Brandon Carroll

 
 
Source: http://www.slideshare.net/Devcorporate/the-real-meaning-of-words

Loyalty...

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Sorrow...

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Innocence...

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Departure...

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Pain...

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Respect...

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Compassion...

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Friendship

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Patience...

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Rescued...

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Divine...

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Source: Collegiate Times, talking about making Torg 24/7

Virginia Tech students may soon find themselves with a place to study 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

SGA president Brandon Carroll and SGA senator Melissa Yates have been working since 2008 on SGA legislation to make Torgersen Hall, specifically the first floor atrium, open and secure overnight, making it the first ever 24/7 study facility on campus.

Carroll is confident the measure can be implemented by the beginning of next semester.

“I think it’ll be implemented in the fall,” Carroll said.

Carroll presented the topic to university President Charles Steger and others as top priority to students during the University Council meeting on Feb. 15.

“This is the biggest issue for students, and it would take $50,000 out of a $1.05 billion budget,” Carroll said.

Yates also presented to the Commission on Student Affairs during their Feb. 18 meeting.

“I think it would be in poor taste on the part of the university to not pass this,” Yates said. “I see the student body having much more confidence in the administration after they pass this. The only upsetting thing is that this took two years.”

WORKING TOWARD CHANGE

Yates began examining the option of using Torgersen Hall in 2008 as the 24-hour facility when she discovered through word-of-mouth that it was already being used informally past its closing time of midnight.

“There were engineers telling me they were going to Torg to study because people were still using it until 5 (a.m.) when the cleaning staff kicked them out,” she said.

“Clearly students made their choice,” Yates said. “They had no study place so they went and made one.”

Yates wrote the legislation and it was passed after a month-long process of review. After it was passed, however, university administrators took no action.

“The SGA has no real power,” Yates said. “Legislation is usually dead after we pass it. Unless you are immediately pursuing the relevant administrators, nothing will happen. It just ends up on some person’s desk.”

Carroll explained that the governance system could be frustrating for students to make changes.

“We say we invent the future, but we never set a precedent,” he said.

He also said the SGA’s voice is not easily heard in the administration.

“It takes so long to maneuver the system,” he said. “The governance system is not helpful for students.”

Carroll said SGA members such as himself and Yates “have to be very intrinsically motivated” to make changes.

“People have to take initiative,” he said. “It’s like we have to have so much more initiative than I think we need to be having.”

“It’s not SGA’s fault that when we say something, nothing happens,” Carroll said. “Everything should have a student voice.”

Carroll said that although he’s frustrated with the amount of time it takes for legislation to pass through the administration, he is excited to see a 24/7 study facility for students as one of his last acts as SGA president.

“It’s my biggest thing that I’m trying to end with,” he said.

THE LOGISTICS OF A 24/7 FACILITY

Johnathan Davis, a facilities director of academic space management who works through the provost’s office, said he doesn’t anticipate many problems would arise if the facility were to go 24/7.

“It’s a good time to push this angle,” he said.

He said some staff members that have offices inside Torgersen Hall had been discussing making the building more accessible to students even before hearing about the SGA’s campaign.

Although not yet confirmed, it is possible that the facility could become 24/7 during a “trial period” that may be during final exam week this semester, to give students more study options and see if making the building permanently 24/7 would work.

Currently, Torgersen Hall is on 24-hour limited access after midnight. Some graduate students and employees who have offices and labs have Hokie Passport access via the card reader next to the door that faces the Drillfield.

Theoretically, this means that the general student body cannot enter or occupy the building after midnight.

Tech police, however, do not actually evict students from Torgersen Hall at midnight.

Police captain Joseph Albert said the officers who lock buildings at night don’t have time to ask students to leave buildings like Torgersen Hall at its official closing time.

They do try not to leave the doors to the building open.

Albert said many students currently use Torgersen Hall past its official closing time of midnight because they prop open the four entrance doors. Students who were inside before midnight tend to stay after midnight.

“We can run by and pull the rocks, wood wedges, trash cans and everything out, make a lap around the building and here we go again,” Albert said. “It’s just a constant issue.”

Many students take advantage of the door facing the Drillfield, through which approved persons can enter using their Hokie Passport.

“If (officers) find that door open twice, you go in and say, ‘Are you authorized to be here?’ They say yeah, so you say, ‘Step out here and try your card and see if it works,’” Albert said.

Davis has been essentially in charge of ensuring activity runs smoothly in Torgersen Hall since 2001. He said there have always been students studying after midnight in the first floor atrium.

“In the beginning, there was just a handful of students,” he said. “Now there will be almost 50 students here at 5 in the morning.”

Davis said in previous years, there had been a push to try to deal with unauthorized persons staying in the building past midnight. After the April 16, 2007 shootings, however, “our resources were stretched thin,” he said.

Although students have consistently been using Torgersen Hall past its official closing time unsupervised, Davis said he “had not had a lot of problems.”

