Talk the Talk Recap
On Thursday, March 1, the SGA hosted their second townhall of the academic year entitled, Talk the Talk: A University Update Forum. The forum included representatives from Residence Life, Student Affairs, Wellness, Academic Affairs, and Faculty Council. Below are some topics discussed from each department represented:
Residence Life
The Residence Life portal page has been redesigned to incorporate intent to return forms and other additional information regarding housing. Additionally, it is now easier for commuter students to transition to residential student status while receiving their housing accommodations of choice.
If you have questions about Residence Life and Housing, please reach out to Evan Huckfeldt.
Wellness
The Wellness Center recently hired a new part-time nurse practitioner who will be in the office 24 hours a week. This should alleviate some of the previous scheduling issues students ran into while utilizing the Wellness Center.
This year, the Stevenson community utilized the free flu shots on campus sponsored by Giant and the Wellness Center. Over 700 flu shots were given on campus this year. We do not know if it is directly related to an increase in flu shots, but there are fewer reported cases of flu through the Wellness Center this year. Additionally, the Wellness Center has been working with Rob Reed to ensure the constant cleaning of facilities to decrease the risk of flu on campus. Please continue to wash your hands and hydrate as we move out of flu season.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the Wellness Center.
Garrison Commons
Dr. Jeff Kelly, Dean of Students, was able to provide some insight on the progress being made with the new Garrison Student Commons. Over the past few weeks, Campus Recreation has been collecting data regarding the usage of the different spaces in this new area. New fitness equipment has been added since the fitness center opened and they are looking into expanding Friday hours. Students should be on the lookout for surveys or suggestion boxes regarding the addition of group fitness classes in the coming weeks and into the fall semester.
The Wellness Center added that they sponsor yoga classes with athletics and are looking to provide more opportunities for this resource.
Quad
The projected completion date for the Owings Mills Quad is April 1st. However, this is subject to change due to weather. Keep in mind, that the space will be completed this spring but will most likely not be fully functional until the fall. The sod that will be installed in the next few weeks will need time to grow, which means that students, faculty, and staff, will not be allowed to walk on the grass. Stay tuned on updates about this exciting new addition to our campus!
Academic Affairs
Dr. Susan Gorman was also present to ask for the SGA and student body’s help as Academic Affairs begins research about the possibility transitioning from regular textbooks to electronic textbooks. Dr. Gorman is aware of the cost of textbooks and is actively searching for ways to help students budgets without sacrificing learning styles and experiences.
The SGA and the SGA Academic Affairs Committee will work over the remainder of the semester to complete research to help aid the Faculty Council and Academic Affairs in their decision making process.
If you have any questions or would like to provide feedback to textbooks at Stevenson University, please contact the sga@stevenson.edu.
The SGA would like to thank the students, faculty, and staff that attended our Talk the Talk event providing much needed dialogue about numerous campus issues.
