Photo courtesy of Xavier University | The full executive platform for JBC.
Editor’s Note: The follow text has not been edited and is being posted as provided to us by JBC. Only formatting has been edited
As JBC our Mission is to represent the student body in the best way possible. We intend to create a safe and inclusive campus that celebrates diversity among students, faculty, and staff. We plan to make change for the betterment of this school in order to truly be All For One, and One For ALL.
FOOD OPTIONS OVER BREAKS
During Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring, and Easter Break students do not have access to food on campus. Many students do not have the means to eat off campus, which can cause a lot of stress since they might not know when their next meal is. After conversations with the Hoff Dining Commons, we began to come up with a program where students can use meal swipes to get pre-made meals that can be stored and then cooked easily in one’s residence hall. We hope that this program will help students feel comfortable and safe when staying on campus over breaks.
FOOD BANK
The biggest disparity of food waste on campus no longer is in the Hoff dining commons, but through Chartwells on-campus catering. Any food that is not eaten by the group is then taken and thrown away rather than covered and donated. Working with student groups as well as Jude Kiah to either 1) find a location where we can compost all food waste. 2) Work with Chartwells to see if there is any way we can use the excess food to try and help with food insecurity within the Xavier and Norwood communities. Be this donating to a local food pantry, or working to create on our very own campus. Both will take a lot of hard work, however we believe that it can be accomplished and make a significant difference in the community.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Continue: It’s on X
We will continue developing “Its On X”. We will do this by co-sponsoring events with Brave, XSASA, SWAG and, Alliance that educate Xavier students on sexual assault. After talking to many students and staff, in addition to the prevention program the next step is eliminating the stereotype of victim blaming and shifting the narrative to uplifting and empathizing with anyone who has been affected by sexual assault. We will continue the mission to re-film the It’s On X student commitment video in order to showcase current students on campus. Statistics show that the number of reports are going up. This does not mean that more assaults are happening it just means that more people are stepping forward and feel comfortable and safe to report. It’s On X will continue to combat these issues in order to make Xavier a safer campus for all students
We also will advocate for better sexual education across campus in the forms of open forums/dialogues, informational sessions, or planned activities held on campus to inform students more about sex and how to stay safe. This would also include working closely with McGrath to ensure that STD testing supplies are readily available for students. In doing so we hope to better the status of sexual health across campus.
Student Hotline
Working with Kate Lawson and the Title IX office, we will train volunteer students to be an anonymous 24/7 resource for any student who has experienced sexual assault and needs someone to talk to. These volunteers will be trained, with the purpose of letting any student who has experienced sexual assault know that they have someone to listen to them and help them in any way that student feels comfortable with.
Dietitian
Right now, there is no dietitian on campus. We want to fix that, there are many students who must go out of their way to go to a dietitian and spend a huge amount of money on a private dietitian. We are hoping that we can talk to TriHealth about getting one to come to McGrath to see students on a regular basis.
Defense classes
Working with O’Connor Sports Center and XUPD to put on a weekly fitness course that also teach students basic self-defense techniques. Not only will this help our students feel safe on and off campus, but also will build up the relationship between our police and students.
XU Alert ME
With all the recent activity, we would like to work with XUPD in order to increase the quality, clarity, and timeliness of the XU Alert ME notifications. These notifications are very beneficial to students and imperative to their safety. We want them to be sent out very quickly after an event with very specific details concerning who was involved, when it happened, where it happened, and what happened.
Accessibility
At a basic level Xavier University adheres to all ADA laws and regulations. However this does not mean that all of campus is easily accessible and convenient for all people. There are many issues concerning physical accessibility for all students and faculty on this campus. One example of an inconvenience is the doors heading into the Hoff Dining Commons. There is no automatic door button so it is extremely difficult to get in if using a wheelchair, crutches, or other assistive technology without having someone hold the door. Something else we would like to see fixed are the sidewalks. Not every sidewalk ends in a smooth transition when trying to cross a street or parking lot. All students and faculty should be able to get from one point to another on campus safely by using the sidewalks.
Diversity and Inclusion
We aim to create a strong emphasis on the partnership between SGA and the diversity and identity associations (ASA, BSA, SOL, LGBTQ Alliance etc.) as well as all the clubs and organizations on Xavier’s campus. As executives, we will be in attendance of identity club meetings throughout the semester to allow SGA to be better informed about the needs of students so we can make changes on and off campus that will truly impact Xavier students.
