working on this year and my thoughts on where SAGA needs to go in the future, follow me on Twitter @RyanDWinn


If re-elected I dedicate myself to the following goals:

Student Life

Reforming Student Conduct and Ethical Development- How many times have we heard people say that they were confused as to there rights when they went in front of a University Hearing Board? Students should understand the charges being brought against them as what they have access to as far as documents and personnel as per University policy. To this end I sponsored a bill, which was passed by SAGA last term creating a Student Advocacy Board that can help educate students about the process associated with a hearing. However, this has been slow to be implemented and the administration must formalize this board prior to the start of the Fall 2010 Semester.

Ensuring an Equal Voice for Students in Off-Campus Housing- All too often the interest of off-campus students are underrepresented here at CUA, and when issues arise in the Brookland community it is often students who bear the brunt of the criticism. With more students moving off-campus the rights of students as residents need to be protected. Therefore I support the creation of an Off-Campus Housing Council to serve as an independent means of dealing with the challenges faced by students who don't live on campus. Furthermore SAGA representatives should attend the monthly local community meetings in order to build a positive, lasting relationship with the Brookland Community. For more info on the problems CUA students face off-campus check out this Washington Post article from last summer http://ryandwinn.blogspot.com/2009/08/washington-post-article-on-off-campus.html

Revising the Visitation Policy- Lets face it there are simply not enough locations around campus open for late night use. I fully support efforts to increase the number of buildings offering 24 hour access however more immediate steps need to be taken. The lack of study space is further compounded by a visitation policy that severely limits students ability to meet at night. As a start, visitation hours should be set no earlier than 2am for rooms and unlimited for common rooms to ensure students academics are not infringed upon by arbitrary regulations.

Expanding CUA Shuttle Service to Local Airports- I am strongly in favor of increasing shuttle services to both airports and train stations prior to University Breaks through the current measures before the Assembly.

Academics

Improving Study Abroad Programs- Studying abroad is an incredible opportunity that I am fortunate enough to be experiencing right now in London. In my experience the programs offered by CUA are extremely good, however because returning Seniors are often reluctant to provide thorough feedback small problems go unfixed From my conversations with other students studying abroad it is clear that there is room for substantial improvement in the details of study abroad programs. Therefore I believe that SAGA should commission reports from returning Juniors and Seniors as to which aspects of their programs could have been better. The General Assembly needs to renew its commitments to those students studying abroad through the thorough compilation of student feedback and presenting the reports to the Center for Global Education.

Reforming the Student Association

End to Appointed Positions- Presently when a vacancy occurs on the General Assembly the remaining members of that class' delegation appoint someone to fill the empty seat. This process leads to distrust of the body as well as raises serious questions as to how representative SAGA can be. Despite the admirable service of all appointees (past and present) a change is necessary. Therefore if elected I will present a bill requiring special elections should a vacancy occur mid-session. This measure will give students a greatly increased role in determining who represents them to the University.

Save Our Speaker!- I am strongly opposed to the forthcoming ballot question regarding changing the name of the Office of the Speaker to the Office of the President. This name change is billed as a measure to "legitimize" SAGA. With due respect to its proponents improving life for students will bring legitimacy to the General Assembly. Furthermore this change will serve to confuse first year students as the Speaker does not possess properly executive powers, nor are they elected by the entire student body. For more information on my opposition to this change please check out my Tower Op-Ed http://ryandwinn.blogspot.com/2010/03/whats-in-name.html and vote NO on March 30th.

Empowering Student Organizations While Protecting the Student Activity and Club Sports Fee- Last year students voted to increase the student activity fee by $25 a semester. These funds will become available for student orgs and club sports starting next year, providing an additional $140,000 for events (bringing the total to over $500,00). Although an incredible opportunity for organizations, SAGA must play the role of steward for these funds, carefully examining SFAB allocations. If necessary the General Assembly must also hold organizations accountable for irresponsible uses of your money. Last semester I sponsored a bill that required Program Board to appear before the Assembly and give a detailed account of where the funds went, and why the event failed. This variety of oversight provides a model that will ensure Student Activity Fee money is properly managed.

Improved Communications- In order to solicit feedback as well as improve understanding of SAGA the Speaker should present an agenda each semester covering all of the offices represented by SAGA. This agenda could be presented in the mandatory speech the Speaker is required to give, based upon a bill I sponsored last year. Furthermore the Speaker should appoint a Communications Director to spread the word about SAGA initiatives as well as to cultivate a better relationship with campus media (CUA TV, The Tower, WCUA, The Quorum, ect).