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(09/24/13 3:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Student Association launched a new series of surveys to gain student insight, the first of which focused on campus transportation services. IUSA Chief of Outreach Aparna Srinath said in an email the new Question of the Week initiative will give students the opportunity to voice their opinions via surveys posted to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. IUSA members will also be stationed at high-traffic spots on campus each Tuesday and Wednesday to gain additional feedback. Surveys will be made available to students for a one-week period, after which the system that runs the survey, Qualtrics, will compile and analyze the data. Next, Srinath, the initiative’s co-directors and other IUSA members connected to the question’s subject will determine a course of action.“By directly surveying students all across campus, we can get a better feel for how satisfied or dissatisfied they are with certain aspects of campus, what they would like to see changed and how responsive they would be to certain IUSA initiatives,” Srinath said.Maddie Beja, co-director of the initiative, said in an email posting students throughout various locations on campus will be an alternative method for receiving student opinions. “We realized that one way to gauge student opinions was just to go out and ask them ourselves,” she said. The initiative’s first survey was launched Sept. 16 and sought feedback regarding campus transportation services, including the Night Owl bus service. Results of the survey have yet to be determined.Co-director Angela Tursi said in an email this week’s survey came in the form of a questionnaire, and it served to gain an insight of students’ use of the bus service and what changes they would like to see. “One of the most important questions we are looking at the responses is about the Night Owl service,” she said. “We are curious as to how many students know about the Night Owl bus and if they would use it if it ran on Thursday nights.”She said the survey has the ability to spur new initiatives and efforts from IUSA to make changes on campus. “The survey helps us by giving us information to bring directly to the transportation office and show them that there really should be a change,” she said.Beja added the initiative will continue to ask for student opinion in an effort to properly represent the student body on the University level. “As part of the student government’s outreach department, our goal is to report to the University the opinions of the student body,” Beja said. “We represent and give a voice to students.”Follow IUSA reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays.
(09/20/13 2:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Reflecting amendments proposed by the IU Student Association’s Congressional Oversight and Reform Committee, the official 2013-14 IUSA budget was voted into action at Wednesday night’s meeting.However, not all members present were pleased with the amended budget. As one Congress member motioned for a vote to finalize the IU Student Association’s proposed budget, another spoke up in dissent. Morgane Flahault spoke on behalf of Michael Su, a congressional representative from the Jacobs School of Music. Flahault read a letter from Su that said the budget was not in IU’s best interest.The letter continued, stating that the current budget aids in the “creation of a perpetually non-influential Congress.” Due to scheduling conflicts, Su was unable to appear at the meeting. He arrived after the budget had been put to a vote and spoke of a general fund that could provide more precise and flexible funding rather than a working budget for the year. “What happens later in the fiscal year when something comes up, there’s a serious need on campus that we need to address?” Su asked. Matt Shute, who voted in favor of the budget, expressed dissenting opinions regarding the amended budget as well, echoing the need for Su’s proposed general fund. “That’s what’s best for the University, best for separation of power and best for working together,” Shute said. “Three thousand set for congressional initiatives is great, but it’s fixed, and it’s rigid.” Time was allowed for discussion, during which members expressed their opinions regarding the working budget and the general fund. When the time came for a vote, the budget was passed by a majority vote, with two members, Flahault as well as Su’s proxy, voting against the budget. Treasurer Casey Baker amended the budget after receiving the IORC’s counter-proposal last week. The budget, which totals $99,735, was amended to reflect the addition of a $3,000 fund to allow for congressional initiatives to immediately receive funding after being approved.According to Press Secretary Connor Shaw, this is the first time Congress has allowed itself the power to self-fund its initiatives. To receive funding, Vice President of Congress Scott Borer said Congress members must include a financial stipulation at the end of resolutions. That allows leadership to determine if the amount is appropriate and approve or reject the motion.To allocate money for the fund, the IUSA marketing and advertising budget was cut by $1,000.The amount of $550 for flyers for the Freshman Internship Program was cut, as well as $500 for brochures for a bus map and transportation initiative. Another $2,000 was cut from the budgeted amount for a spring Culture of Care speaker. Of the $4,050 that was removed from the proposed budget, $1,550 was dedicated to a campus recycling initiative. Through the program, IUSA is working with Residential Programs and Services to provide in-room recycling bins for students. “Students will be more apt to recycle since they’ll have it right in their dorm rooms,” Baker said during the presentation. The remaining $2,500 was added to the original $500 budgeted for Congress, giving the legislative branch a $3,000 fund from which members can immediately have access to funding for initiatives.Follow IUSA reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays
(09/19/13 4:59am)
The proposed budget had been
previously modified to reflect the counter-proposal made by the Oversight and
Reform Committee last week, suggesting a cut of about $7,500. The proposal was
met with both dissenting and approving opinions and was later passed with a
majority approval.