However, “we’ve never been comfortable without some semblance of monitoring,” he said.

Albert said one of the major problems with Torgersen Hall right now is the lack of accountability for people who do remain in the building past midnight. There are no cameras installed inside some parts of the building, including the ever-populated atrium, which makes dealing

with issues such as vandalism difficult.

Davis said cameras could be installed, but each camera would cost about $200, plus the labor to install them.

Instead of being evicted at midnight by Tech police or security guards, unauthorized persons are usually evicted by custodial staff at 5 a.m.

Davis said the custodial staff asks students to leave at 5 a.m. because they are on a tight schedule to get classrooms cleaned in time for 8 a.m. classes.

“Some of the biggest issues and concerns have been from the custodial staff,” Albert said. “They’ve had some vandalism where people have torn something up during the night. They’ve also gone into a classroom to clean, flipped the light on, and there’s somebody sprawled out asleep.”

The Torgersen Hall custodial staff has experienced recent budget cuts and personnel issues. Now, three employees must perform the duties that used to be completed by seven people.

“Having the building open 24/7 could impact their ability to prep classrooms,” Davis said.

If the facility were to be truly open 24/7, at least two security guards would need to be hired, Albert said. Those guards would probably be paid as part-time wageworkers, as are many security guards.

Albert estimated the costs of hiring and retaining security guards to be between $30,000 and $50,000 per year. It is also not yet clear who would pay for the extra costs associated with camera installation and security guards.

Davis said if all authorization were given, it would not be hard to provide the student body Hokie Passport access to the building through the door facing the Drillfield.

“With a flip of a switch, we could give all students access,” he said.

A TWO-YEAR ENDEAVOR

Yates authored the legislation to make Torgerson Hall a 24/7 facility in 2008, and it passed in March 2009.

A transfer student from the University of Michigan, Yates said one of the first questions she asked after transferring to Tech was whether there was a 24/7 study facility in place. At the University of Michigan, she said, the undergraduate library was open until 5 a.m. and was connected by a bridge to the graduate library, which was open 24/7.

When Yates got involved with the SGA, she almost immediately began pushing her idea for a 24/7 study facility. Initially, she began to focus on the possibility of Newman Library being the 24/7 facility.

Davis said that although students have been using Torgersen Hall past midnight since he was appointed to his job in 2001, “this is the first real hard push” he has seen.

University spokesman Larry Hincker said he, too, had only recently heard of the idea of converting Torgersen to a 24/7 study facility.

Yates first conducted an extensive survey in 2008 that had just over 1,700 students respond. The data from the survey, which had to do with the operating hours of Newman Library, Yates said, made it clear: “This is not just me who wants it, this is the entire student body,” she said.

The largest category of students, 26 percent, said they spent between 10 and 15 hours studying each week. Almost 900 students, 50 percent of those asked, reported spending their majority of their time studying in their bedroom, dorm room, or apartment.

About 63 percent of students reported being “unhappy with the current hours at Newman Library,” and 76 percent said if Newman had more convenient hours, they would consider studying there.

Additionally, 90 percent of students said they study between 5 p.m. and midnight, while 50 percent said they continue to study between midnight and 6 a.m.

Yates said the survey illustrates a sentiment within the student body, especially when the sheer amount of students who replied is taken into consideration.

Students found studying in Torgersen atrium agreed with the survey results.

“I can actually bring food here and be more settled,” said Ashley Broderick, a junior interior design major.

Others, like freshman engineering major Callie Zawaski, prefer studying in Torgersen Hall because study rooms in dorms can get full.

It soon became apparent to Yates, however, that Newman Library was not going to be the best choice for the 24-hour facility.

Yates was told there was “no way” the library would extend its hours.

Davis also said he had been in contact with the library to discuss sharing of resources, especially the security guard who is currently employed at the library. He said, however, that the library staff had not been particularly cooperative with his requests.

LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE

Carroll said he is extremely hopeful for Torgersen Hall to go 24/7 as his last act as SGA president.

“I’m 95 percent certain that Torg will be 24/7,” he said.

Carroll said he believes the administration does care about students’ needs, like a 24/7 study facility. However, he said, “they are stuck in the process.”

Carroll said he hopes to see Torgersen Hall become 24/7 during final exams. If that isn’t possible, he said, the library might be an option.

Before Torgersen Hall can become approved to become a 24/7 facility, the legislation will be having a second reading before the CSA and two readings before the University Council.

 
 
So relaxing. Fast forward to 18 seconds....just...amazing.
 
 
I gave a Presentation today to University Council about the biggest issues that students are facing today. 
 
Four Main Issues



1. Official 24/7 study facility in Torgersen Hall on the first floor 


2. Bus with instantaneous GPS 


3. Intergroup dialogue for Area 6 Credit 


4. Restructuring governance & student organization & the fee process 



Issue 1: Official 24/7 Study Facility in Torgersen Hall


This issue is consistently one of the most important issues for students.

