GT SGA Annual Report 2012-2013

Student Government Association

Annual Report 2013

Georgia Institute of Technology

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Table of Contents Advisor Profile................................................................................................................................................. 03 About SGA..................................................................................................................................................... 04 History of SGA............................................................................................................................................... 05 Letter from the Undergraduate President................................................................................................. 08 Letter from the Undergraduate Executive Vice President..................................................................... 10 House of Representatives………………..........................................................................................................11 Communications Board………………............................................................................................................14 Academic Affairs Board…………………........................................................................................................ 17 Campus Affairs Board……………………........................................................................................................18 Internal Affairs Board…………………….........................................................................................................21 External Affairs Board…..………………......................................................................................................... 23 Joint Finance Committee..………………....................................................................................................... 24 Undergraduate Judicial Cabinet………………............................................................................................. 25 Information Technology Board..…………................................................................................................... 26

SGA ANNUAL REPORT 2013

Advisor Profile John Stein

Dean of Students/Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs John Stein is the Dean of Students and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology, a position he has held since 2009.

He went to Nazareth Area High School in Nazareth, Pennsylvania and graduated in 1975. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 1979 from State University of New York at Oneonta and a Master of Science in Counseling and Student Personnel Administration in 1982 from Long Island University. He later received a Master of Science in Educational psychology from the State University of New York at Albany in 1997.

In August 2002, Dean Stein became Director of Success Programs at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia and was subsequently promoted to his current position of Dean of Students in March 2006 after serving as interim Dean of Students for six months after Gail DiSabatino’s retirement.

SGA ANNUAL REPORT 2013

About SGA The Undergraduate Student Government Association is made up of three branches, modeled after the United States Government. Each branch serves the student body in a unique way and is detailed below.

Executive Branch The Executive Branch of Georgia Tech’s Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA) helps address challenges that Undergraduate students face while enrolled at the Institute. Led by the Undergraduate Student Body President, the Executive Branch consists of several committees including the President’s Executive Cabinet, the Campus Affairs Board, the Campus Communications Board, the Joint Finance Committee, and the Joint Campus Organization’s Committee.

Legislative Branch The Legislative Branch of Student Government consists of around 60 students elected from the various classes and academic units on Georgia Tech’s campus. The Undergraduate House of Representatives meets weekly to consider financial bills and resolutions on behalf of the entire under graduate student body. The following list includes the primary responsibilities of the Legislative Branch: + Expressing the position of the student body on issues affecting the student experience. + Formulating the annual Student Activity Fee Budget during the spring semester. + Allocating Student Activity Fee funds to chartered student organizations throughout the year. + Modifying the structure and functions of Student Government. + Approving all amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Student Government Association.

Judicial Branch The Undergraduate Judiciary Cabinet (UJC) serves two main purposes: upholding non-academic integrity and interpreting any actions or legislation of the USGA to uphold the system of checks and balances provided for by the Undergraduate Constitution. The UJC also has appellate jurisdiction over all lower courts.

At any given time there are twelve acting justices and one Chief Justice.

The Judicial Branch within the SGA also is a check and balance mechanism. Occasional disputes on the constitutionality of bills and amendments can arise. If such a situation does arise and a for mal complaint is filed, the UJC provides the determining decision after careful review of SGA by- laws and the SGA Constitution.

SGA ANNUAL REPORT 2013

A Brief History of SGA 1986 + 2566 Tech students set the Guinness world record for largest Twister game + Georgia Tech Student Foundation started with $10,000 initial investment + Academic Priorities Committee secures registra- tion by phone + Voter Registration Committee registered over 2000 Tech students 1987 + Allocated over $950,000 in Student Activity Fee (SAF) + Publication of 1986 Course Critique - 3000 copies distributed + Campus Planning and Safety Committee worked to install safety phones and additional lighting on campus 1988 + Allocated over $1,000,000 + Sold mace to students at a “reasonable cost” and established student foot patrols 1989 + 1300 Course Critique booklets distributed + Eight new organizations’ charters approved + Students granted computer access to grades at end-of-quarter + Nine new emergency phones and blue lights installed on campus through $50,000 grant + Georgia Tech Federal Credit Union granted a for- mal charter in spring of 1988 1990 + New company contracted to operate Stinger Bus System + Student Legislative Committee lobbies state gov- ernment for dorm/parking project funding + Allocation of over $1.3 million + Course critiques are sold rather than given away 1991 + Campus Planning and Safety Committee sold over 1000 mace key chains + Registered 700 students to vote + Weekly SGA column in the Technique began 1992 + Allocated $1.7 million + Developed a rape crisis seminar + Olympic Planning Committee developed 1993 + Passed several resolutions voicing student con- cerns to administration regarding Olympic planning and campus safety + Allocated over $1.6 million 1994 + Placed a student representative on all of the Insti- tute committees + SGA President Ashley Gigandet chosen as only student member to serve on Board of Regents search committee for a new President. + Held several town hall meetings to educate stu- dents on the 1996 Olympics

