A year too important to forget

National and state elections will most likely dominate the news during this school year as we elect a new president and governor. But don’t let that constant drone from the television and major newspapers convince you that the only things worth your time this year are in Washington, D.C., and Indianapolis. In fact, our campus will be making decisions that will directly shape the next few years of fiscal policy and the next few decades of student life.
 
First up this year is the presentation of the VOICE report. VOICE (Vision Of An Ideal College Environment) represents the initial opportunity IU President Michael McRobbie  extended to the student body to provide him with input on large-scale campus issues. VOICE will not be a panacea for all student concerns, but if we let it slide into the oblivion of irrelevancy, I would expect McRobbie to be less inclined to seek our input in such an open and public fashion again.

Next is the Commission for Fee Review. Biennially, IUSA convenes a group of students to set mandatory student fees for the next two years. This year is a CFR year, and the fees will be set for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011. More than $400 per semester paid by every single student on campus is levied in fees by this commission’s recommendations.

If input and student fees weren’t convincing enough, then it bears mentioning that our current dean of students Dick McKaig is retiring in July 2009. A likely successor, Damon Sims, associate vice provost for student affairs for the last 20 years, left this summer to become vice president for student affairs at Penn State. As our University goes about filling these empty and soon-to-be empty positions, it is imperative that our desires be expressed in the searches and screens for these spots. Both positions focus on the interest of students; however, it will be our job to make certain we have a dean of students who has our interests in mind. 

Perhaps our best ally in terms of representation, the student trustee, currently A.D. King, is entering the last year of his term. An undergraduate here with us in Bloomington, King’s involvement and work on behalf of the entire student body is an asset we cannot afford to lose as the next Indiana governor appoints a new student trustee. The student body will nominate capable and dedicated students to fill King’s shoes.

Clearly, there is much at stake this year. Thus, it is especially necessary that the student voice be given room to speak. Be prepared to come and share your thoughts in one of IUSA’s four town hall meetings. Two are scheduled for each semester. If you want to be involved with the searches and committee work required this year, feel free to contact me directly. I hold office hours regularly in the Union, Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and can always be reached via e-mail at lufields@indiana.edu.

Indeed, this is most decidedly a year too important to ignore.