What are the problems caused by making opening Torgersen Hall 24/7 for studying?

1. Access Points 


2. Expensive equipment in Torgersen Hall 


3. How do you ensure students only stay on first floor 


What are the solutions to above problems?

1. Access Points 

• Make the only access point the door that is facing the Drillfield 

• Have a security guard posted in the building 


2. Expensive Equipment 

• Security guard can ensure students are contained 

• Cost of security guard (~$27,000), is much less than cost of equipment 


3. Ensuring students stay on first floor 

 Security guard can ensure students are contained 

• Proper signage directing students to authorized areas 


Note: Currently, Torgersen Hall already acts as an unofficial 24/7 study facility. Students prop the door open and there is no security guard patrolling the area. Also, there is 24/7 card access given to some researchers.


Costs to keep Torgersen Hall open 24/7 as a study facility

• Security Guard(s): ~$27,000 

• Wear and tear on furniture 

• Potential additional security equipment (cameras, alarms, etc.) 



Bottom line: An official 24/7 shows the Universityʼs commitment to students, and how important our collective voice is in terms of influencing policy.


Issue 2: Bus with Instantaneous GPS


More students are depending on the bus to get to and from class each year. Blacksburg Transit has struggled to keep up with demand and as such, buses are often late or pass stops because theyʼre full.


The Current Bus Fee: A non-refundable mandatory fee for all students in residence, bothgraduate and undergraduate, for support of the Blacksburg Transit System. This entitles all enrolled students to board Blacksburg Transit System buses by showing their student ID card instead of paying the fare. Costs $48/semester.


Because the majority of their funds come from student fees, we want the Blacksburg Transit to truly make a commitment to the student by bringing pertinent, real-time information to students via studentsʼ cell phones. One option is via Twitter (see attached).


Current situation:

• Blacksburg Transit has an internal GPS system, where their “hub” gets data on location of buses at all times 

• Majority of students live within a 2 mile radius from campus, and a lot of them drive in a Single Occupancy Vehicle (SOV) 

• Parking is a very big issue, and there are two ways to solve this: 
 • Increase Supply 
• Decrease Demand 

• Virginia Tech made a commitment to Sustainability when they signed the Virginia Tech Climate Action Commitment (VTCAC) 

Solution to current problems:

• Scope out every possible bus and every possible stop 

• Make a twitter username for every bus 

 For example, Tomʼs Creek has 4+ busses, so there would be twitter.com/ tomscreeka1, twitter.com/tomscreeka2, etc.
• For each stop, take the internal data, build a system where it can update the twitter simultaneously
• Educate students about putting text message alerts on ..... Itʼs free. Itʼs innovative. 


 What are the issues of making this happen?

• Very difficult working with Blacksburg Transit on this 

• Find funds/work with a class to build this system 


Bottom line: By supporting a program that delivers live information on bus locations and system loads, Virginia Tech is demonstrating its commitment to innovative uses of technology to promote alternative and sustainable transportation.


Issue Three: Intergroup Dialogue for Area 6 Credit

An issue on Virginia Techʼs campus is this idea of inclusive excellence. people are discriminated against for things they have no control over (their color, sexual orientation, gender, et cetera)


Ernst & Young recruiter was asked what is the one thing that Virginia Tech needs to do better to prepare our students for the real world. Without even pausing, he said,

“They are not prepared for a global marketplace, and they donʼt have an understanding and appreciation for other cultures.”

What needs to be done to solve this problem?

• Work with the Office of Equity and Inclusion and Dr. Sanders to facilitate intergroup dialogue sessions

•  The by-product is inclusivity


• Itʼs important because the world is changing and transforming into a global marketplace 

• Simply promoting the Principles of Community is not enough. “Educating students” when they donʼt see a perceived value is not effective.
• 
If students could receive Area 6 credit to have conversations across cultures, I feel like Virginia Tech would move toward inclusive excellence. 

• University of Michigan has a great program at http://www.igr.umich.edu 


Issue   Four:   Restructuring   Governance   &   Student Organization and the Fee Process

Students do not have as much voice in the governance process.

Example: SGA represents 23,000+ undergraduate students, and we have a legislative branch that can write legislation on behalf of the students. However, all of the UCSOs can basically skip that process and bring it right to CSA.

The issue is that the student voice is not streamlined and official.

Suggested Solution:

SGA researches every possible way students give feedback to the University. The new governance organizations, UGOs and their legislative branches would have representatives from those committees (for instance the dining student advisory board) and when decisions were being made that affected all students, it would have an official student opinion on it. This way, the student voice is amplified.
 
 
This article was written by Brittany Anderson, SGA's Director of Government Affairs. One of the best articles I've ever read:

Last week on a very chilly Wednesday morning, more than 50 Virginia Tech undergraduate and graduate students made their way up an icy hill to a building that served as the offices of some of the greatest men and women in the history of the state of Virginia — The Richmond Capitol. Students had devoted an entire 24 hours away from classes, from studying, and from friends to represent the student body of Tech. The students pled with their legislators asking them to think about higher education and what it means to the state.