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1996 + SGA works hard to improve web pages, list serv- ers, and databases to keep students informed + Hundreds of students during the fall quarter at- tended information sessions held by SGA to glean student opinions + Georgia Tech student body passes its own honor code 1997 + Cost to restore intramural fields at the Student Athletic Complex (SAC) - $3.148 million, $900,000 deficit covered by Georgia Tech Founda- tion + Off-Campus Development Committee established + “Operation Illuminate” initiated to improve light- ing conditions around campus 1998 + Allocated over $1.8 million to student body + Weekly table set up in the Student Center to gather students’ opinions + Representatives contributed to the design and expansion of the Student Athletic Complex + Largest turf field in the nation opens (Stamps IV SAC Fields) + Considered a record 176 bills 1999 + Allocated over $2.4 million + Passed a new constitution in order to more effec- tively pass legislation 2000 + Senior exemption from final exams discussed + Adoption of true dead week policy and extended library hours + Creation of the Honors Recognition Program 2001 + Organized first One Night Stand + Academic Affairs committee developed Academic Bill of Rights + Established Freshman Cabinet (now FreShGA) 2002 + Ceremony of remembrance held for September 11, 2001 anniversary + Student Faculty Luncheon bought students, fac- ulty, and staff together + First Midnight Breakfast held in conjunction with the Student Center Programs Council 2003 + First Georgia Tech Day at Six Flags occurs + Safety campaign - more lighting and more secure walking paths installed + Student Life Fund developed - financed night at Six Flags, Picnic at the Campanile + Dead Week complaint website - allowed student to document violations of Dead Week policy + First annual Campus Safety Walk held 2004 + 7,000 students attend GT Night at Six Flags + Student Lobby Board formed to meet with Sena- tors and Representatives in the face of budget cuts + SGA moves drop date for classes to mid-semester with approval from Faculty Senate + Course critique revamped (again) + Movie show on the campus quad - over 2600 students in attendance

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2005 + SGA moves to new office in the Student Center Commons + 5,100 students attend GT Night at Six Flags + Worked with other SGAs across Georgia to suc- cessfully avoid an unprecedented mid-year tuition hike + Grade Substitution Policy passed by Faculty Senate + Allocation of over $3.25 million 2006 + Institution of Online Ticketing System for men’s Varsity Basketball + New weekend stinger route to Atlantic Station implemented + SGA “worked to bring free music downloading to students” + Dean DiSabatino, Dean of Students, leaves Georgia Tech 2007 + 6,000 People attend GT Night at Six Flags + Created, funded, and distributed 4,000 game day t-shirts + Campus-wide event, Finding Common Ground, held to create campus discussion about difficult issues (4,100 people attended) 2008 + 8,000 student planners distributed to students at the beginning of the year + funds allocated to Campus Portal Initiative to integrate student resources + 8,000 students attend Nigh at Six Flags + One Night Stand has over 1,500 attendees + Online bill system and PRS system established + Student Ticketing Task Force established + SGA week held in the spring 2009 + First annual football White Out game held 2010 + Allocation of over $4.5 million + Diversity White Paper presented to faculty and administration + Concealed carry discussion - Undergraduate House of Representatives passes resolution against concealed carry + First-ever freshman elections to SGA + Campus Welcome back party held + First annual GT Day at the Capitol + First ever I <3 GT Week established +Second Annual White Out game held 2011 + Second annual I <3 GT Week + Hosted gubernatorial debate between the hope- ful candidates for governor + Launch of “It’s Your Voice” campaign +Third Annual White Out game held 2012 + Second Annual GT Day at the Capitol + Largest Woodruff Arts Night + First Student Diversity Symposium with former Mayor Shirley Franklin

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Letter from the Undergraduate President Yellow Jackets, This year, I was humbled and delighted to be serving as the 89th Undergraduate Student Body President alongside Amit Khanduri (Executive Vice President), Michael Mosgrove (Speaker of the House), and Andrew Olsen (Chief Justice).

We all share the honor of attending one of the greatest universities on earth. We’re seventh in the country and thirty-fifth in the world overall. Our engineering programs are all ranked in their respective top 10. Our campus boasts 450+ student organizations, competes at a Division I NCAA level, and has one of the world’s largest cities as our backyard – it truly couldn’t be a better time to be a Yellow Jacket.

And this year had a lot in store for us. Our new McCamish Basketball Coliseum opened this Fall as a venue for roaring Ramblin’ Reck spirit. Just this year, the single-largest donation of $50 million was endowed to Georgia Tech, characterizing the philanthropy and “Progress and Service” (our motto) that hallmarks the Georgia Tech community. We saw a new Athletic Director, new Deans, and many other new faces join our ranks. We also experienced a midtown Atlanta community that is booming with retail and food expansions.

