Esteemed Student Body of UW-Eau Claire:

Twelve months ago, you elected the 49th Session of Student Senate to be your voice on a local and state level, as well as advocate for your rights on campus. We took on the motto, “Leave the university better than you found it.” This theme reflected our efforts to improve your education, campus and future careers. It is the intent of this column to detail what your elected representatives have accomplished for you in the last year.

Library hours extension

The McIntyre Library has not remained open 24 hours a day, as it did before 2001.

Student Senate, in recent years, has fought for a study room to be open at all times for your educational convenience. This year, we worked with the university administration to open the library all day and night during the week before finals in addition to the week of finals. Recent studies report very high use of the library during this period. We are excited to ensure the library’s availability during the week before fall finals as well.

Installation of an emergency blue light
Three years ago, a geography major facilitated a study which showed that the area on campus with the least blue-light coverage, and thus the least safe place on campus, was near Chancellors Residence Hall and University Avenue. Since then, we have advocated and achieved the installation of an emergency blue light in this area. A safe campus must be the highest priority for any student body.

Haas fine arts hours extension

Contemporarily, Student Senate has fielded concerns from music and art students that the Haas building hours are inconvenient and restrictive. A committee was established, including students, faculty and administration, which recommended to the chancellor the overall extension of hours, mainly on weekends and nights. With her recent approval, we are eager to see if students are content with the new extended availability.

Blugold Card re-issuing

Similar to other schools around the state and country, our university’s student IDs will soon have the capability to be used in the community with an off-campus Blugold account and eventually with a possible line of credit. Student Senate worked to ensure that students’ personal information remains private and on campus while keeping the capacity to expand financial opportunity. It pleases us that you may not only have the ability to withdraw money with your Blugold from ATMs overseas, but that you will have the opportunity to start a professional relationship with a respected bank.

Davies Center transformation

Not only the face of the campus but the prestige of the university will be changed with the approval of funding necessary to either rebuild Davies Center or build a new student union. Student Senate authorized a series of surveys to students which proved that an overwhelming majority of you support a Davies Center building project. Pending Board of Regents approval in a short period of time, we will join seven other UW campuses that have built, are building or have just finished a student union building project. A new student union will be the greatest event to happen to Eau Claire since it was incorporated into the UW System. It will make students’ lives better with more room for organizational meetings, more cafeteria space and additional perks like a possible theater or an atrium. With this approval of this building project, the worth of your future degrees greatly increases.

Improvement in community relations

Through good will events, such as “Meet your Neighbor Day” and “Neighborhood Clean-up Days,” relations between the Third Ward and Historic Randal Park Neighborhood Association have warmed and even flourished.

A responsible exchange of ideas on neighborhood parking and Homecoming has finally shown the true character of students.

Facilitation of service events

Student Senate annually facilitates many events for your benefit, including “Don’t Dump It, Donate It Day,” in which off-campus students can throw their refuse away without payments to a dump, and “House Day,” when on-campus students can meet landlords for the first time and sign a decent lease. We added a new activity this year deemed the “Michael Noll Fun Run,” in which students are invited to run or walk a two-mile course in recognition of Michael Noll, whose memory can teach us all much about being better people.

Advocating for professor pay
The backbone to any university education is the quality of faculty. Unfortunately, professors and academic staff at this university are paid far less than their counterparts in the UW System, the state and the nation. Although our plan to raise pay made USA Today, it ultimately was not implemented. Currently, we are formulating a branch-off strategy in which students can further professor careers without increasing pay with positional benefits, including the enlargement of Faculty-Student Collaborative Research.

Doubling of H-Drive space

Recently, one of our commissions approved the doubling of H-drive space based on feedback from students who felt the previous allotment may have been limiting. Current students – even in majors requiring much memory, such as geography – should have ample room and will never need to worry about technology getting in the way of an excellent education.

The 49th Session of Student Senate was fortunate to serve you in the last year, and it is our hope that your lives are better for having chosen us to represent you.

Recently, you have elected the 50th Session of senators and executives. Formulate your needs and wants for the next year and talk to your newly elected leaders. If they are serious about leading, your concerns will be addressed and likely solved. Thanks for being the kind of students that are easy to represent, full of character and intellect.