(09/17/13 3:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU faculty members are using puppets to study the way elementary students think.The researchers divide the students, ages 5 to 8, into teams that must search for wireless flowers from which to collect nectar units.For the students, the wireless honeybee puppets on their hands represent a game. For IU researchers, they represent data. IU faculty members Kylie Peppler, Joshua Danish and Armin Moczek are using these electronic puppets to analyze the ways in which children learn complex systems.The team received a nearly $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to continue research using newly developed BioSim technologies. The funding will provide for the project, which is currently in its early stages, to continue research for three years.Peppler described BioSim as a blend of e-textiles and technology. Through the effort, students in kindergarten through second grade receive electronically enhanced puppets, or e-puppets, in the shape of bees, and the students must work together in teams to collect nectar and return it to the hive.The puppets are worn as gloves and contain sensors that connect with similarly programmed flowers to track the amount of nectar retrieved by the students. “We program it so that it communicates with a central computer, but also so it can sense its environment,” Peppler said. “They fly around and they can actually sense things in the room.”Peppler said during the game students are given conditions similar to that of honeybees, including restrictions on talking with their teammates. “They have to find a way of communicating,” she said. “The kids kind of create their own language system, kind of like sign language.”Danish said in an email he also aims to encourage students’ learning through the experiments. “We also want to help students learn these complex ideas and develop a software toolkit that can be expanded into other content areas and topics,” he said.Danish said the team is currently working with the WonderLab Museum of Science, Health and Technology to complete workshops with local teachers and gain feedback on the program curriculum. The team’s goal, he said, is to build approximately 40 puppets — enough to support two classrooms at once.Karen Jepson-Innes, associate executive director of WonderLab, said in an email the museum will facilitate teacher workshops in order to provide the researchers with an idea of how the toolkit works when applied.“(WonderLab will) serve as a study site for the researchers to observe how groups of children visiting the museum use the toolkit and others to be developed,” she said.WonderLab will also coordinate focus groups of teachers who can provide input about how the toolkit learning system can be best implemented in the classroom, she said.Peppler said the toolkit will also aid in preparing students to meet the next generation of science requirements in schools. “I think part of what makes it innovative is there’s not a lot of high quality science experiences for young children,” Peppler said. Danish said he was excited at the prospect of further research and hopes the outcome will have an impact on science education for elementary students. “This is going to be a really exciting project and will hopefully do great things for education,” he said. Follow IUSA reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays.
(09/16/13 1:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Student Association’s Congress Oversight and Reform Committee suggested cuts of about $7,500 from the 2014 IUSA budget, which was presented to Congress members in a meeting Sept. 4.Press Secretary Connor Shaw, who also sits on the IORC, said although the proposed cuts total about $7,500, he expects $5,000 will actually be cut. Some of the proposed cuts are from sections of the budget already spent because of time constraints, including the $2,228 budgeted for the purchase of parking passes for executive members, Shaw said. Remaining cuts included almost $2,000 from the previous $7,142 marketing budget and another $2,000 cut from the budget for the spring speaker for Culture of Care.Shaw said about $300 will also be cut from the “flyers” budget, the remaining $200 of which will be absorbed by the marketing budget. Shaw said from here, Treasurer Casey Baker will make adjustments to the budget to allow for the IORC’s suggestions and will present the new budget at next week’s meeting for Congress’ approval. “We took everything into account and heard everything they wanted, and we tried to give Congress as much as we could in the budget,” Baker said.The amended budget will now provide funding for initiatives that Congress votes into action. Shaw said funding such as this has never before been provided for congressional initiatives.In the past, Congress would pass resolutions funded by preexisting budget items, Shaw said, adding that in the future initiatives will receive funding explicitly allocated in the budget. This funding will allow for Congress members to vote on an initiative and immediately put it into action without worrying where funding will come from, Shaw said. An amended version of the IUSA budget will be finalized by Congress Wednesday, Sept. 18. Follow reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays.
(09/11/13 4:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A scholarship campaign recently announced by the IU Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Association will be the first university-sanctioned scholarship fund for GLBT students in the nation. The fund will be supported largely by an anonymous donor, who has promised to match any donations, not to exceed the amount of $500,000. More than $200,000 have been raised so far to support the campaign, which aims to raise a goal of $1 million.The GLBTAA has been awarding scholarships since 2003, but this will be the first time the scholarship fund will be University sanctioned, Mike Shumate, president of the GLBTAA, said. The fund will provide academic scholarships to students who have been involved within the GLBT community as well as emergency scholarships to students who have been financially disowned by their families due to their expression of sexual orientation or gender identity, said GLBT Student Support Services Director Doug Bauder. “It’s actually been several years in the planning,” Bauder said. “The campaign has been discussed for three years.” Shumate said the fund currently provides up to $3,000 per academic year in emergency funding for students who are in need of financial aid due to being financially cut off from their families. Academic scholarships are available for students in amounts of up to $2,000 per academic year. The GLBTAA has awarded 11 emergency scholarships and more than 20 academic scholarships since 2003, eight of which were awarded for the 2013 school year, Shumate said. “We made the determination that we need to do a campaign to raise an endowment so we can assure the financial ability to help our students well into the future,” Shumate said.Zach Bailey, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree through the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, said he was excited to be a part of the campaign as a recipient of an academic scholarship from the GLBTAA. “I’m very proud that IU is the first to have this,” he said. “It’s kind of amazing to be out in the forefront of this and to be a recipient of this scholarship.” Bailey said the scholarship not only aided him in achieving his academic goals, but also affected him on a personal level.He said he one day hopes to give back to the scholarship fund that helped pave the way for him to return to school. “This is something that, when I graduate, I plan on donating to,” he said.Daniel Rossi, a past academic scholarship recipient, echoed those sentiments. Rossi said the scholarships made available to GLBT students help relieve the stress experienced by those students on a daily basis.“Especially with a lot of LGBT students, we tend to take on more debt, we have lower job prospects,” he said. Rossi said the Bloomington community is still a difficult place to identify as a GLBT person. He attributes this to a low awareness of GLBT needs, including a lack of “LGBT-competent medical providers” and “transphobia and ignorance in the community.”Rossi said he volunteered frequently with GLBT groups on campus and worked toward providing gender neutral bathrooms for trans-identified students on campus.For Rossi, who recently received his Master’s in Public Affairs from SPEA, the academic scholarship removed the burden of trying to find an additional job while paying part of the tuition for the last semester of his graduate program. Rossi said receiving the scholarship was empowering for him because he felt he would eventually be able to give back to students. “Knowing that we can move forward and that I could extend the support from the alumni to help other students, that was really empowering for me on a personal level,” Rossi said. Rossi said his personal goal is to continue to work toward improving the lives of trans-identified individuals.“That’s the dream,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons I entered the program I did was to get more involved in advocacy and non-profit support.” Both Rossi and Bailey said they hope to one day be able to give back to GLBT students who need financial aid. Bailey said he would eventually like to become involved with the GLBTAA, either as a member or in a leadership position, due to the scholarship’s impact on his academic career and in his personal life.“It helped a lot to know that there are a lot of people out there that want to see you succeed and to help you in any way they can,” Bailey said. Follow reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays.
