By Ethan Greenberg ’20, Student Body President
The close of the fall semester provides a chance to reflect. Colorado College Student Government Association, the democratically representative body of students, is enthusiastic about both the work already completed and the work still ahead in our mission to articulate the values and concerns of the student body. Below is a brief recap of CCSGA’s work this past summer and fall.
We began the year conducting voter registration during first-year move in, during which we registered over 100 first-years.
CCSGA also received positive news from the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE), whose data indicate CC’s voter registration rate increased from 62% to 79% and the voting rate increased from 20% to 42% between 2014 and 2018 federal midterm elections. CCSGA is proud to contribute to this trend and is grateful to the many other actors involved, including New Era Colorado, the Collaborative for Community Engagement (CCE), and the student-run initiative CC Votes.
Both over the summer and into the beginning of the school year, CCSGA advocated for the removal of “No Trespassing” signs that were placed around campus over the summer. We eventually succeeded, and the signs were replaced midway through the semester. We appreciate the responsiveness of the administration regarding this petition.
In one of the first Full Council meetings, CCSGA ratified our membership in the Colorado Student Government Coalition. This is a coalition of student governments from higher education institutions across Colorado that will work to both share knowledge and lead collective action and advocacy.
At the end of August, the CC administration released a draft antiracism plan, and CCSGA submitted comments and proposals in its wake. The primary thrust of CCSGA’s comments called for student involvement in whatever governance or oversight group established a part of implementation. Currently, the standing stakeholder group focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, the Diversity Equity Advisory Board (DEAB) does not have student members. CCSGA has consistently petitioned the DEAB over the past few years to include students, and they have consistently resisted. Thus, CCSGA envisioned the antiracism implementation process as an opportunity to center student involvement in antiracism governance.
We were pleased to see the final plan include students in the Antiracism Oversight Committee, both in the form of the CCSGA Vice President of Inclusion serving as an ex officio member, and with the provision of additional student representatives to be appointed yearly by CCSGA. That said, the final plan has also raised concerns about the lack of clarity or process about the position of the (Senior Associate Dean of Students). We will be asking for more clarity and explanation, especially because the opening of that position to an internal and external search was not included in the draft plan.
Beginning at the end of last year and continuing through this semester, CCSGA has advocated for student membership on campus committees and have appointed those students. At the end of last academic year as part of the annual all-college committee process for committees like the Curriculum Executive Committee and Budget Committee, CCSGA appointed 16 students to eight campus committees.
In addition to appointing students to those permanent, standing committees, CCSGA was involved in appointing student members to temporary one- and two-year committees. This included two students on the Innovation Building Team, two students on the Science Visioning Committee, three students on the Climate Change Task Force, and one student on the Foreign Language Task Force. You can check the CCSGA website to see who is on each committee.
We are currently accepting applications for the Committee on Student Community Standards, which will serve as the student conduct board under the Pathfinder process. For more information and to apply, check your email or CCSGA social media.
Furthermore, CCSGA has advocated and will continue to advocate for student representation on the search for the new senior associate dean of the faculty.
Finally, CCSGA has worked to allocate your student activity fee dollars with the most impact. We have allocated over $100,000 in operating budgets to the more than 105 student organizations recognized by CCSGA. In addition, $60,000 has been provided for special events funding for events that are free and open to all of campus. Also on the finance front, CCSGA successfully petitioned against a raise in the student activity fee, so no increase should be expected in that part of tuition and fees.
For more updates and information, check the CCSGA website or social media.