As a Student Government, we allocated approximately $5 million this fiscal year and participated in 50+ Institute-Wide Committees. We pushed for a complete information technology overhaul and we made our voice heard on the steps of the Georgia State Capitol. We have one of the most historically autonomous student government associations among the Universities of the Southeast – and together, we plan on keeping it that way. Here are a few of the biggest accomplishments this year: t Revamped Commencement Policy with the President Office to increase ticketing t Released Course Critique 2.0 under a more stable platform with many added features – has seen over 153,000 page views from over 5,900 visitors in one month t Hosted inaugural “Friday Buzz” stress-relief pep rally event with 500+ attendees t Implemented inaugural “Buzzinga” competition, a team-styled campus improvement competition with $10,000 of funding/support for implementation t Executed campus-wide survey regarding HOPE and financial aid responses t Hosted first-ever “GT Wreck the Vote” campaign with 300+ first-time registrants and 700+ attendees over a few events t Secured additional ~$500,000 in Student Activity Fee funds through Budget Office t Advocated/lobbied against Sequestration (fiscal cliff), for the Higher Education Opportunities Act, for Student Center expansion/renovation and more

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And our SGA has and continues to be the sum of its parts. None of our accomplishments could have been realized without the strong support from each of our 100+ executive, legislative, and judicial branch members. That said, I hope you enjoy our annual report!

On a more personal note, serving this year has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I couldn't have made it without the support from the Georgia Tech community. So, while graduation is certainly bittersweet, once a Yellow Jacket, always a Yellow Jacket!

I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be prouder and more confident to pass on the torch to Nick Picon and Lucy Tucker next year as Undergraduate President and Executive Vice President â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they will continue contributing and building SGA as an organization, and most importantly, the Georgia Tech experience.

Yours in White and Gold,

Eran Mordel

SGA ANNUAL REPORT 2013

Letter from the Undergraduate Executive Vice President Fellow Yellow Jackets, Each year brings new challenges and opportunities that play a vital role in shaping SGAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s future. Efforts towards creation of the X-Degree, advocacy at the State Capitol, and Friday Buzz took years of hard work and relationship building to bring to fruition and will take many years of effort to grow.

The students leading these and other initiatives serve on SGAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Executive Branch and work tirelessly to advocate for student needs to Georgia Techâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administration and leaders at the State Capitol. The initiatives detailed in the following pages are a product of the time and commitment they have given towards the betterment of the Institute. It has been a pleasure serving with each one of these students this year.

The addition of a Speaker of the House two years ago changed the scope of the Executive Vice-President (EVP) position, giving it more flexibility. In many ways, it replaced the Chief of Staff (which has been removed from the Cabinet). The primary responsibilities and changes in the role of the EVP are as follows: t 1SFTJEFOU BOE &71 SVO PO B KPJOU UJDLFU t &71 NBOBHFT UIF &YFDVUJWF $BCJOFU t &71 BEESFTTFT NBOZ BE IPD JTTVFT UIBU DPNF VQ UISPVHIPVU UIF ZFBS t &71 TFSWFT BT MFBEFS PG 4(" JO UIF 1SFTJEFOU T BCTFODF

Most importantly, the EVP supports the President and the two work as a team, both from the campaign and through the administration. This allows for a more balanced/cohesive perspective, a holistic approach to campus issues, and better engagement of students. While Eran focused his efforts on representing the student body on the state and national level, I worked on supporting initiatives closer to campus and addressed several ad-hoc issues as well. Among them were advocating for more tickets to the commencement ceremony, creation of the inaugural Buzzinga! competition, and creation of a mental health working group to write a white paper detailing student needs in the realm of mental health.

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Serving in this role has by far been my most rewarding experience in college with collectively shared successes and achievements that will forever be etched in my memory. While I am a little sad to be graduating, I am proud to pass the torch along to Lucy Tucker and Nick Picon, our newly elected Executive Vice President and President, and am confident that they will be able to lead Georgia Tech to the bright white and gold future it deserves.