(09/10/13 4:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>More than half of Indiana University Student Association’s proposed $99,735 budget for the 2013-2014 school year will support various IUSA initiatives such as Culture of Care and construction of the proposed Union Lounge.IUSA Treasurer Casey Baker presented the budget to the IUSA Congress Sept. 4, and she also outlined individual budgets for various initiatives supported by the administration. IUSA initiatives will be receiving $54,554 in support.Of those initiatives, Culture of Care week will receive a majority of the funding, with a total budget of $10,000 to support the week’s various activities. The money pays for events and Culture of Care promotional items throughout the week. Baker could not be more specific at this time. According to the IUSA website, the Culture of Care initiative is a year-long effort to promote students’ physical, social and mental health on campus.Baker said part of the expanded Culture of Care initiative is bringing lecturers to campus to speak to students regarding a variety of health topics. The combined amount budgeted for the fall and spring Culture of Care speakers is $8,000.She said the total attributes to speaking fees and travel costs.Baker said the cost for speakers and large events is generally split between IUSA and other student organizations on campus, which varies with each event.She said the same arrangement will apply to the Diversity Lecture series beginning this month, when R&B producer Amir Windom will visit the campus and speak about his experiences. Budget for the Diversity Lecture speakers for fall and spring will be $9,000.The spring speaker has yet to be determined.Another initiative receiving a substantial sum is the tailgate revamp, which was one of the YOUniversity ticket’s platforms. Baker said the initiative has will provide boxed water to students on the tailgate fields.A total of $6,204 has been budgeted for the effort, of which $3,894 has already been put toward ordering boxes for the first two tailgates and designing the box design template. Baker said the water will be provided starting next week, and the first two games where it’s provided will be a trial run. Should everything go well, Baker said IUSA will be placing another order for water in the amount of $2,310 to cover water for the remaining tailgates of the season. At this time, Baker said 1,440 boxes have been ordered. Baker said the cost of the water is expected to go down as more is ordered.A new initiative featured as one of the ticket’s platforms was the formation of the Union Lounge, a bar in the IMU where Baker said students would be able to get to know their professors after office hours.“Students can go to professors after class or after office hours and have a drink with your professor,” she said.Though the lounge is still in its early planning stages, Baker said IUSA is making a $5,000 donation to support its addition to the Indiana Memorial Union. “It’s still in the early stages, so it’s hard to tell exactly how much it’s costing,” she said. “We have a lot of models on it to see how much it could possibly cost.” Baker said prior to presenting the budget, she sat down with the directors of each initiative to gain insight of what they expected from the program this year. “They would give me an itemized list, and if they weren’t sure of a cost, I would take my best guess,” Baker said. A finalized version of the IUSA budget is up for a vote the next Congress meeting on Sept. 18. Should any more funding be required to support a specific effort, funding will be moved from another section of the budget to supplement. “I think this figure is pretty set in stone, so I don’t foresee any more costs occurring,” Baker said.Follow IUSA reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays.
(09/06/13 2:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Student Association’s Congress convened Wednesday night to update its bylaws, elect officers and hear the 2013-14 budget proposal from IUSA’s executive branch.Several bylaws concerning the electoral process were voted on during the meeting. All students running on a ticket during the IUSA election are now required to participate in the debates, votes cannot be solicited in bars or library lobbies and students cannot campaign within 100 feet of a computer lab, due to the fact that voting occurs online.The replacement process for a student who drops out of the race due to an emergency has also changed. These changes come as a direct result of last year’s election, when SPARC’s vice president for Congress candidate Thomas Dauer removed his name from the ticket. Prior to this formal amendment, Vice President of Congress Scott Borer said there was no clear process for the replacement of a member who withdrew from a ticket during an election campaign.In the event this situation occurs in the future, a ticket will be given one week to replace the withdrawn member, only on the condition that the student withdrew from the race because of an emergency. Each of the amended bylaws was voted through unanimously by the 42 members present. Congress members also voted to add two weeks of consideration to the budget proposal. Borer said last year, Congress voted on the budget immediately after the proposal.Vice President of Congress Scott Borer said although last year’s budget was fair, it did not give members sufficient time to review the proposal.“This is a more fair process than what took place last year because it allows the Congress time to review the budget rather than demanding a vote on the spot,” he said. The budget proposal was presented to members by Treasurer Casey Baker, who answered questions posed by Congress members in attendance. The IORC will have two weeks to review the proposal and ask further questions before voting to finalize the budget at the next congressional meeting. Borer said he has high hopes for the new process and amended bylaw, and he said he hopes the changes will improve Congress as a whole.“I think it’s going to be really different from what Congress has been in the past,” he said. “I think it will be more efficient.” At Wednesday’s meeting, Congress members voted for the semester’s four Congressional officers. During the meeting, students were able to nominate themselves for positions and were given the opportunity to give brief speeches before Congress to solicit votes. A new bylaw stating the press secretary must consult with one other member of IUSA before making an official statement on behalf of the organization was also passed. Follow IUSA reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays.
