Heighten the political literacy of the student body by holding forums with elected officials and providing comprehensive information on candidates and issues. As Director of Governmental Affairs, this was a chief priority of Evan’s and it will continue to be so if he is elected Executive Director.
Collaborate with University Health Services in order to educate students about their options regarding health insurance. It’s vital that students have a contingency plan on the off chance that they become sick or injured, because if not, they will be saddled with even more financial problems on top of their already mounting student debt.
Strengthen ties with Student Legal Services to make sure that students are aware of their rights as renters when dealing with landlords and their rights/obligations as citizens when confronted by law enforcement.
Heavily publicize the availability of useful academic resources so that students can seek the help they need in order to excel in their classes.
By utilizing his existing relationships with our elected representatives both in Columbus and in Washington, Evan aims to make sure that student financial aid is atop their priorities list. Clearly, attending university is becoming increasingly difficult due to rising costs, among other factors. The government offers so many fantastic programs, though, that can aid students immensely in their collegiate endeavors.
Kent State’s scholarship database should be made more accessible and user-friendly so that students can take full advantage of the help that is available to them. Too often, students are forced to take out loans, sometimes with large interest rates, because they are unaware of scholarship opportunities that may be present. University affiliated and independent programs alike offer tremendous resources including scholarships for any number of reasons.
In this increasingly global society, our students are greatly benefited by studying abroad. Increasing scholarship and grant opportunities for all students can heavily enrich the education of Kent State students. Evan knows firsthand what an impactful and extraordinary experience studying abroad can be, and believes that every student should have an opportunity to study abroad before they walk down the aisle in their cap and gown. Furthermore, every single Golden Flash should be able to enter the job market as an attractive and competitive candidate, and studying abroad only makes them more so.
Committees and groups like the Text Book Affordability Task Force have made some clear recommendations as far as what we can do to reduce financial burdens on students. Evan wants to personally oversee the implementation of these suggestions so that students don’t have to worry about spending several months’ rent on their materials for class.
Work closely with the Women’s Center and SART in order to educate students and prevent sexual violence. A majority of sexual assaults in college are perpetrated by someone who is known to the victim. Providing resources to thwart these attacks will make our campus and our university as a whole an even safer place.
Explore possibilities of better/faster response times from salt teams and plows when winter weather hits. If classes are going to be held and the university is to operate at normal capacity, we should not have to compromise our safety. Creation of an all-volunteer student group to aid the university could be a beneficial first step.
Publicize the availability of the campus escort services so that students can feel safer walking around at night. Evan knows how important it is for Kent State to be a safe place for all.
With the amazing renovations going on in downtown Kent, it’s crucial for the voices of students to be heard. Strengthening Kent State’s relationship with the City of Kent will be a top priority so that we as students can proactively work to make this a better place to live.
In collaboration with other campus organizations, aim to implement community service opportunities for students in order to make it even easier to give back. In addition, as Executive Director, Evan will organize all USG officials to spend time each semester doing community service.
Frequently hold roundtables and open forums so that students can voice their opinions and concerns to their elected representatives on USG. This provides for greater accountability and allows students to make sure that their voices are heard.
Bring leaders from USG and the Kent Interhall Council together in order to cultivate leadership skills and collaborate on programming.
Ally with the University Sustainability Office in order to reduce, reuse, and recycle. While we already have initiatives that encourage recycling and energy savings, we as a university still have quite a long way to go.
Collaborate with dining services in order to bring more organic and healthy options to the HUB and the on-campus dining halls. In addition, make eating on campus easier for students with dietary restrictions.
Work closely with the rest of the USG and other university departments in order to increase voter registration in this crucial election year. As Director of Governmental Affairs, Evan oversaw that distribution of thousands of voter registration cards and issued information packets to students across Kent State University. We can still make immense strides in terms of making our voices heard. Step up efforts to bridge gaps between domestic and international students so that all Kent State students can become more knowledgeable and tolerant of the cultures around them.
Step up efforts to bridge gaps between domestic and international students so that all Kent State students can become more knowledgeable and tolerant of the cultures around them.
Foster relationships with other Ohio universities so that we know what does and doesn’t work. There are so many great minds in our state university system, and collaborating with them can only help Kent State shine brighter.