Yours in White and Gold,

Amit Khanduri

SGA ANNUAL REPORT 2013

House of Representatives Ad Hoc Summer Steering Committee Upon being sworn in, Speaker Mosgrove established the Ad Hoc Summer Steering committee in order to gather the opinions of Representatives and set a long term vision for growth and development of the Undergraduate House of Representatives (UHR). Representatives Hammond, Camacho, Chiu, Jones, and Angirish served on the committee. The result of the committee was the authoring of the 2012 Legislative Bylaw Amendment that re-wrote the Undergraduate Bylaws pertaining to the Legislative Branch (Article I). The major changes of this amendment included: t ɨF SFNPWBM PG UIF 4QFBLFS GPS UIF &YFDVUJWF #SBODI $BCJOFU t ɨF FTUBCMJTINFOU PG B GPSNBM )PVTF -FBEFSTIJQ JODMVEJOH UIF QPTJUJPOT $IBJSNBO 1SP Tempore, Secretary, Treasurer, House Administrative t $PNNJUUFF $IBJS .FNCFSTIJQ $PNNJUUFF $IBJS 1BSMJBNFOUBSJBO BOE 4FSHFBOU BU "SNT t /FX SVMFT FOIBODJOH UIF TFQBSBUJPO PG QPXFST NPWFNFOU CFUXFFO UIF t &YFDVUJWF BOE -FHJTMBUJWF CSBODIFT QSPIJCJUJOH JOEJWJEVBMT GSPN TFSWJOH JO CPUI UIF Executive Cabinet and as a Representative t ɨJT #ZMBX BNFOENFOU XBT QSFTFOUFE UP UIF 6)3 QVCMJDBMMZ BU UIF t "OOVBM 'BMM 3FUSFBU BU UIF ëSTU NFFUJOH PG UIF 6)3 BOE XBT WPUFE PO BOE QBTTFE CZ overwhelming majority in the second meeting of the UHR. Annual Fall Undergraduate Student Government Retreat The Annual Fall Retreat was held the weekend before the first meeting of the UHR on Sunday. The first meeting of the UHR was held the second Tuesday of the Fall semester. At the Retreat, members of all three branches of the Undergraduate SGA and guests from Graduate SGA were brought together for a series of introductions and presentations about the history and roll of SGA. Breakout sessions were then held for the different parts of SGA. In the Legislative section, the new Representatives were sworn in, coached on Robert’s Rules of Order by Speaker Mosgrove, and taught the bill process by Vice President of Finance Daniel Farmer.

Fiscal Year 2013 Passed Joint Resolutions Reaffirming the Good Word, expressing condolences to the family members of the Georgia Tech Community that passed away, supporting the construction/expansion of a new Student Center, Enacting SOFO Policy, creating a new Reserve Account for SGA, and Supporting Compliance with the HOEA (to prevent Sequestration) Passed amendments to the Undergraduate Bylaws for the Legislative and Executive Branches and to the Joint Finance Committee For numbers and statistics on the total number of bills passed, please see the Joint Finance Committee Report

SGA ANNUAL REPORT 2013

Fiscal Year 2014 Student Activity Fee Budget Consideration of the Fiscal Year 2014 Student Activity Fee Budget took place in two meetings of the UHR. The first handled Tier I organizations and half of Tier II organizations. The Second was the latter half of Tier II organizations and Tier III organizations. In January of 2013, Speaker Mosgrove established the Ad Hoc Budget Review Committee, which met outside of UHR every other week to provide recommendations to the UHR for cuts to the entire budget. Representatives serving on this committee included Jones, Surapanini, Bandes, Burbach, and Chiu, with Vice President of Finance Farmer and Ninh Tran serving as advisers. The UHR passed a version of the budget totaling $4.803 Million. Representatives Picon, Jones, and L.White were appointed to serve on the Conference Committee for the FY14 Budget, chaired by Vice President Farmer, and created a version of the Budget totaling $4.597 Million, which was ultimately passed by both the UHR and GSS.

SGA ANNUAL REPORT 2013

Communications Board The Student Government Association (SGA) Communications Board engineered a number of events during the 2012-2013 academic year. Throughout the semester the board aided in publicizing and advertising both internal and external SGA initiatives as well as participating in the execution. A few examples of events the Communications Board planned and executed are SGA Week in the Fall, SGA Day in the Spring, and I <3 GT Week.

Our traditional Fall SGA Week incorporated new events with the theme “For the Love of SGA”. The week’s goal was to engage students and gauge their opinions on current issues and events within the institute. The week featured a GT Traditions Photobooth, a UHR Date Night, a Student Activity Fund infographic display, an Arts Celebration, and a Political Awareness event to excite students for the upcoming US presidential elections. The entire week was met with great success with the help of the organization’s members’ volunteering and publicizing the events throughout the week.

In an effort to begin revamping the office space, the Historians planned an office cleanup day to reorganize and sort through the various collections of supplies and archival materials accumulated over the years. In order to maintain the cleanliness and organization of the office space we hope this effort will become a semesterly event for all members of the association who use the space.

During the spring semester, the Communications Board held traditional events in a revised manner. The year’s second SGA Week was transformed into an SGA Day including morning, afternoon, and evening events. It featured the UHR representatives, the Executive Branch, and an open UHR forum. Leading up to the Day, the Historians rolled out a series of informative videos highlighting the 2013 SGA elections, the arts, GOTCHA rides, and other SGA initiatives.

Spring 2013’s I <3 GT Week took on many changes. The week included many new and diverse collaborators who helped showcase our campus’ diversity and revive school spirit during the final stretch to final exams. The week also featured a new t-shirt graphic designed by the Communication Board’s very own Graphic Design chair. The week culminated in the first ever Friday Buzz. Friday Buzz is an SGA initiative to create a semesterly “pep-rally” celebrating Tech traditions.