What does higher education mean to Virginia? Virginia is the home to eight United States presidents, one of which made education for everyone his dream. In a letter to Joseph Cabell, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “A system of general education, which shall reach every description of our citizens from the richest to the poorest, as it was the earliest, so will it be the latest of all the public concerns in which I shall permit myself to take an interest.” Now Virginia ranks 40th in the nation in per capita student spending for higher education funding, making it much more difficult for the richest to the poorest students to have an opportunity at receiving a college education. The state cannot expect the public universities we have in Virginia, especially Tech, to maintain their positions as high ranking institutions without adequate funding. One of the great things about our state is the high quality public higher education we have to offer college students. Students graduate high school from all over the country and come to Tech, and we still manage to maintain a good retention of Virginia residents. Without the state doing its part we can’t stay competitive with other major institutions.

Why should Tech receive more state funding and why do we lobby for it? The latest edition of VT Magazine contains an article written by Laura Fornash and Ralph Byers about the importance of Hokie Day and its impact on the university. In fact, Tech was founded on legislative advocacy. In 1866, Virginians urged the General Assembly to create a new agriculture and mechanical school to use funds allocated from the Morrill Land-Grant Act. After six years of fighting, legislation was finally passed in March 1872 allocating the land-grant funds to two colleges, one-third to the Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute and two-thirds to the Preston and Olin Institute, which reorganized to create the new Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College, which we now know as Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. If you’ve ever wondered why you see “a land grant university” on letterheads and stationery, this is why.

Through these same efforts of what our school was founded on, we still fight for that same funding. A college cannot be funded by the state and then be expected to fend for itself; Tech receives only 33 percent of its funding from the state with the rest being made up by tuition, and the funding from the state will only decrease leading to a significant increase in tuition. Ten years ago Tech was receiving $190.1 million from the state, and today it only receives $135.6 million, even though our enrollment has increased.

You might ask, “Why should I get involved, no one listens to the youth voice?” Wrong. College students carry some of the strongest messages when they visit the General Assembly. On Hokie Day we didn’t go shooting off these numbers to our representatives in hopes that they would see the big picture — that is President Charles Steger’s job. We showed them the big picture. Students came from all parts of the state to tell their stories of fewer class offerings, classroom shortages, fewer university part time jobs, standing-room only in classes, tuition increases turning into part-time and full-time jobs for students, and how all these are having a negative impact on families. While families already struggle to put their kids through school, tuition increases are just another burden put on their shoulders. What is so great about the Virginia General Assembly, unlike other state assemblies or congresses, is that it is a citizen legislature, which means it only convenes session for two months a year at most, and the rest of the year the elected officials go home and resume their lives as normal citizens instead of working year-round. This is important because they have a real connection with those they represent and they know their demographic and concerns from constituents are that much stronger.

Fifty students cannot represent the more than 25,000 who are enrolled at Tech. We all have our stories about how the shortfalls of the general fund have affected us and they need to be shared. Write a letter to your representative while he is in Richmond, call, or visit. After session, go to his district office to talk to him about higher education; some of these men and women have not been in college for 15-30 years and if they were at a public university their school was receiving a lot more funding than is the case now. It is important to carry the message that higher education still holds an important place in the commonwealth of Virginia. Tech produces the most high demand graduates in the state and our instate enrollment goes up every year. Tech is doing its part to produce the most educated college graduates along with some o0f the best opportunities a school can offer. Now it is up to the state to do its part and invest in education.

Brittany Anderson
SGA Director of Government Affairs

 
 
Article I wrote for the CT awhile back. Still applicable today


As Hokies, we each fit in many circles that define our college experience.

Some of us are undergraduate researchers, others are involved in a multitude of activities, and still more content themselves with late nights at Deets preparing for the next morning's exam.

Yet, despite these varied interests, there is one aspect of our shared experience where we all come together: Hokie sports.

While we can all agree that football season leaves us with hoarse throats from yelling cheers and memories that will mark our college years, undoubtedly the rising success of our Hokie basketball program has made Cassell Coliseum a force to be reckoned with, as well.

In my role as SGA President, I have had the pleasure of speaking with many students about the athletic legacy we want to leave. From these conversations, one student in particular, Connor Forman, had a phenomenal insight.

 "Brandon," Forman said. "We have the best fans in the nation for football. We could easily have the best atmosphere in the nation for basketball, too. There is just something missing."

Forman's observation left me wondering what that elusive "it" factor is. However, after spending hours contemplating a solution, I found myself no closer to an epiphany. Then it hit me - this is not a task for just one Hokie sports fan. If our student government is truly all about the students, why not ask all of you?

So I pose this question to you: What can we, as students, as the SGA, as athletes, and ultimately, as Hokies, do to create the best possible basketball environment here at Virginia Tech? We could make cheer cards to switch our chants when moving from offense to defense, or create an official student section called the Cassell Guard to support Hokies on Fire spirit initiatives or maybe we need to re-evaluate our student seating arrangement. But I know you have ideas too!