(09/06/13 2:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The 2013-14 budget for the Indiana University Student Association was presented to IUSA Congress members Wednesday night. The budget proposal, which totaled $99,735, was outlined by Student Body President Jose Mitjavila and Treasurer Casey Baker.Of the proposed budget, more than $54,500 was allocated to current IUSA initiatives. This allocation covered continuing initiative Culture of Care, a donation in the amount of $5,000 to the Union Lounge and funding to support the new Diversity Outreach division. Baker said funding for IUSA is provided by IU’s Student Activity Fee, which is one of several mandatory fees added to students’ tuition total via their bursar account. According to the Office of the Bursar website, students enrolled in more than three credit hours during the 2013-14 academic year will pay $94.94 in activity fees per semester. Baker said the activity fees generated upward of $500,000 this year, of which $300,000 will go to the IUSA Funding Board. The Funding Board is separate from the IUSA administration and provides funding to student groups across campus that are registered with the Student Life and Learning Office. Of the remaining $200,000, Baker said about half will pay for the IUSA Readership Program, which supplies students with copies of USA Today and the New York Times. The remaining half will supply IUSA with its yearly budget.In recent weeks, Baker said she met with committee and department leaders in order to gain insight as to what kind of funding each group needed or expected. Once the meetings were held, Baker worked with her fellow executive staff members to finalize a budget proposal. IUSA tries to use its funds to benefit as many students as it can, Baker said.“There’s definitely a lot of time and thought put into this,” she said. “We wanted to make it as accurate as possible, and we hope to strictly follow it.” Additionally, Baker said all food and recreation-related expenses have been reduced or eliminated from the budget in an effort to decrease miscellaneous expenses.According to new IUSA Congressional bylaws, the budget proposal will be considered by the IUSA Oversight and Reform Committee, which will return with questions or concerns about the budget at the next Congress meeting to be held in two weeks.IUSA Congress will then vote on a finalized budget reflecting any changes at that meeting. IUSA Vice President of Congress Scott Borer said he hopes the finalized budget will be enhanced by the additional student involvement and time for consideration.“We are excited to make a better budget this year,” Borer said.Follow IUSA reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays.
(09/05/13 3:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Student Association has been working with committees across campus to increase student advocacy in University issues, an objective that was part of the current administration’s platform when seeking election last year. IUSA President Jose Mitjavila and Vice President of Administration Chris Kauffman are collaborating on the venture, which Kauffman described as an effort to increase the amount of student input in official University rulings over a wide range of topics.Students work closely with faculty committee members to ensure the student perspective is not overlooked in the decision-making process. Kauffman said there are more than 75 committees with which students have the opportunity for involvement through IUSA. Members also work alongside the Bloomington Faculty Council, a board comprised of faculty members from various disciplines within the University. The Council works with multiple committees, including the GLBT Student Support Services Advisory Board, the Parking Appeals Committee, the Student Conduct Code Hearing Commission and the Student Conduct Code Review Board, all of which see varying levels of student involvement from IUSA, according to the BFC website.
(09/03/13 4:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>University policy protects students from alcohol consumption-related disciplinary action just as Indiana’s Lifeline Law provides legal amnesty.The Hoosier Proactive Alcohol Care Treatment was enacted in spring 2012 as a precursor to the Lifeline Law, Dean of Students Pete Goldsmith said. Both of the policies were proposed to decrease the number of alcohol-related deaths in Indiana. According to the Indiana Department of Health, more than two dozen Indiana residents age 21 and younger have died due to alcohol-related health issues since 2004.If students call for alcohol-based medical assistance for a friend or fellow student and cooperate with officials, they are immune from alcohol consumption-related charges from the IU Police Department under the PACT policy.According to a manual regarding safe partying issued by IU Student Legal Services, the Office of the Dean of Students can impose penalties for violations of the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct.These penalties range from reprimands and warnings to expulsion from the University.But the Hoosier PACT policy also protects students from these sanctions provided they meet certain requirements, such as completion of an alcohol and substance-related education program.Student organizations calling on behalf of a student are also exempt from University sanctions.Both the PACT policy and the Lifeline Law were implemented to encourage students who would otherwise be reluctant to call law enforcement to call, IU Student Association Chief of Staff said in an email.Flanigan said she would encourage students to call for medical assistance because of the effect the call could have.“The repercussions will be less severe if you call than if you do not,” she said. “Trust your gut, and do the right thing. What could be more important than saving someone’s life?”The Indiana Lifeline Law was authored by Sen. Jim Merritt, R-Indianapolis, after student associations from across the state — including IU, Purdue University and the University of Southern Indiana — lobbied for amnesty for students who called the police in the event that a fellow student was in need of medical assistance. The law does not offer immunity from other offenses, such as providing alcohol to a minor, operating a vehicle while intoxicated or possession of a controlled substance.Goldsmith, who worked with IUSA to pass the law, said the goal of the law is to prevent further student deaths and encourage students to help others who they believe require medical assistance.“We hope to build this culture that says that we take care of each other and that when we see a fellow student in distress or in danger, we act,” he said. “We want to give students the tools and mechanisms to do that.”Goldsmith said students should call in any situation in which they feel a fellow student requires medical assistance.Once a student calls for an ambulance, he or she is required to stay with the incapacitated individual until assistance arrives and he or she can provide information. Otherwise, Goldsmith said, the situation becomes confusing because the official does not know the circumstances of the situation.“It’s not a ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ card,” he said. “If there are other things going on or if a student is not cooperative or if there are other crimes being committed, it does not exclude those.”“Err on the side of caution, and if you’re concerned, make the call,” Goldsmith said. “It’s better to call than not because you could save a life.”