SGA ANNUAL REPORT 2013

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Academic Affairs Board This year, the Academic Affairs Board focused on implementing initiatives that addressed overarching issues across campus, developing new ideas and academic resources, and providing student feedback regarding current academic resources. Large initiatives from this year included Buzzinga!, a case competition that provided a way for students to implement their own ideas regarding how to improve school spirit.

Another large initiative from this year focused on increasing student-faculty interaction through a StudentFaculty Mentorship Program that will begin in the Summer 2013 semester. New academic resources that the Academic Affairs board helped to develop include a grievances website that now includes all grievances instead of solely those involving Dead Week Policy grievances.

The Academic Affairs Board Committees and their Chairmen were instrumental in all that Academic Affairs accomplished this year. Their individual achievements are listed below.

Academic Support Committee Chaired by: Ramya Ramakrishnan + Worked extensively with the Educational Enhancement Committee to prepare, organize, and implement the first Buzzinga! Case Competition, a competition which generated proposals focused on improving school spirit at Georgia Tech + Incorporated feedback from students and worked with both the Registrar's Office and OIT to implement an email system in which students who had holds on their accounts received emails prior to the beginning of registration Curriculum and Institute Policies Committee Chaired by: Marika Manuud + Planned throughout the Spring semester in order to implement a Student-Faculty Mentorship Program in Summer 2013 + Provided student suggestions to the Georgia Tech Academic Advising Network + Worked with administration to edit Dead Week Policy to make it more searchable and applicable to Summer semesters + Provided student feedback to the Center for Academic Success and its programs Educational Enhancement Committee Chaired by: Imran Momin + Worked extensively with the Academic Support Committee to prepare, organize, and implement the first Buzzinga! Case Competition + Provided student feedback to WorkReadyGrad, a product from a Georgia Tech alumnae that connects students with companies and alumni and could be implemented in several academic programs in years to come.

SGA ANNUAL REPORT 2013

Campus Affairs Board The Campus Affairs Board started off the year by developing three or more tangible goals for each committee to accomplish throughout the year. Our overall goals this year were to improve campus services, bolster departmental collaboration, and work to create new resources and programs on campus. With this vision and an outline of the specific accomplishments we were hoping to achieve, the six committees of the Campus Affairs Board set out to better our campus community.

Some of the main initiatives of the board this year included Friday Buzz, bringing Gotcha Carts to campus, holding several Sustainability Forums, and the International Football Clinic. Each committee chair worked with their committees to achieve the individual goals we set out for them, and they were all extremely successful. We're proud of the many accomplishments they attained this year, and a detailed list of these accomplishments are shown below.

Parking & Transportation Services Committee Chaired by: Kelliann Morrisey + Advocated students interests/concerns by conducting survey (received ~850 responses) + Increased communication of available services + Development of signage in student center and NextBus displays on LCDs in Clough/Library + Proposed social media development plan to present to new Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) social media employee by conducting research on peer institutions’ social media presence + Assisted in promotion of Gotcha Group on campus + Assisted in communication of NextBus technology update + Proposed website write-up and Technique article + Met with PTS Administrators Lance Lunsway and David Williamson biweekly to discuss general updates and issues/concerns from PTS and from students Campus Services Committee Chaired by: Dillon Roseen Active Members: Aaron Busse, Meagan Gadreault, Caroline Gwynn, Deron Mai, Pragya Saboo, Ashley Wiser, T-Bo Yang, Varun Yarabarla Organized the Friday Buzz kickoff initiative, hosted as a way to improve mental health and promote campus spirit throughout the Tech community. The mission of Friday Buzz is to foster a vibrant, thriving, and healthy campus through cross-organizational collaboration during a fun and exciting "pep-rally" style event that celebrates the traditions and achievements of The Georgia Institute of Technology.

Collaborating organizations included: SGA, SCPC, the Ramblin’ Reck Club, Wreckless, the Alumni Association, the Counseling Center, the Ferst Center’s Tech Arts Festival, the Athletic Association, the Parent’s Program, MOVE, Campus Services, IntelaText, Tufaan, Buzz Beats, Infinite Harmony, SympVibes, and more.

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Continued chairing discussion on the Dining & Retail Services Advisory Council with GT Auxiliary Services. Key topics included: Tech Square WalMart, Student Center Retail Options (Kaplan, Burdellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, etc.), Clough Starbucks mobile delivery, and weekend/late night dining hours Stamps website focus group: led discussions to highlight areas on the Stamps Health webpage that could use improvement Leader2Leader Discussions: Alongside GT Campus Services, provided input on decisions affecting the Student Center/SCPC, Parking & Transportation, Dining, Barnes & Noble @ GT, Health Services, and student employment Athletics & Recreational Services Committee Chaired by: Ahsan Kahn & Kris Surapaneni + Set new football block seating policies for the North End Zone + Assigned block seating for the 2012 football season + Worked with the Athletic Association in drafting the basketball seating policies under McCamish pavilion + Held focus group style committee meetings to discuss student issues on athletics and the CRC + Spearheaded the International Student Football Clinic for the first time in Techâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history, in a collaborative partnership with the Ramblin' Reck Club, Office of International Education, and the Athletic Association + Drafted a white paper to Georgia Tech's newest Athletic Director, Mike Bobinski Planning & Development Committee Chaired by: Trey Sides + Established a campus planning student advisory board to serve as a resource to the Office of Capital Planning and Space Management + Initiated collaboration between the College of Computing and both the Georgia Tech Police Department and the Atlanta Police Department to bring helpful crime analysis software to local police + Met with representatives of other Atlanta-area colleges and universities to discuss campus safety as part of the inaugural, city council-sponsored Student Safety Council Advisory Group + Organized a campus safety walk with campus administrators that improved lighting and sidewalks, per students' recommendations + Drafted a resolution to remove tobacco products from campus stores

