Brandon Carroll

 
 
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.
 


Comments




Leave a Reply