(08/30/13 3:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Applications are now available to all students for Indiana University Student Association positions. Positions are available for freshmen through the Freshman Internship Program, while all other students are encouraged to apply for committee positions.The Freshman Internship Program provides an opportunity for motivated students who are beginning their collegiate careers to work closely with IUSA senior staff members and executives, said Katy Flanigan, IUSA co-chief of staff.Each year, IUSA accepts approximately 20 motivated and leadership-oriented students into the program.Throughout the course of the semester-long internship, students work closely with mentors on the senior or executive staff. During the second half of their internship, interns work together on a potential IUSA initiative in which they select a problem on campus and present a possible solution. Flanigan said she was a freshman intern two years ago and said the experience was transformative.“I definitely wouldn’t be where I am right now if I hadn’t been a freshman intern,” she said.The deadline for the internship application has been extended by one week to provide more students with the opportunity to submit their applications, said Kristie Hsu.Hsu will be leading the program alongside Mohammad Issa.“Right now we have about 57 applications, and we’re expecting more,” Hsu said. “We’re expanding the deadline until after the activities fair because we want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity.”The deadline for application for involvement is 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6. Freshman students interested in working as interns can find the application on the IUSA Freshman Internship Program Facebook page.The application for student involvement will go live Friday, Aug. 30, and will be made available on the IUSA Facebook page or website.Students can also learn more about how to get involved with the association by visiting the IUSA booth at the Student Involvement Fair, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3, in Dunn Meadow.Sophomores, juniors and seniors are also invited to apply to work with one of the many IUSA committees, said Chief of Outreach Aparna Srinath.“Departments are still looking for people to fill positions,” she said.Srinath said students who apply could be placed with any of the existing committees, such as Culture of Care or SafeRide, depending on their interests. Issa said he submitted an application for student involvement during the 2012 academic year and was placed as one of the leaders of the Freshman Internship Program.He said all students should consider getting involved with IUSA because of the potential to make IU’s campus a better place.“(IUSA) has a proven track record,” he said. “They have potential to make a real change.”Hsu said the turnaround time for internship applications will be quick, and students should know in around a week if they are accepted to participate.“Once we get them in to interview, we’ll be able to make our final decision on who we will admit,” she said.She said one of the reasons she is so enthusiastic about this year’s program is because of her own experience as a freshman intern.“It shaped my freshman experience,” she said.Follow IUSA beat reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays
(08/28/13 4:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the start of a new academic year comes a new administration for the Indiana University Student Association, the University’s student government. The first IU Student Council was appointed in 1912 and has undergone name and organizational changes throughout the years. In 1974, the group was given its current name. Elections are held in the spring to determine leadership for the following academic year.The administration has many initiatives planned for the semester, including Culture of Care, the Diversity Lecture Series, SafeRide and more. Here are five things every student should know about their representatives. 1) Student advocacyJose Mitjavila, student body president, said the primary role of IUSA is to advocate for students on a campus-wide scale. The current administration aims to increase that advocacy by involving more students in decision-making processes across campus. Mitjavila said he invites students to attend committee meetings across campus. 2) Meet the president This year’s executive ticket is led by Mitjavila, a senior, who was elected last spring as part of the YOUniversity ticket. He has been involved in IUSA since his freshman year, when he worked on an election campaign. He worked in the communications department of IUSA his sophomore year and became head of communications his junior year. 3) The structure IUSA is organized as a system that mirrors the United States government, complete with three branches and supporting committees. Here’s the breakdown: The executive branch holds sixty members, as well as student interns, with executive members such as the president, vice president of administration, vice president of congress and treasurer.The legislative branch, or Congress, represents various schools and housing locations on campus. The members are responsible for passing the resolutions that IUSA puts into action.The judicial branch serves as the IUSA Supreme Court. Each of the 11 justices and the Chief Justice are appointed by the student body president.4) How to become an intern The administration will be adding more students in the coming weeks through its Freshman Internship Program. The Internship Program is a semester-long course that allows interested students to work in-depth with the current administration. Each intern is given a mentor who is a member of the executive staff and will work closely with their specific department. During the second half of the semester, the interns will be enrolled in a class in which they will learn about the importance of IUSA and campus leadership.Mitjavila said in an email that the internship program is one way for students to get involved with IUSA.“It’s a great opportunity for incoming freshmen to get involved in student government, get leadership experience and familiarize yourself with campus and the over 700 different student organizations on it,” he said. 5) How to reach them Senior staff members hold office hours from 7p.m. to 9p.m. Mondays in the IMU Student Activities Tower, suite 387. Students are invited to chat with their student government leaders to address issues or concerns they might have on campus. You can find more information about how to get involved and interact with your student government representatives at their website, iusa.indiana.edu.Follow IUSA reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays.