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Sustainability Committee Chaired by: Mary Shoemaker + Launched a newsletter called “Up With the Green and Gold”, publicizing student sustainability initiatives, local environmental news, and relevant research findings of any member of the GT community + Distributed three newsletters to hundreds of GT students, faculty, and staff + Hosted Georgia Tech’s first Sustainability Forum, providing free food and hosting about 80 people. At this event attendees heard from GT’s Director of Sustainability, Marcia Kinstler, as well as a panel of experts informed in energy, recycling, and sustainable architecture. + Hosted a second Sustainability Forum with a focus on energy and featuring GT Public Policy professor and Nobel Laureate Marilyn Brown + Planned both of these events with the advice of the GT Office of Solid Waste Management and Recycling and, specifically, with the help of Cindy Jackson and Maria Linderoth + Established the GT Green Alliance, a network of environmentally-inclined student groups on campus including Trailblazers, Students Organizing for Sustainability, Engineers Without Borders, Engineers for a Sustainable World, Energy Club, Association of Environmental Engineers and Scientists, Solar Jackets, and Students for Progressive Transit + Created a Google group and Google calendar through which leaders of GT Green Alliance organizations can market their events or discuss issues on campus. + Facilitated communication between the leaders of environmental groups on campus + Presented to students at the first Green Alliance meeting about the possibility of pursuing a Green Fee/Fund campaign, initiating a dialogue about large-scale environmental initiatives + Demonstrated to the student body that environmental sustainability is a core value of the Student Government Association Cultural and Diversity Affairs Committee Chaired by: Siddarth Sreeram + Student Diversity Symposium held during MLK week to help create dialogue among students and educate them about culture and diversity on campus + Worked with Dean Stephanie Ray and Dr. Archie Ervin on the development of an LGTBQ dedicated office + Collaborated with GT Pride Alliance and Dean Stephanie Ray to host Georgia Tech’s first Lavender Graduation Ceremony, specifically catered to the LGBTQ community + Initiated the Greek Allies Program, wherein representatives from certain Greek chapters are Safe-Space + Trained and can provide support and resources to members of their chapter who are part of the LGBTQ community + Set plans for the next academic year involving collaborations with cultural organizations on campus to have a campus-wide cultural fest and continuation and development of the Greek Allies Program and the LGTBQ dedicated office + Set goals for greater student representation during MLK week next year with a larger student-led diversity symposium.

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External Affairs Board The External Affairs Board is composed of the Student Lobby Board, Community Relations Committee, and Institute-Wide Committees. The overarching goal for External Affairs is to connect SGA with prominent stakeholders in state government, in Georgia Tech’s surrounding community, and within our own network of committees. The External Affairs Board saw many successes, including the popular Woodruff Arts Center Nights, GT’s Wreck the Vote Campaign, GT Day at the Capitol, and many actions taken by the dozens of IWCs. This year’s Vice President of External Affairs was Merry Hunter Hipp.

Student Lobby Board The Student Lobby Board had so many successful initiatives this year, including the Wreck the Vote Campaign, GT Day the Capitol, HOPE Scholarship Task Force, and being the foremost student representation for Tech students during the 2013 Georgia Legislative Session. The Student Lobby Board Chair this year was Graham Goldberg.

GT's Wreck the Vote Campaign This Student Lobby Board initiative registered over 200 first-time voters on campus and distributed over 100 absentee ballots for the State of Georgia. Additionally, the Presidential/Vice Presidential debate watch parties drew a total of over 700 students, with the initial event boasting of nearly 400 who watched outside the Student Center. The presence of the campaign made Tech students aware of the presidential election and allowed them to participate in the democratic process at the core of our nation. Three state legislators visited campus Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, State Senator Jason Carter, and State Representative Buzz Brockway during the campaign, attracting major media outlets and inspiring students who might have political aspirations upon graduation.

GT Day at the Capitol This year’s Student Day at the Capitol brought the most Tech students in the event’s history (over 45), and featured Georgia Tech undergraduate research to the Capitol for the first time. The event was advertised to all of campus, a change from historically being only open to members of Student Government. Students in attendance met with President Peterson, as well as many Georgia Tech alumni who now serve at the State Capitol.

