VSA adopts year-long goals

Juliana Kiyan News Editor

At the first Vassar Student Association (VSA) Council meeting on Sept. 3, Council members adopted a set of goals for themselves for the 2006-2007 academic year, which include “community, collaboration, inclusion and involvement, and technology.”

The official adoption of the four goals is unique to this year’s Council. “As far as I know, no previous VSA Council has had a formal set of goals for the year,” said VSA Organization Executive Sam Charner ’08.

“These goals will be the manifestation of the VSA’s mission for this year,” Charner continued. “They will lead to concrete proposals brought to Council. [The Executive Board] has had a few ideas for these goals, but Council will be setting them.”

The goal of “community” sets forth an intention to improve the relationship between the College and the greater Poughkeepsie area. “[The Executive Board] has thought about restarting the Dutchess Ulster County Student Association (DUCSA), a confederation of local colleges and universities, increasing the involvement of VSA organizations in the local community, and working with the administration to centralize and better coordinate community initiatives in the College,” said Charner.

“Collaboration” was detailed as encouraging the whole VSA to work together more closely, while inviting students to become involved in the student government.

VSA President Abel McDonnell ’07 said he would like “more people to come to VSA to follow what we’re doing.” The goals state that together, the VSA and students can work to begin the process of “examining how we get the student voice across to the faculty and administration.”

Lastly, the VSA voted to increase and improve its use of technology. The VSA is now concentrating on the overhaul of the VSA website, which has been under construction last semester. Once the website is completely online, information about the VSA, its members, and VSA organizations’ websites will be more accessible. Council started the year by using more technology at their first meeting, such as projectors and an electronic speaker’s list.

Three or four Council members will form a subcommittee headed by McDonnell that will expand upon the goals and bring a finished product to VSA Council in the near future.