(08/27/13 10:19pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the start of a new academic year comes a new administration for the Indiana University Student Association, the University’s student government. The first IU Student Council was appointed in 1912, and the organization has undergone name and organizational changes throughout the years. The group was given its current name in 1974. Elections are held in the spring to determine leadership for the following academic year. Here are five things every student should know about their representatives. 1) Jose Mitjavila, student body president, said the primary role of IUSA is to advocate for students on a campus-wide scale. In line with previous administrations’ goals, Mitjavila said the current administration will be increasing that advocacy by involving more students in decision-making processes across campus.“There are committees across campus that deal with a plethora of things,” Mitjavila said. “I really think that student government’s responsibility is being present at as many of those committee meetings as possible.”2) This year’s executive ticket is led by Mitjavila, a senior, who was elected last spring as part of the YOUniversity ticket. He has been involved in IUSA since his freshman year, when he worked on an election campaign. He worked in the communications department of IUSA his sophomore year and became head of communications his junior year. Mitjavila said in an email that the association has many initiatives planned for the semester, including Culture of Care, the Diversity Lecture Series, SafeRide and more.3) IUSA is organized as a system that mirrors that of the United States government, complete with three branches and supporting committees. Here’s the breakdown: The executive branch holds sixty members, as well as student interns, with executive members such as the president, vice president of administration, vice president of congress and treasurer elected by the student population in the spring.The legislative branch, or Congress, is comprised of 62 members and represents various schools and housing locations on campus. The members of the legislative branch are responsible for passing the resolutions that IUSA puts into action.The judicial branch serves as the IUSA Supreme Court. Each of the eleven justices and the Chief Justice are appointed by the student body president. 4) The administration will be bringing aboard more students in the coming weeks through its Freshman Internship Program and the Student Involvement Fair. The Internship Program, currently in its third year, is a semester-long course that allows interested students to work in-depth with the current administration. During the first eight weeks of the semester, each intern is given a mentor who is a member of the executive staff and will work closely with their specific department. During the second half of the semester, the interns will be enrolled in a class in which they will be visited by guest speakers and learn about the importance of IUSA and campus leadership.Mitjavila said in an email that the internship program is one way for students to get involved with IUSA.“It’s a great opportunity for incoming freshmen to get involved in student government, get leadership experience and familiarize yourself with campus and the over 700 different student organizations on it,” he said. 5) Senior staff members hold office hours from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Mondays in the IMU Student Activities Tower, suite 387. Students are invited to chat with their student government leaders to address issues or concerns they might have on campus. You can find more information about how to get involved and interact with your student government representatives at their website, iusa.indiana.edu.Follow IUSA reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays
(08/26/13 3:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When IU President Michael McRobbie announced IU Online last fall, IU offered about 80 online programs. One year and $8 million later, IU Online is continuing to grow.Expansion efforts grew IU’s online offerings to more than 100 programs and certificates as of August, said Judith Halstead, associate director of the Office of Online Education. Halstead said that number will increase further by fall 2014. Of the $8 million allocated to the expansion, at least $2 million will disseminate among the campuses to enhance or grow programs and certificates. The money will expend incrementally over the course of three years. The remaining funds were used to fund additional designers, hardware expansion and the Office of Online Education, according to a press release. The IU Bloomington campus has focused on growing and developing its online graduate degree and certificates programs. One of these programs is the recently-launched SPEA Connect program, which offers various online graduate programs throughout the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. According to Chad Dorshorst, assistant director of SPEA Connect, there are about 50 students enrolled in the academically selective program. “We utilize the same admission standards as the residential program, and we’re very careful about who we admit to the program,” Dorshorst said. “We’re very pleased with the quality of students that we’ve gotten thus far.”Dorshorst said the program has developed about 25 online courses at the graduate level and a handful of undergraduate courses. He said online students who complete 40 hours of coursework can receive the same Master of Public Administration degree on-campus students will receive. Many of the SPEA Connect students are several years removed from their undergraduate degrees and are already working in full-time positions, Dorshorst said, adding students need the flexibility offered by online programming.“You certainly can’t give up working for two years,” he said. One of those students is Steve Donboch, who is working toward a MPA degree with a concentration in nonprofit management.He said he was inspired to work in the nonprofit field to honor the memory of his daughter, Emslie, who suffered from Polycystic Kidney Disease. He said he would like to use his degree to work toward ending PKD.Donboch received his undergraduate degree in business administration and marketing from the University of South Carolina and travels domestically and internationally for his current job in the business development and marketing field. Donboch said although his classes are yet to formally begin, his experience with the program has been positive thus far. He said he believes the program will allow him to immediately go into his new career path and make strides toward ending PKD. “I want to be able to go into nonprofit and be a person that makes a difference right off the bat,” Donboch said. “I think that the school allows me to do that.” He said that the flexibility presented in the SPEA Connect program is one of the main things that drew him to continuing his education at IU. “It’s been really good to be able to keep my job and still do it and get my degree in a timely fashion,” Donboch said.Halstead said the Office of Online Education’s main goal is to guide the progress of online education within the IU system. “This year, what you will see is continued focus on developing key programs on each of our campuses and having those ready for delivery,” Halstead said.She said the focus is currently on expanding key programming at each of the campuses, but that the office has no control over which programs receive that focus. Each of the eight IU campuses is responsible for prioritizing programs.“We support online education,” Halstead said. “We don’t mandate it.” Follow reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays.