Open communication between SGA and students through coffee hours, meet the execs, open meetings. These open communication platforms are pivotal to the success of a great executive team. Being only three students with unique backgrounds, we cannot expect to understand the entire needs of the student body. By having open coffee hours and meet the execs sessions, we can have a full conversation with students and understand their viewpoint of the school and try to find ways to improve their Xavier experience through their needs. University Committees are essential to the ongoing operations of the university. With that in mind, we feel that it is vital the students who serve in these positions reflect the diverse community we have here at Xavier. To find the best students possible, we will need to understand the campus climate and see who will best represent their peers on this committee.
LGBTQ+ AND ALLY ACTION
Gender-Neutral Bathrooms
Right now, Xavier only one gender-neutral bathrooms. However, there are many locations in each building in which a gender-neutral bathroom can be installed simply by putting up a sign. All our students, faculty, and guests should be able to use the restroom at their convenience and should also feel safe and comfortable doing so.
Student Housing
Currently, there is no option for students registering for housing to state that they are okay with living with a member of the LGBTQ+ community. There needs to be better outreach from res life to these students to make them feel welcomed and safe on this campus at all times. We want to work directly with Alliance and other organizations in order to achieve goals of the students and help get them accomplished by collaborating with the administration.
Safer Zones Training for Students
We would work with Kelsey O’Neil in the Center for Diversity and Inclusion to offer safer zones training to students. This training is oriented to inform students about the LGBTQ+ community, and how we can together as one university to create a safe, inclusive, and diverse community.
RECYCLING
Recycling is not at all what it should be on our campus. Even though we do have recycling bins around campus and in the residence halls, it could be improved a lot. We want to work with physical plant in order to recycle as much as we can.
UNIVERSITY JOBS & FINANCIAL SKILLS
Work Study
Many students hear about work study, but it is usually from their friends after the application process is done and there is nothing that they can do. By having a quick introduction, potentially in the Road through Xavier website, to show how to apply and where they can work, we hope that more students will have the ability to work and make college more affordable for themselves.
Jobs for international students
For many international students, there is not an easy way to obtain a job due to restrictions on student visas or because of the cost of commuting. For this reason, we want to work with the Center for International Education and the deans of all the schools to try and create opportunities for international students to work on more research projects on campus. Not only will this help boost these student’s professional resumes, but will also give greater opportunities to get involved on campus through research in a career field of interest.
Financial Literacy
We seek to create financial literacy courses that will have an open dialogue between the financial aid office and students. Through these courses we are trying to ensure that every student is able to go to college at a fair and reasonable price. These courses could also go into detail about money management, as the GOA program touches upon for First Years. This can be done through the financial aid office and working to find teachers or staff members who would be able to help students on a semi-weekly basis.
WATER BOTTLE STATIONS
Having refillable water bottle stations, and simply better water fountains in general, is an effort to produce a healthier campus that has less waste. These fountains help to promote using refillable water bottles, rather than constantly using plastic disposable ones. In order to accomplish this we will be talking to Physical plant VP for facilities Robert Sheeran, as well as the various hall directors to see if they have a need for new fountains.
HANDDRYERS
With the switch happening from paper towels to hot air hand dryers with the great goal of minimizing waste, students are finding that we have old hand dryers that don’t do too much to actually dry your hands. Looking specifically at the Cafeteria, students are leaving without being able to properly wash and dry their hands which is just spreading germs around. Again, going to Robert Sheeran we will work to find the best hand dryers and the places that need them most to ensure the health of our student’s remains priority one.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Xavier has long been a part of the Norwood/North Avondale/Evanston community yet we currently maintain a poor reputation with these neighborhoods. We want to repair this reputation and make Xavier a shining example of university-community relationships. In order to work to repair this reputation we are looking to meet with Norwood City Council, North Avondale Neighborhood Association and Evanston Community Council in the creation of a Town-Gown committee. By meeting with these associations, we believe that we may better grasp what they expect of our university and our students as their neighbors. By improving the reputation of Xavier amongst the local communities we consequently improve the mutually benefiting relationship that may exist.
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