Last week I wrote about a need for “improved visibility” for the student government and “more community outreach and better collaboration”. This week, I want to elaborate on one of these points.
First of all, why is visibility important? Well, your student government aims to work in the best interest of its constituents: you, the student body. Though some would bat their brow at this assertion, lets accept this as true as we cannot afford to be too cynical. At times and in varying degrees, and this is by no means unique to UMB alone, university student governments have existed as a sort of tenebrous establishment.
No matter how dynamic an individual or how commanding an institution, success is minimal if unseen or unshared. More importantly it is a poor function of government if is not transparent, cannot be engaged and challenged. In other words, if it is not visible. When I started out as a student senator I heard tell of how we had an “apathetic campus” or a “disengaged student body”. These assertions were espoused by my colleagues and accepted as as a fact of life at UMB. Well, I charged then and I will reiterate now, that if a student government does not do all that it can to be visible and accessible, than it is the student government that is disengaged and apathetic.
Visibility, as I wrote last week, is one part of what we are and it is an important pillar in our foundation. If you feel that you don’t see us around campus enough, that you can’t see exactly how we are serving you on our website UMBgov.com, or if there is a way you know we can be more visible please contact us!
Please visit us at UMBgov.com. We want your insight and guidance to direct the future and success of the UMass Boston community. If you would like to get more involved go to: UMBgov.com/volunteer. With the many ways available for you to participate, its easy to accommodate your schedule. I can be reached by email at: [email protected] and by phone at: 617-444-9432. Or meet me at my office on the 2nd floor of the Campus Center, room 2404. My office hours are Tuesdays 3:15-5:15 pm and Thursdays from 3:15-6:15 pm. It is an honor to serve you and I hope to meet many of you in person. I am always inspired by your ideas of how to make the UMass Boston community the best it can be.