In an ACC comparison, Virginia Tech and Miami are the sole schools that have their student section behind one backboard.  Quite possibly, all we need in Cassell is a seating adjustment, but this is not the only suggestion we can consider.

We can create the environment we envision if we use the creativity of the collective. It's us, the fans, who are the irreplaceable sixth man that the team needs and it's up to us to figure out what will make us the greatest asset possible.

This is our challenge. Let's make Cassell the loudest arena in the nation. Come by the SGA office (321 Squires), e-mail us at sga@vt.edu or call us at 540-2008-SGA and tell us what you would like to see changed at basketball games this year. Simply put, this is our fourth quarter countdown and we can win - all we have to do is beat the buzzer.

Brandon Carroll is the Student Government Association President at Virginia Tech.

 
 
Senate Sponsor: Melissa Yates

House Sponsor: Thomas Hogdahl                   

 

Resolution Supporting the Designation of

 Torgersen Hall as a 24 Hour Study Facility

 

Whereas, a Library Hours survey conducted in the Spring of 2008, taken by 1729 students, reported 90% of students study between 5PM and 12AM, with 54% of students continuing to study in the hours from 12AM and 6AM, and

 

Whereas, Virginia Tech does not have any on-campus study facilities that are designated for all students open past 12:00 AM Sunday-Thursday or past 8 PM on Friday and Saturday night, and

 

Whereas, the study lounges in some dorms do not have internet access, and

 

Whereas, almost 30% of the student body lives on-campus (9,100 of 30,380 in fall 2008)[1] 2 and therefore does not have reliable and practical transportation to the Math Emporium (currently the only designated study facility for all students open 24/7) after Blacksburg Transit routes close, and

 

Whereas, the same Library Hours survey reported 63% of students indicated disappointment in the current hours held by the study facilities on campus (i.e. the library), and

 

Whereas, 50% of students noted they study the majority of the time in their bedroom/dorm room, and 76% of students indicated the fact that they would utilize a study facility with more accessible hours, and

 

Whereas, the Newman Library staff have said their current budget does not support extended hours, and

 

Whereas, Torgersen Hall is already used by many students between the hours of 9PM and 5AM for studying, and

 

Whereas, Torgersen is a large enough facility to offer many students the ability to have quiet study in several lecture halls, computer labs, sitting areas, and group study tables, and

 

Whereas, officially designating  Torgersen Hall as a 24 hour study facility will require minimal supervision and related additional security costs, and

 

Whereas, the building can be patrolled and secured throughout the night by VTPD Officers stationed nearby, and

 

Therefore;

 

Be it resolved, the Virginia Tech Student Government Association, in representing the Undergraduate Student Body of Virginia Tech, supports officially designating Torgerson Hall, excluding Torgersen Bridge, as a 24 hour on-campus study facility complete with all necessary security precautions.

 

Be it further resolved, the Virginia Tech Student Government Association offers an undergraduate student representative to serve on a committee charged with planning the logistics of opening Torgersen Hall as a 24/7 study facility.

[1] http://www.studentprograms.vt.edu/housing/

2 http://www.ir.vt.edu/VT_Stats/demographics_contents.htm#DG4b

 
Weekly Updates 02/07/2010
 
I am going to start doing weekly updates that talk about everything I talk about in my meetings with Administrators.

Updates from Jan 31 – February 6th

Brandon Carroll

Meetings

February 1, 2010

At 11:30am, I met with Dr. Wubah to discuss ways to actively engage students inside of a classroom. I am currently looking to appoint two students to the Strategic Planning Committee for Undergraduate Education, where they will tackle issues like academic advising, mentoring, and the “core” curriculum. Also, I talked with him about near-pear learning and brought with me these two articles:

http://www.emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=27899

http://slc.berkeley.edu/ucftr/index.htm

February 2, 2010

At 9am, I met with Dr. Spencer and it was videotaped by University Relations, because they are doing a story on me. I talked to him about restructuring the student organizations to ensure that the actual student voice is always heard with regards to issues on campus. I told him I was upset with the decision regarding alcohol sanctions, and how the University will let your parents know regardless if you want them to (even though you are an adult at age 18). I also talked with him about how Greeks are charged TWICE for a mealplan if they live in Oak Lane and buy out their room. He tried to explain the rationale, but we have the most meal plans in the United States, and we claim to be “student-centered.” Shane’s doing research to see how we can change this.

I also talk about my dissatisfaction here: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/campus-overload/2010/02/vt_to_notify_parents_for_all_a.html

At 1pm, I met with Guy Sims, who is helping to oversee the process to ensure when Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) re-register that they must tell Student Activities who their House Rep is. This is to ensure that SGA’s legislative branch is strong for years to come.

