The OMA&D Student Advisory Board (SAB) had a busy winter quarter working with a variety of issues on campus:
SAB played a critical role in bringing a resolution to the room naming issue for the new Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center (ECC). Members conducted surveys during autumn and winter quarters, and held a community discussion. Based on the results, a recommendation was made to Dr. Sheila Edwards Lange, vice president for minority affairs and vice provost for diversity, to carry the historic room names forward with an amendment made to separate the Asian and Pacific Islander room. Furthermore, placement of these five rooms was decided during an open forum held by ECC Director Marisa Herrera.
SAB helped student disability commission director Ann Luetzow gather support for a Disability Cultural Center. Because SAB consists of organizations and members representing their respective RSOs, or have an at-large membership that advocates for diversity, SAB hopes that the letter created and signed by its members shows the diverse amount of student support behind this center.
SAB members raised a question about the perceived lack of support received from Equal Opportunity Program (EOP) counselors, mainly surrounding the issue of choosing a competitive major. SAB invited Val Espania, OMA&D director of academic counseling services (ACS), to a meeting to speak about the issue. He agreed to work with the students on designing an online complaint resolution process. The OMA&D ACS feedback box is now operational. Espania also shared that ACS uses the Appreciative Advising Model which encourages students to choose their own pathways. Counselors and administrators at the meeting will continue to work with students to find alternatives and resources that either make them more competitive for a major or help research other options.
For further accounts of what SAB does, please refer to our meeting minutes for detailed discussions during SAB meetings.