Our beloved mascot Buzz also made a guest appearance under the Gold Dome.

HOPE Task Force This year, SGA led a HOPE Task Force encompassing members of the Executive Branch, class presidents, and representatives from each college at Georgia Tech. The group aimed to gauge student opinion of the HOPE Scholarship, particularly whether or not SGA should lobby for alternative revenue sources for the HOPE Program. Following several meetings and a survey distributed to the entire undergraduate student body, members of the task force penned a UHR resolution that reflected the survey results, which was then distributed to the student body and other universities.

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Woodruff Arts Partnership Georgia Tech, SGA, and the Woodruff Arts Center have continued their growing partnership during the 2012-2013 school year. The Student Season Pass allows students to have unlimited access just for $20. The pass may be used to reserve tickets to performances of the Alliance Theatre and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, as well as admission to the High Museum of Art and its programs such as Friday Night Jazz and Conversations with Contemporary artists. During the year, SGA hosted two “GT Nights at the Woodruff Arts Center” that allowed any Georgia Tech student completely free access to all that the Woodruff has to offer. Student a cappella groups performed for the hundreds of guests at each event, including President and Mrs. Peterson, and student art was featured.

Institute-Wide Committees Institute-Wide Committees (IWCs) are designed to allow a broad range of students to weigh in on campus issues with faculty, staff and administrators. IWCs are organized in conjunction with the Faculty Senate. A description of the various committees and groups can be found in section 5.6 of the faculty handbook. This year there were 47 IWCs working on initiatives ranging from student health to campus sustainability. This year’s IWC Chair was Alex Bandes.

A few notable actions made by IWCs include the planning for a larger student center, and ways to better connect students with the Historic Academy of Medicine in the Student Center Governing Board. The Parking and Transportation Advisory Committee gauged student opinion on institute transportation services and figured out ways to supply students with real-time transportation information. In the Library Student Advisory Board, students helped plan for a new dining option and aided Community Relations Committee This school year, the Community Relations committee focused on a two large events: Tech the Halls and the Woodruff Arts Center initiative. The chair of the Community Relations Committee was Paul Dykes.

Tech the Halls Tech the Halls' goal is to strengthen community bonds by providing underprivileged children in the surrounding Atlanta community with a great holiday experience and to provide Georgia Tech’s students an opportunity to give back to the community. Sharing and receiving gifts during the holiday season is a privilege that many of these children have never been a part of, and Tech the Halls wants to give these children the same opportunity.

SGA ANNUAL REPORT 2013

Internal Affairs Board The 2012-2013 Academic Year was the second year of the Director of Internal Development, and continued to be a year of growth for the position. The objective of the Director of Internal Development is to strengthen the organizational operation of the Student Government Association, decrease turnover, increase buy-in, and increase the value of the overall experience. A host of initiatives were started this academic year, all of which have abundant potential if built upon. Projects undertaken include:

Speaker Series In a bid to enhance the value that members gained from the organization, a speaker series was started, with the inaugural speaker, Professor Gary T. Jones. This speaker series had the objective of providing further background on servant leadership at Tech, and to put into context the work that our student leaders have done throughout the years.

Bylaws Several bylaws amendments were passed in order to better allow the organization to operate; namely, a revamp of the summer funding policy to allow more flexibility, as well as updates to the enumerated Executive Board positions.

Executive Branch Meetings In order to strengthen organizational cohesiveness, particularly on the Executive Branch side, several Executive Branch meetings were conducted. These meetings had the purpose of allowing full exchange of information on the activities of each committee in the executive branch, while simultaneously serving as a means for discussing broad campus issues and determining systematic approaches from an Executive Branch perspective.

5-Year Plan A taskforce including top leaders from across SGA was gathered for the purpose of discussing long-term SGA improvements. These recommendations are to be passed on from the Student Body President to successors in coming years.

SGA Socials To increase member buy-in and organizational morale, SGA socials were hosted. These included, but were not limited to, bowling nights after Undergraduate House meetings and intramural sports with campus sports stars.

Mentorship Program A revamped mentorship program is in place for the upcoming academic year, focused exclusively on new and veteran members.

Transition Documents An organization-wide, cloud-based folder was created for all organizational transition documents, with the goal of bettering the transition process, creating organization-wide contacts list, and adding a degree of sustainability to year-on-year transitions.

SGA ANNUAL REPORT 2013

Joint Finance Committee Purpose The Joint Finance Committee advises the Student Government Association on most financial matters, including making recommendations for all Joint Financial Bills and the Budget. This year, JFC reviewed nearly 200 bills and the $4.56M FY14 Budget, ensuring that the Student Activity Fee was allocated in a fair and responsible manner.