At 2:30pm, I talked with the Provost on the phone. He’s at home because he had rotator cuff surgery, but he still wanted to meet (even if it was virtually). I talked to him about the student fees and how limited the students’ voice really is throughout that entire process. Some schools’ SGAs dictate the fee amount. At Virginia Tech, we package tuition/fees. I think that in order to empower students, the school must give us some legitimate power. I also reiterated my stance on how teachers are evaluated. I firmly believe that professors should be evaluated on a mid-term basis, so their evaluation is not grade dependent.

At 5:00pm, we departed for Hokie Day

February 3, 2010

Hokie Day was a great success. I want to give Brittany, Nadine and the Gov Affairs team huge kudos for their hard work. President Steger told me that he had never seen so many well-prepared students during his time as President. I met with a bunch of legislators, and I was lobbying against a proposed student fee “tax” on students, which is just..unprecedented.

I wrote an Op-Ed in the CT about it here: http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/14950/from-the-sga

That night, a lot of people from the Commission on Student Affairs met to discuss how to respond to the comments from the article in the CT about the Diversity Summit. I mean some of them were just…awful and they are untraceable. People are able to comment anonymously, and I think they need to change that policy and hold people accountable.

February 4, 2010

At 9:30am, I met with Captain Albert from the Police Station and I brought the CT with me. I have been working on making Torgersen 24/7. Attached is a piece of legislation that was made last year to say that SGA wanted Torgersen to act as the 24/7 study facility. There are logistical issues, but I want to move forward with making this happen. Currently, Torg acts as the unofficial 24/7 facility; I am just trying to make it official and get all the vested parties on board.

At 1:30pm, I spoke at a University Development event. All of the development officers meet to discuss the Campaign for Virginia Tech, and how to finish off strong.

Here’s the copy of my speech: http://www.brandoncarroll.com/1/post/2010/02/speech-university-relations.html

At 3pm, I went over to DXpress to meet with Holli Drewry with student programs, Nathan Latka, Alex Funk, Angie De Soto, and Rachael Budowle (Sustainability Coordinator in Dining Services). At the beginning of the summer, I looked into SGA paying for reusable bags and a sustainable living guide. However, someone messed up big time and the bags are too small and the guides may not be printed. We are still figuring out what to do

At 3:30pm I cut the ribbon for the official opening of DXpress. This summer, I worked with dining closely to help them choose healthier “grab and go” eating options. See that article here:http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/13972/dxpress-put-on-a-diet-renovated-for-efficiency

At 3:45pm I went to the Commission on Student Affairs (CSA) meeting in Squires, and I was late. Right when I came in, Marco and Ellie were presenting their Extreme Campus Makeover data, and some of the members on the Commission questioned its validity. Marco and Ellie stood their ground, and did one heckuva job. We also talked about what we are going to do with the CT moving forward, because their contract is up for renewal. Also, I talked about making a portal to help graduate students and greek students who are “contractually” bound to buy a meal plan. We can connect them with the 9,100 “volunteers” (off-campus students) and let the graduate students/Greeks sell to them! SGA remains loyal to students above the University.

At 5:30pm I met up with a student named Stephanie Jones, who wanted to get involved with SGA. I am going to put her on a committee, and I e-mailed Monika about putting her on the MAC.

February 5, 2010

School was closed, but I had a few scheduled meetings. One that stands out to me is Dr. Karen Sanders, who is the Interim VP of Equity and Inclusion. I think the school should embrace intergroup dialogue sessions and let them count as credit (the same kind of 1 credit course as Creativity and Aesthetic Experience). Hopefully, through just conversations with people across cultures, Virginia Tech will truly embrace each other’s differences


 
 
This will appear in Delta Sig's National Magazine:


Thursday, November 12, 2009

7:00a.m.                                          

It’s Thursday, November 12, 2009, and after getting up, taking a shower, eating a breakfast of champions, and brushing my teeth, I begin to prep myself for the big presentation scheduled for 8:30am.  I am presenting SGA’s strategic plan to the entire academic council, which is made up of the President of the University, his Vice Presidents, and all of the Academic Deans.

7:50a.m.

I pick up Shane McCarty, SGA’s Vice President, so that we can run through the plan one more time.

8:00a.m.

I arrive at the Latham Ballroom in the Inn at Virginia Tech, and Shane and I begin to prep. We find ways to create synergy and play off each other’s strengths. During the presentation, there are technological errors, so our powerpoint isn’t visible for the audience to see. Fortunately, we have practiced so many times that we don’t give it another thought. We give the hard copy of the strategic plan to everyone in attendance and answer questions from the audience.

Because SGA represents the official voice of the students at Virginia Tech, some administrators wanted to gauge my opinion about a variety of issues. A major source of concern for professors and students is the evaluation process.

I explain the importance of evaluations occurring mid-semester as to provide professors with feedback to adjust their class and lessen the grade dependent responses as they relate to the actual performance of the teacher.

9:30a.m.

