Leaders of Temple Student Government have big plans in store for the student body and university, but it needs student participation to succeed, TSG officials said.
The three members of the “Owl Potential” slate, President Juan Galeano, Vice President of Student Affairs Nadine Mompremier and Vice President of Academic Affairs Eric Stephenson, said they believe it is time to focus on the bigger issues that face the student body.
Their plans include improving advising and financial services, broadening community outreach, increasing available parking for students and bolstering school spirit. An official agenda is to be released Sept. 10 at the first General Assembly meeting in room 200C of the Student Center.
“TSG is typically known to focus on smaller issues,” Galeano said. “But this year we want to focus on bigger issues that affect the entire student body and community. We’re going to apply stitches instead of a Band-Aid.”
In order to do this, TSG leaders said they plan on prioritizing the needs of the general student body over those of student organizations.
“We’re nothing without the students,” Mompremier said. “We’re going to do our best to find solutions to the problems faced by the student body.”
But the TSG leaders said there must be an open discourse between students and student government.
“We want to develop an open forum because we need students to voice their concerns so we can hear them and address them,” Galeano said. “We need to get information first.”
Among their top priorities is responding to the large student outcry to repair the advising system.
“There are many students that are unable to get the advisement that they need,” Mompremier said. “In order to be advised, students need to sign up a month in advance, but there are periods of time that advisers spend without helping students.”
Computer Services has already started an initiative to improve online administrative software such as OWLnet and DARS.
“We’re going to work closely with Computer Services and the administration,” Mompremier said.
The leaders also plan on a strong community outreach with the advent of FreshServe, a Welcome Week program that aimed to recruit freshmen to participate in community service, and working closely with more than 100 non-profit organizations.
“We really plan on taking on bigger issues, and the community is one of them,” Galeano said. “This university is a part of the community, and for it to be successful, the community has to be as well.”
TSG also plans on tackling the scarcity of student parking on campus. In the near future, available student parking could diminish due to the relocation of the Tyler School of Art, in addition to the influx of ensuing students and growing freshman classes.
“It’s really going to be more about talking about issues, what’s really bothering them, and what we can do as the student government,” Mompremier said.
“We want to make a substantial impact that will affect future generations of students to come,” Galeano added.
Sam Benesby can be reached at sam.benesby@temple.edu.
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