Student Union

The Montana Administration is committed to improving relationships with student groups. Doing so is extremely important. We must actively build coalitions within the student body if we actually plan to improve the daily experience of students. Student groups are instrumental to this effort.

We seek new relationships with student group that are mutually beneficial. Certainly, student groups can help Student Union make a bigger impact. But, Student Union can and should also help student group's make an impact--help them flourish and achieve their particular ends within minimal roadblocks.

We've already started attending student group meetings this year to both share and learn. Today, I visited the Sports Club Board. Later this week, I will visit Campus Y, Ashoka and the Association of Black Students. In the coming weeks, I will visit more  group meetings and look forward to taking part in some great events as the year progresses. We're also planning some special focus groups with student group leaders to get their feedback on various issues. More information on this is coming soon.

If you have any suggestions for ways that we can improve our relationship with student groups, please let me know. I look forward to the coming year and all it has to bring.

This blog post is a response to the Student Life editorial published in the Wednesday, April 15, 2009 issue.

I am very happy that the Student Life editorial board wrote about the Student Union budget in the April 15th issue. While the editorial contribute to a necessary dialogue about the budget, its criticisms are based on infactual information.

First, the editorial suggests that since we are not buying the backpage from Student Life at a cost of over $22,000, we are taking away the ability of student groups to publicize their events. First, Student Union will support student group publicity in a number of ways next year including an all-school calendar, the Student Union website, flyers, and magic box screens around campus at no additional charge.

Over the course of the next few weeks the Equipment Committee will be deciding it's goals for the next semester.  I am therefore interested in what you, the students, want from the equipment committee next year.  What are you opinions on topics that will be discussed and why?  Have an idea for something the Equipment Committee can handle, this is the place to say it.

These are just a few of the topics that will be discussed for next semester:

-Setting up a rental system

-Reducing rental fees between student groups

-Reducing or eliminating rental fees from event services

-Organizing storage spaces for student groups to use