(08/23/13 4:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Student Association’s SafeRide program has returned for the fall semester after launching a pilot program last spring.The initiative, which began just in time for Little 500 festivities last year, provides safe transportation for students from any location on campus to their university-registered addresses. A SafeRide car is available for students from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week.The program could benefit the campus by increasing overall safety and aid in preventing sexual assault, robbery or becoming stranded in poor weather conditions, according to the IUSA Saferide website.IUSA evaluated the pilot program at the end of April to determine in what situations students would most use the service and at what times call traffic would be highest. These evaluations continued through the summer when the service did not receive many calls, Rishi Sethia, IUSA’s director of SafeRide, said in an email. “Summer ridership was low, so we cut back operations slightly,” Sethia said. “However, for the fall semester, SafeRide is in full service, and we expect that ridership will increase.”SafeRide will give rides to drunk students, unlike IU’s Safety Escort service, which provides transportation for students as an alternative to walking home alone at night. Sethia said the initiative aims to improve campus safety by providing an alternative way home for students who have exhausted safer options.“Instead of walking late at night, driving while intoxicated or waiting for a cab, students will be able to call an IU-sponsored service and get a free ride home,” he said. The program is operated by IU’s Motor Pool, which manages all official IU vehicles on campus. Last year’s pilot program, which ran during the month of April, consumed $834 of IUSA’s $59,153 budget. Kelsey Timmer, one of two student directors of Safety Escort, said the two programs combined employ 16 students, about 12 of whom are drivers. Drivers must be at least 20 years old. Hired based on applications received at the IU part-time job fair in the fall, students must undergo training, background and driving checks after their interviews.“We had someone from IUPD come talk to us about situations that might arise while working at SafeRide and when to call an ambulance for someone who has been drinking,” Timmer said. Timmer said SafeRide has one car available each night, and each driver is paired with a navigator to add extra security. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes from when a student calls the SafeRide number to when a driver reaches the student.Although the initiative provides safe transportation in any situation, Sethia said students should consider SafeRide only when in critical situations, as a last resort before calling 911.To learn more about the program and the rules of SafeRide, visit the IUSA website at iusa.indiana.edu/saferide. Follow reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays.
(08/22/13 5:12pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Indiana University Student Association’s SafeRide program has returned for the fall semester after launching a pilot program last spring.The initiative, which began just in time for Little 500 festivities last year, provides safe transportation for students from any location on campus to their university-registered addresses. A SafeRide car is available for students from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week.The program could benefit the campus by increasing overall safety and aid in preventing sexual assault, robbery or becoming stranded in poor weather conditions, according to the IUSA Saferide website.IUSA evaluated the pilot program at the end of April to determine in what situations students would most use the service and at what times call traffic would be highest. These evaluations continued through the summer when the service did not receive many calls, Rishi Sethia, IUSA’s director of SafeRide, said in an email.“Summer ridership was low, so we cut back operations slightly,” Sethia said. “However, for the fall semester, SafeRide is in full service, and we expect that ridership will increase.”SafeRide will give rides to drunk students, unlike IU’s Safety Escort service, which provides transportation for students as an alternative to walking home alone at night.Sethia said the initiative aims to improve campus safety by providing an alternative way home for students who have exhausted safer options.“Instead of walking late at night, driving while intoxicated or waiting for a cab, students will be able to call an IU-sponsored service and get a free ride home,” he said.The program is run by IU’s Motor Pool, which manages all official IU vehicles on campus. Last year’s pilot program, which ran during the month of April, consumed $834 of IUSA’s $59,153 budget.Kelsey Timmer, one of two student directors of Safety Escort, said the two programs combined employ 16 students, about 12 of whom are drivers. Drivers must be at least 20 years old.Hired based on applications received at the IU part-time job fair in the fall, students must undergo training, background and driving checks after their interviews.“We had someone from IUPD come talk to us about situations that might arise while working at SafeRide and when to call an ambulance for someone who has been drinking,” Timmer said.Timmer said SafeRide has one car out each night, and each driver is paired with a navigator to add extra security. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes from when a student calls the SafeRide number to when a driver reaches the student.Although the initiative provides safe transportation in any situation, Sethia said students should consider SafeRide only when in critical situations, as a last resort before calling 911.To learn more about the program and the rules of SafeRide, visit the IUSA website at iusa.indiana.edu/saferide.Follow reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays.
(08/20/13 4:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Rose Avenue Residence Hall, IU’s newest residence hall, opened its doors to students this weekend.The facility will house 440 residents, predominantly freshmen, in the building located at Rose Avenue and Jones Drive.The new dormitory has eliminated the need for overflow housing on campus for the first time in nine years, said Sara Ivey Lucas, Assistant Director for Housing Assignments for IU Residential Programs and Services.In recent years, the number of students in overflow housing has decreased dramatically, from 272 in 2009 to 94 in 2012.“Because we got Rose open, we added 440 beds to our housing inventory,” Lucas said. “Usually we were having a couple hundred students in lounges. We’re back to where we used to be, so that gives us enough space to be full but not over-full.”The dormitory provides several rooming options for students, with clusters of four double rooms with a shared bathroom, two-person suites with shared baths and single suites with private baths.The rooms and bathrooms are controlled by card access and are assigned to each resident to provide extra security. Public restrooms will also be available on each floor for residents’ guests.As of Fall 2014, Rose will house a living-learning center associated with the School of Education.Melanie Wolfe is a desk clerk and Welcome Week assistant at Rose, and has been living in the building for a week and a half. She said the new facility is spacious, and she was impressed by the size and quality of the rooms.“There are people that have singles with a private bath, and those are a lot larger,” she said. “The double rooms are also a lot bigger than any of the doubles I’ve seen.”Each of the rooms are fully furnished and provide air conditioning, cable television and wireless Internet. Laundry is included for residents, with eco-friendly washers and dryers onsite.Because of the extra space and amenities, the price to live in Rose will be slightly higher compared to other dorms on campus.“The rates are in what we call our enhanced housing category, along with Willkie and Union Street and Briscoe,” Wolfe said.With the additional amenities, students can expect a rate of almost $1,000 more per year than that of other residence halls.The Rose double room is $7,049 for the academic year, and the singles with the shared bath are $7,810, Wolfe said.“That puts it just above a double room in McNutt or Teter,” she said.The $38 million facility is part of the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International 21st Century Project, a multi-phased effort to reinvent student housing on campus.Lucas said that the CUHO-I held a competition for schools across the nation to receive access to architects and planning for the new buildings. After several rounds of budgeting and planning, IU won its division.Building construction was completed on time, Lucas said, and the facility will undergo assessments periodically to ensure that everything is running smoothly.“We will have some evaluation and assessment things that we have to hit over the next five years to let other college campuses know what’s good and what’s bad,” Lucas said.Wolfe said that the newness of the dorm adds to the exciting atmosphere of Welcome Week.“It’s brand-new, so it’s a fresh start,” Wolfe said.