Membership The Joint Finance Committee finished the year with the following nine members: Daniel Farmer – Chair, Vice President of Finance Kris Surapaneni – Undergraduate Treasurer Jeff Fisher – Graduate Treasurer Kaspars Berzins – Graduate Senator James Black – Graduate Senator Meghan Green – Undergraduate Student Graham Goldberg – Undergraduate Student Trevor Lindsay – Undergraduate Student Ryan Thamm – Undergraduate Student Accomplishments Rewrite of JFC Policy As it had been many years since the Policy of the Joint Finance Committee had been considered as a whole, Vice President Farmer spent the summer months rewriting the entire document. The new document is structured in a more logical way and included numerous changes to better support our 400+ student organizations. These improvements include a new Travel Formula and the ability for organizations to request amendments to their budgets and bills as circumstances change.

MSFAC The Mandatory Student Fee Advisory Committee (MSFAC), co-chaired by Vice President Farmer, recommended an increase to the Health fee and denied an increase to the Athletic fee after soliciting student input through Facebook and Reddit.

Creation of Student Activities Fund After the discovery of a reserve fund and an unlabeled extra fund in the overall Student Activities Fund – which houses funds from SGA, the CRC, the Athletic Association and others – the JFC, predominately led

by Senator Black, worked with the Institute to create a new fund explicitly for the Student Activity Fee funds.

During this process, $200,000 was placed into a new reserve fund, and $248,755 were added to the Prior Year and Capital Outlay accounts.

SGA ANNUAL REPORT 2013

Undergraduate Judicial Cabinet This year has been exciting and productive for the Undergraduate Judiciary Cabinet (UJC). The 2012-2013 academic year was full of many changes and unique learning opportunities for every member of the UJC. The board participated in two very successful recruiting sessions, two in-depth training sessions, and several very interesting hearings. Throughout these experiences, the UJC grew a lot as a board while focusing on achieving its goal of maintaining student integrity on the Georgia Tech campus.

The year began with welcoming a new director of the Office of Student Integrity, Peter Paquette. It has been a great pleasure getting to know Dean Paquette over the past year, and the board looks forward to continuing work with him in the future. The Undergraduate Judiciary Cabinet has really appreciated the positive attitude and enthusiasm that Dean Paquette has brought to this role. Another major change this year was the departure of Judicial Coordinator Rebecca White as she pursues further education. The entire board will greatly miss working with Rebecca, and wishes her the best of luck as she continues pursuing her studies.

Since her departure, the board has participated in the search for a new Judicial Coordinator. After participating in the interview process, the UJC looks forward to developing a relationship with the new Judicial Coordinator.

There have also been many changes within the board itself. In the fall, the UJC selected two new members to join the board. The board held an additional recruitment phase in the spring. The spring recruitment yielded a record number of applicants, from which the UJC selected five very qualified members. These seven new justices will provide a great core for the future and we are all very excited to watch them develop as members of the Undergraduate Judiciary Cabinet. In addition, the board elected Jacob Blaeser to serve as the new Chief Justice for the upcoming year. Jacob is very qualified and will do an excellent job in leading the UJC. The board also has five members who are graduating in the spring. We would like to thank each of these five justices for the time and effort they have put into the Undergraduate Judiciary Cabinet over the last several years.

This next year the UJC plans to continue improving its training and its impact on campus. The focus will still be on maintaining student integrity, but we also plan to reach out and promote integrity outside of our judicial hearings. Overall, the 2012-2013 academic year has been very successful for the UJC and we look forward to continuing to serve the Georgia Tech community during the 2013-2014 academic year.

SGA ANNUAL REPORT 2013

Information Technology Board This past year saw the elevation of the former Information Technology Committee, part of the Campus Communications Board, to the Information Technology Board on the Executive Cabinet. This consequently led to the creation of IT Specialist positions to fulfill the various missions of the Information Technology Board.

The greatest accomplishment this past year for the Information Technology Board has been the release of a new version of Course Critique on March 29. Developed primarily by IT Specialist Colin Bookman and his committee, the new version of Course Critique establishes a more stable, expandable platform for one of SGA's most popular services. New features such as compact results, the ability to apply filters, and GPA sorting have been included in this release, and more developments are planned over the summer months. A large data set going back to the beginning of the semester system at Georgia Tech was added to Course Critique, meaning students will have a more thorough compilation of grade data. In the month of March (before the beginning of registration!) alone, Course Critique had over 5,900 unique users and over 150,000 page views.

The Information Technology Board was instrumental in developing a student survey regarding options for the reform of the HOPE Scholarship. In just one week, the survey garnered responses from over 1,300 students. The survey was developed in coordination with the External Affairs Board and a HOPE survey taskforce.

The Information Technology Board has been involved in several minor projects as well. These include working with the Registrar to advocate for a syllabus database to host the syllabi for all Georgia Tech classes and professors, working with the Student Portal Initiative Committee to make improvements to BuzzPort, and serving on the Technology Fee Committee to help make recommendations for the allocation of the Technology Fee paid by all students. The Information Technology Board is also currently working on an initiative to revamp the Student Government Association website to better meet the needs of students and organizations.

SGA ANNUAL REPORT 2013

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