SA: in order to serve students

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by Ethan Schultz

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We the members of the Student Association of Rice University, desiring ...

It is with these 11 words that the SA constitution lays out the five desires that describe the organization's purpose.

... to provide channels of communication among all parts of the Rice community;

In contrast to popular opinion, the SA is not just a few representatives from each college and some politicos. Actually, every Rice student who has paid his or her blanket tax is a member of the SA. In fact, its constitution states that "the Student Senate, the University Court and the Student Association organizations are all integral parts of the Student Association."

It is the Student Association Senate that often is labeled as the SA. The Senate, which is the voting body that represents all students in decisions involving new campus legislation, consists of 16 senators from each college, each college president, seven executive officers, nine committee members and seven new-student representatives.

... to provide a form of government for the coordination of student activities; to provide a forum for the expression of student views and interests; to maintain academic freedom and academic responsibility;

"The SA's purpose is to coordinate and provide a forum where people from all the colleges can meet and discuss issues," SA President Maryana Iskander said. "Eight different communities can meet under one umbrella."

The SA is at least partially responsible for the founding of every new student organization at Rice, since it approves every proposed constitution. In addition, the SA oversees the distribution of funds in each new group while occasionally appropriating their own money to the same organizations.

Every Monday at 10 p.m., an SA meeting takes place at the Kelley Lounge in the Student Center. These meetings provide a forum for students to express their views and concerns. Iskander stresses that these meetings are open and that "any student can bring anything before the SA."

Rice students often seem to dislike the SA. "I can see where they're coming from," said Iskander, who was involved in the Wiess College campaign to secede from the SA in the fall of 1993. "I can point to dramatic improvements, a lot of things we've done better and more efficiently."

Senate members chair and comprise a number of SA committees, three of which are notably important. University Affairs is the committee responsible for all academic issues, like changing the deadline to designate a class pass/fail. They passed this bill in accordance with their pledge to "maintain academic freedom and academic responsibility."

Recently, the committee dealt with the issue of graduation honors. The decision centered on a proposal to alter requirements to receive graduation honors; here, the Senate provided students with an opportunity to express their opinions to the faculty, whose duty it was to make the final decision. The Senate distributed hundreds of form letters to students and encouraged them to fill the forms out so they could be collected and mailed.

... to enhance the value of the undergraduate experience;

"Many students at Rice are on the receiving end of what the SA does -- the directory, the Silver Saver Card, policy changes -- but sometimes people don't realize it. Whether or not you know it, the SA does do a lot to improve student life on campus," Iskander said.

The SA's efforts to enhance the undergraduate experience are evident in the duties of the two other committees, Student Life and Activities and Services. It is the Student Life committee that represents the SA to Food and Housing. This committee helped evaluate which toilet paper is best for Rice. Activities and Services creates the campus telephone directory, the Newcomers Guide, the Silver Saver Card and the athletic T-shirts; it will also oversee the upcoming elections, among other duties.

... to help promote national and international under-standing and fellowship at the student level;

The SA is additionally a major supporter of many activities that promote awareness on campus. These include the recent women's and environmental conferences. Further, Student Life is responsible for a number of student forums that occur throughout the year, including a forum with student-athletes and transfer students.

... to foster the recognition of the rights and responsibilities of students to humanity, the community, and the school, do hereby establish this constitution.

This item appeared in the Features section of the February 16, 1996 issue.

Copyright © 1996 The Rice Thresher. All Rights Reserved.
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