(01/24/13 3:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With temperatures in the teens and below, many Bloomington residents are looking forward to warmer temperatures and outdoor activities, including parades and festivals.City officials said planning for some of those events is already underway.Three parades taking place in the Bloomington area — the Bloomington Fourth of July parade, the Monroe County Fall Festival in Ellettsville and Harrodsburg Heritage Days Festival — require months of preparation.Bill Ream, community events coordinator for the Bloomington Parks and Recreation department, said in an email the planning process for the Fourth of July Parade begins when the committee selects the theme in late January to early February. “Over the next few months, the committee works on a variety of tasks necessary to hold the parade, including securing the sponsors, obtaining all permits, securing the staging lots, hiring security, renting equipment needed and securing the help of the police departments,” Ream said.Monroe County Fall Festival parade director Anne Howard said she and her committee of volunteers adopted a similar approach. However, the parade route includes Indiana State Road 46, and therefore permissions from the Indiana Department of Transportation also need to be obtained, Howard said. The parade for Harrodsburg Heritage Days required nearly a year of preparation, said chairman of the parade and Clear Creek Township trustee Thelma Kelley Jeffries. The parade requires the closing of Popcorn Road, a main street, as well as planning and preparation to organize and number all of the parade entries.Jeffries said the parade has had as many as 150 entries and in previous years has attracted a crowd of about 4,000 people. Jeffries said a state official from Indianapolis once visited the parade and was astonished. “They were amazed that a small community could do what we’re doing,” Jeffries said. In recent years, there has been a decline in participants for the committees for both the Heritage Days and the Fall Festival.Howard said her committee has also experienced a loss in numbers as the members continually grow older. “I’m really afraid that if the younger generation doesn’t step up, this could be no more,” Howard said.However, after months of planning, Howard said it was worth it to see the excitement on the faces of the young children.“You always remember parades,” Howard said.
(01/23/13 10:11pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With temperatures in the teens and below, many Bloomington residents are looking forward to warmer temperatures and the chance to get out and enjoy city festivities. This includes an array of parades and festivals. City officials said planning for some of those parades and festivals is already underway. Three parades taking place in the Bloomington area — including the Bloomington Fourth of July parade, the Monroe County Fall Festival in Ellettsville and Harrodsburg Heritage Days Festival — require months of preparation.Bill Ream, community events coordinator for the Bloomington Parks and Recreation department, said in an email the planning process for the Fourth of July Parade begins when the committee selects the theme in late January to early February. After the theme is selected, it’s time to seek sponsors and ensure the technicalities of the event are in motion.“Over the next few months, the committee works on a variety of tasks necessary to hold the parade including securing the sponsors, obtaining all necessary permits, securing the staging lots, hiring security, renting equipment needed and securing the help of the police departments,” Ream said.Monroe County fall festival parade director Anne Howard said she and her committee of volunteers adopted a similar approach. Howard said the committee begins meeting in March and works throughout the year to plan the parade, select a theme, get proper permits and select grand marshals. Because the parade route includes Indiana State Road 46, permissions from the Indiana Department of Transportation also need to be obtained, Howard said. The parade included in the festivities for Harrodsburg Heritage Days required nearly a year of preparation, said chairman of the parade and Clear Creek Township trustee Thelma Kelley Jeffries. The parade requires the closing of Popcorn Road, as well as planning and preparation to organize and number all of the parade entries.Jeffries said the parade has had as many as 150 entries and in previous years has attracted a crowd of about 4,000 people. Jeffries said a state official from Indianapolis once visited the parade and was astonished by what they saw. “They were amazed that a small community could do what we’re doing,” Jeffries said. Keeping order among so many parade entries and participants could get a little hectic, Jeffries said, but that was all part of the process. “We do have some mess-ups, but there was also a mess-up in the Rose Bowl Parade this year so I don’t feel so bad,” Jeffries said In recent years, there has been a decline in participants for the committees for both the Heritage Days and the Fall Festival.“We have lost so many people that were on the founding side of the parade,” Jeffries said. “We need to get more young people involved with the Heritage Days.”Howard said her committee has also experienced a loss in numbers as the members have grown older. “There are maybe six other people besides the officers that put on the festival — they literally do everything,” Howard said. “I’m really afraid that if the younger generation doesn’t step up, this could be no more.”However, even after months of planning, Howard said it was worth it to see the excitement on the faces of the young children in attendance. She also said she hoped to create an unforgettable experience for all who attended the Fall Festival. “You always remember parades,” Howard said. “It’s something that is still innocent in the world.”