It is hard to believe that a year has gone by. It has been a year of many challenges.ÿAs our term comes to an end, Kate and I would like to report to you on the accomplishments of the 47th Session of your Student Senate.

When we campaigned a year ago, we focused on four main goals. We wanted to make Senate more visible and more representative to the student body, to reach out to student organizations, to improve community relations and to be fiscally responsible during a difficult economic time. We are pleased to report that we have met these goals.

Often students say that they have no idea what Senate does. We wanted to change that. This year, Senate held listening sessions and informational booths in order to get feedback from the student body. Our Web Design chair did an amazing job of creating a wonderful Web page. Recently, we created a Web-based comment board where students can leave Senate thoughts or feedback. You can check out the Web site at www.uwec.edu/studentsenate.ÿ

Student Senate also reached out to many students involved in class projects.ÿSeveral communication, journalism and marketing students worked with us for various class projects.

Our Public Relations Commission did the first ever campuswide Student Senate newsletter. In an effort to reach out to all students, we held a nontraditional students week. We also created an International Student Affairs Chairperson to better represent international students studying at UW- Eau Claire.

Our Academic Affairs Commission also worked with the administration to have basic training count toward wellness credits for our veteran students. At the beginning of our term, we also passed a resolution honoring the 54 Eau Claire students serving in Iraq. Academic Affairs also worked with the administration to get 24-hour access to Phillips Hall.

Our Organizations Commission fulfilled our campaign promise to create an Organizations’ Council. We have met with student organizations three times. One example of changes stemming from these meetings is cheaper catering rates for student organizations. Our Organizations director has worked with fraternities, sororities and the administration to fight the city’s conditional use permit.

Recently, Organizations sent its first newsletter to all student organizations. Organizations also worked with student organizations to collect more than 3,000 pounds of food for our annual food drive. Finally, we are proud of the work we did with United Hall Council on changes to drinking policy in the dorms and the Late Night Bus Service.

Community relations has been the issue at the forefront of our term.ÿThe parking issue has been an ongoing issue throughout the year. We are proud of the 2,000 students who signed a petition against the proposed parking ban on Roosevelt Avenue. After homecoming, Student Senate, along with 15 other student organizations, helped clean up neighborhoods near the university.

In October, the Intergovernmental Affairs Commission sponsored Meet Your Neighbor Day. Members of Student Senate and United Hall Council went out on a Sunday afternoon to meet our neighbors and give them donated baked goods. We worked with the Neighborhood Association Coalition to put on the Coalition Blues Fest in Owen Park. The Student Services Commission put on a Tenant Rights workshop for students moving off campus next year.

The Intergovernmental Affairs Commission recently sponsored Government Day in which several local officials came to Eau Claire to speak to students about community issues. Finally, the Student Senate continued to show its dedication to community involvement by pledging $300,000 to the Carson Park resurfacing project. We increased our annual contribution to the transit service to $190,000. We also raised the money to do a trial run of the Late Night Bus Route. Unfortunately that was put on hold by the union and currently is in arbitration.

We also are proud of the work our Intergovernmental Affairs Commission did on voter registration. In February, students voted in record numbers in Davies Center.ÿ

When we took office, the governor had just announced budget cuts that deeply impacted our university. We pledged to maintain a fiscally responsible course during our term. At the start of our term, we worked with the administration to implement direct deposit for all student employees.

This saved the UW System $60,000.ÿStudent Senate created committees to explore the deficits run by Athletics and Health Services.ÿOur Finance Commission asked all student organizations eligible for segregated fees to do a 5 percent budget reduction exercise in order to prepare for possible budget cuts in the future. When creating the Student Senate budget, we created a budget that will eliminate our debt in the next few years.

Student Senate also started reducing the number of paper copies of legislation in order to save money. Our Academic Affairs Commission worked with the administration to create a new category for differential tuition. It is called Innovative Ideas and allows for a more creative use of our differential tuition dollars.

Through the Innovative Ideas category of differential tuition, we were able to work with Kimberly Barrett, associate vice chancellor of student development and diversity, and Susan Turell, women’s studies program coordinator, to create a Woman’s Center.

Recently, we have worked with the administration to create the use of the Blugold Card off campus. Hopefully this will start next year. We also left our treasurer position open in order to save students money. The 48th Session is looking at expanding the duties of the treasurer to ensure the money is being spent wisely.ÿ Finally, Student Senate picked a student health insurance plan that ensures that students at Eau Claire have some of the lowest-costing yet best quality health insurance in the System.

These are just some of the accomplishments in the 47th Session. As you can see, Student Senate plays an active role in the lives of all students. Kate and I encourage all students to take an active part in their student government. It has been an honor serving as your student body president and vice president.

Kate and I would like to thank our directors and all Senators for their hard work and dedication. We would like to thank the administration at Eau Claire for their support. We would like to thank all members of the community for their input on the important issues that face our community. We would like to thank all student organizations and student leaders for their work and dedication to Eau Claire.

Finally, we wish President Chad Wade and Vice President Meredith Marx and all members of the 48th Session of Senate the best.