I have my Business writing class, where we talk about writing a business plan and how to structure a formal report.  My report discusses my ideal non-profit called Actively Caring for People. I do have a tough time balancing my life, because I put my heart and soul into SGA and both administrators and myself forget that I am a student first.


11:00a.m.

I have a conference call after class with Tatango, a group text messaging company, where I sit as a member of their user advisory board. Derek Johnson, their CEO, was just named a top 30 CEO under 30 by Business Week. I try to guide him in terms of the overall user-experience, which is essential because his biggest market is college students.

11:45a.m.

My mom is calling me about my plans for Thanksgiving. Every year, I usually go to see my grandmother (on my dad’s side), but this year she is sick. We talk briefly about school and other things, but I have a meeting at 12:30p.m. with the Provost, and I like to be very prepared for each meeting.

12:30p.m.

I have a meeting with Provost McNamee to talk about ways to actively engage students inside a classroom. The size of a classroom is expanding, and our quality of education is diminishing. I suggest that we look into near-peer learning environments like Berkeley and Emory. We have all heard the quote, “People remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, 30% of what they see, 50% of what they hear and see, 70% of what they say or write, 90% of what they do.” In my opinion, teaching is the greatest opportunity to learn and remember, so I suggest implementing a program where students teach other students. I do feel like it is important for the upper-administration to hear tangible ways to empower students. We need to do more to let students be creative and innovative.

1:30p.m.

I grab lunch at the Au Bon Pan kiosk, which is a “grab and go” kind of place in our Squires Student Center, where the SGA office is located.  I go to the office to relax for a bit, but people need to book reservations and have general questions, among other things. After taking care of some mundane tasks, I call a pledge to see if he can do an interview today. He says he can, and he joins me on a couch in Squires. Austin Gage is a sophomore from Alexandria, VA, and we had a really good conversation about why he was interested in Delta Sig, why he chose Virginia Tech, what he can add to our brotherhood, and many other interesting topics. I really like this pledge class a lot – they all add something to our brotherhood.

2:45p.m.

I go back to the SGA office to try to tackle some e-mails. I usually average around 80-90 a day that I need to either read or respond to. I will always respond to e-mails within 48 hours, but I usually have to block off around 3-4 hours.  One e-mail sticks out to me. I just find out that a brother, who works with Nationals, Bob Veazie, and my mentor Dr. Geller are dedicating their latest book, “When No One’s Watching,” to the SGA at Virginia Tech and they even included me as a character in the book.

3:45p.m.

I am about to head over to my final meeting with an administrator. After this meeting, I can finally take off my suit.

4:00p.m.

My last meeting for the day with administrators is with another mentor Dr. Anne Moore. I meet with her weekly to discuss how to break down the separate silo and improve collaboration. Dr. Moore used to work with the State Council for Higher Education, has been a public sector lobbyist, and now she serves as the VP of Information Technology and acts as the head of Learning Technologies. She knows how to make change within a University, and she has a very different way of thinking. I usually tell her all of the issues, and she helps me evaluate my priorities. The meeting is extremely productive, as we talk about how to make Torgersen a 24/7 study facility. As I am leaving, she hands me a book called the Innovator’s Dilemma, which talks about why mature companies (like a college institution) fail. The analogy I will use is that it’s like we are a train on a track and if we keep just doing barely enough to keep the train afloat, we will eventually run ourselves to the ground. Although it is not foreseeable in the near future, we have to look at reinventing our processes, building a “new train,” while we a mature company, not when it is too late.

5:30p.m.

I make my to-do list for the night. This includes sending follow-up e-mails, doing some homework, preparing for meetings tomorrow, and organizing my binders for the final stretch in the semester.

6:00p.m.

I go to dinner with the Vice President, Shane McCarty, the Chief of Staff, Bo Hart, and the Director of Transportation, Brianna Farr. We’ve been working on getting real-time tracking on the Blacksburg Transit all semester, and it has been an uphill battle. We are trying to make sure we are all on the same page, discuss some issues we have been having with their IT department, and the best way to approach this moving forward.

7:30p.m.

I finally make it home and begin on my homework (or try to). I first go on facebook, listen to some classical music (Ludovico Einaudi), and relax. My roommate cleaned the house, which was a nice surprise to come home to. 

I try to get all of my homework done on Thursday and Friday, so I can have the weekend free. My hardest class is called Financial Planning for Professionals, where my professor assigns around 3-4 hours of homework per class. Thankfully, we only have class on Mondays and Wednesdays, but I do have to be very disciplined in order to maintain that balance between school, SGA, and a social life.

9:00p.m.

My goal is to clear my inbox by 10:00pm. My pet peeve is having any e-mails in my inbox when I go to bed. I have an e-mail from Dr. Wubah, who is the VP and Dean for Undergraduate Education, and he wants me to appoint two people (a sophomore and a senior) to sit on a strategic planning committee for undergraduate education. Talk about an opportunity. The University can do a lot in terms of academic advising, near-pear learning, and I am privileged in this opportunity to choose two students to help the University with the future of undergraduate education.

