IUSA to appoint director

The IU Student Association gets down to business for the fall semester with its first full meeting at 7 p.m. today in Ballantine Hall 103.\nThe meeting's purpose is to finish many of the organizational items inherent to a new student administration.\nAmong them, the Congress will appoint students to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court and appoint a new academic affairs director, IUSA President and senior Jake Oakman said. \n"Basically, we have a couple house cleaning things we need to get out of the way before we can really get to work," Oakman said.\nSophomore Ali Rizvi is expected to be named IUSA's next academic affairs director by a unanimous vote, Oakman, a senior, said.\nShould he be named, Rizvi will be charged with making sure students are receiving a quality education. \nThe academic affairs department maintains the test file Web page, works on faculty-student relationships, and brings academic services to the students, according to IUSA. In addition to developing new services, the department also concentrates on promoting those already in existence. Rizvi works with administrators and faculty to improve services already offered and will try to keep up-to-date on academic issues on campus.\nRizvi, who started working with IUSA Vice President Jeff Wuslich in the second summer session, is still relatively new to the group, but excited to get to work. Rizvi said he'll need time to get up to speed.\n"I want to evaluate where we are right now," Rizvi said. "Currently, I don't have a job description. The last couple of days have been hectic, not knowing where I am going.\n"Once I start talking to everyone, I think I'll have a better grasp on where I need to go, and what I need to get done."\nThe meeting will turn to an open discussion as Kirk White, vice president for public relations and governmental affairs, will address members of Congress. The talk is the third part of IUSA's five-part lecture series.\nThe talks are a chance for students to get to speak candidly with high-level administrators, Oakman said.\n"The series is part of our pledge to help bring the administrators and students together," Oakman said.\nThe series is highlighted by Monday's town hall meeting with IU President Myles Brand -- the one- year anniversary of the firing of former men's basketball coach Bob Knight.\nSenior Mathew Powers said he's excited to see how IU's top administrators handle interacting with students. \n"You never see them, you never know what they do," Powers told the IDS during the summer. "I would be really interested to go just once and see what it's like. I don't know how the students and administrators will be able to handle each other back and forth"