10:30p.m.

It is around 10:30, and I am just finishing up with e-mail and trying to prepare for tomorrow. E-mailing really tires me out. A lot of times, they require long thought-out responses. I head over to the living room and watch a little bit of the 49ers Vs. Bears game, but it is boring.  I am still contemplating if I am going to go to the VT-UMD game this weekend. I am from Maryland, and I would be able to see my mom, but I still have to remind myself that I am a broke college student.

11:30p.m.

It is my brother’s birthday tomorrow, so I call to wish him a “happy birthday” and then head to bed.

Reflection: It’s been an eventful day, and I am feeling beyond privileged and humbled to be the SGA President at the best University in the world. As SGA President, I have learned the importance of surrounding yourself with people passionate about the mission; experience is not necessary (although it helps).  Higher Education should be about raising the bar for students and meeting their needs. However, this isn’t always the case. Next semester, I plan on tackling the major issues at this University and making carefully crafted recommendations to the University that will ultimately shift the focus to the students.
 
 
Good Afternoon:   I just want to start and say what an absolute pleasure it is to be here today. As Dr. Flanagan said, I am the SGA President, the organization which represents the voice of over 23,000 students. I take that collective voice and talk with administrators about issues on campus. A good SGA President keeps the administration in check, and also tries to work with them to find pragmatic and realistic solutions to issues. 


Our mission statement says, “We desire to reinvent the role which student government serves in undergraduate students’ daily life by creating and pursuing positive change based upon their needs.   We embody the motto of "Ut Prosim," and selflessly serve the students, by establishing a lasting dialogue, which will inspire real progress and encourage individual empowerment.   Finally, we are steadfastly committed to enhancing the collective experience of the entire Virginia Tech community and providing a voice to every viewpoint through active feedback and outreach leading to a unified Hokie nation. What does this mean? It means that it’s all about the students, and not about us. SGA’s purpose is to be the liaison; the bridge is you will, that connects the administration with the student body. 


Now, we are in dire economic times. I just wrote an op-ed about the pending budget in VA that would actually take 5% of our student fee reserve funds and put them back into the general fund. As individuals, we are weak. As departments, we are strong. As a unified University, we are powerful. I just got back from Hokie Day, and students, alumni, and administrators all agree on one thing: higher education is extremely important to the health of the Commonwealth and what the state is doing right now…is just not right.  They cannot continue to keep cutting our budget and expect us to be a top tier academic institution. My job becomes even more difficult when the economy is not doing well; I can’t really ask the University to spend money when staff members are being laid off and faculty members’ salaries are being frozen. Classrooms are being forced to expand, and our quality of education is diminishing.

So, how do I approach issues on campus? I try to look at everything from a conceptual standpoint, and work with the University to find a solution. The administrators here truly care about us, and they wish they could do more. The resources just are not there. There are some things we can try – it gives us a chance to be creative. For instance, at the beginning of the year, we worked with dining services to implement a dining incentives plan, where students would actually get a 10% discount if they are between the hours of 3-5pm. Our goal was to alleviate some of the crowds during peak hours, save some students some money, and actually it could still keep the University out of the red ink. Because of the long lines during 12-2, the University is actually losing money (their opportunity cost) because they can’t serve students and the wait time can be up to 30 minutes! If we could have transferred enough students, it would have been implemented full time. Some issues on campus include getting a 24/7 study facility, which my team and I are working diligently to resolve, better transportation options, more sustainable practices and policies, and ways to impact students’ day to day life.  

The University is receptive to changes, which is refreshing. Last semester, my goal was to really understand the governance structure of the University, set a foundation, and realistically set the structural agenda moving forward. Now, this semester is focused on action, where my team and I will make carefully crafted recommendations to the University that helps students. On my desk is a commitment that I made to the student body that says, “SGA will remain loyal to the students above the University.” My ultimate goal is that everyone at University becomes student-centered. 

 There are so many ways that the University can empower students to help solve issues that directly affect life at Virginia Tech. Our main focus is the student voice; the collective voice. We aim to amplify it, and we strive to substantiate it. 


I want to end with a statement, a challenge, and a quote. My statement is that we have the best University in the United States of America. Our students, staff, faculty, and administrators are smart, they are caring, they are innovative, and they thrive off collaboration. I truly am blessed to be in my role. I feel privileged and I feel humbled. I have never looked up to someone more than President Steger. His leadership, his vision, and his genuine interest in students make me proud to be a Hokie.  Now, my challenge is that we continue to work to not only invent the future, but reinvent the future.  Let’s look at today’s issues from a conceptual standpoint, and ask ourselves, “is this in the best interests of the students?” And my quote for you is this, “If better is possible, good is not enough.” Let’s continue to not be complacent with the way things are, and dare to be great. 

Thank you for your time, and if anyone wants to see any more specific details about our plans this year, I have copies of our Strategic Plan, which can also be found on our website.