SGA Exec campaigns commence

This year, four tickets are running for SGA Executives. Read their entire platform below. All platforms are presented as given, without editing.

BDA: Blair McKee, Desmond Varner, Alfredo Mercedes

Our mission is to empower all students to take ownership of their Xavier experience. We are committed to developing a student body that cultivates our Xavier Values of solidarity, generosity, and social justice. We want to ensure that Xavier is a home for all and promote initiatives that result in student engagement and equity.

STUDENT WELLNESS

In light of the increasing size of Xavier’s student population, we want to ensure that students have safe and effective means of living a healthy life-style. From mental health, to physical space renovations, these implementations will help Xavier students empower themselves to achieve the highest of their Xavier experience.

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. These impact our everyday lives and can be detrimental to student success. There needs to be an expansion of services for students and awareness as it addresses all students. We must make stronger efforts leverage student insights and to provide the necessary recourses with Tri-Health, and Psychological services for students to be successful on campus.

Below are the initiatives BDA has already discussed with administration with to ensure feasibility outcome:

Host monthly community discussions with administration:

In past years there have been shortfalls on the awareness of the ever-changing issues that students face. It is paramount to be transparent with students about the issues we face as a community. There needs to be more visibility of the SGA Executives and members of Administration, so students can feel more comfortable engaging in healthy dialogue with them. This forum will be public and free for students to address concerns, issues, suggestions, and even solutions about this university. It also will give them a chance to get interface and interaction with faculty and staff who make major decisions that are affecting the student body every day. This will offer transparency between all stakeholders on the campus and allow us to move forward together.

Advisory board with student leaders and wellness providers:

Creating an ongoing dialogue with student leaders and various professional staff can help create a dialogue for student to learn and foster an atmosphere for all students to participate and engage in the conversation.

Get Tested:

We are committed to creating spaces for more sex education, as well as creating a school-wide campaign to increase the number of students that get annual STD/STI testing. Since every Xavier student is required to be insured, we will be working closely with the Office of the Dean of Students, the Office of Student Affairs, and TriHealth to ensure that students’ privacy is protected, and that they have the ability to take any follow-up actions that may be required.

HUB spaces:

Equipping the spaces in the soon to be built Health United Building (HUB), and ensuring spaces are able to be reserved for mental health awareness and educator groups. As the HUB will be the center of health and wellness, we want to ensure that there will be programming coming out of those spaces that are created for students and by students.

Outside Basketball Courts: All-Weather Overhead covering:

With Cincinnati’s ever-changing weather, students still create a time for social, and recreational use of the basketball courts. Helping students maintain their well-being by providing them with a weatherproof basketball court covering. This covering will be water-resistant and help block UV-Rays for skin care.

Develop a universal room reservation system:

Several room reservation systems currently exist for many buildings on campus, leading to confusion and inefficiencies. We would advocate for a comprehensive and universal room rental system on campus to make the reservation process simpler and more efficient.

Free Laundry:

Incorporating laundry into tuition the same way we do printing, without a tuition increase, will help Xavier students who are unable to pay for laundry due to X-Cash restrictions. We want to help Connex create a stipend based on an average data collection of laundry usage.

Printer accessibility in every major building on campus:

Printers are not necessarily accessible to everyone due to many different circumstances. Even though there are printers in Gallagher Student Center, it is still an inconvenience for students who live a little farther from campus in places like the Village and Dana Apartments. It also is inconvenient for students who may have to print assignments late at night and don’t have the desire to trudge to GSC in dark or inclement weather.

Advisors Consulted- “Student Wellness”:

Becky Cull – Associate Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, Office of the President
Dave Johnson – Associate Provost and Chief Student Affairs Officer, Office of Student Affairs
Jean Griﬃn- Director of Student Integrity, Dean of Students
Leah Busman Klenowski – Senior Director for Student Affairs, Office of Student Involvement, Student Affairs
Taj Smith- Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion

SUSTAINABILITY

As Xavier’s students’ needs are increasing the ability to maintain the demand at a certain rate or level without depletion of other resources is very important. Creating and implementing new resources for students are vitally important. By creating new student run business or making it easier for students to have access and develop as individuals.

Below are the initiatives BDA has already discussed with administration with to ensure success and feasibility:

XU Clothes Bank:

Not every Xavier student has access to various types of clothing at any given time. Students from areas that generally have warmer climates, may not necessarily have clothes to prepare them for winters in Cincinnati. In addition, there is a need for all students for business or business casual attire. Many first-year students come to college without knowing that they will need business clothing. Many upperclassmen have either a limited amount, or limited access to business clothes for professional occasions. Similar to the Food Pantry, instead of food, the clothes bank would aim to provide affordable business clothes for the students of Xavier. We will implement an initiative to

push Xavier students, faculty, staff, alumni, as well as local organizations to donate gently used business, winter, and emergency clothes. Unlike the Food Pantry, this Clothes Bank would be student-run. Having this be ran by students creates another opportunity for student employment, as well as allows for extended hours of operation. Students that donate will feel invested in the bank and show that they are truly All for One.

More Light Sensors in the Main Buildings (Alter, Smith, Cafe):

Xavier wastes a substantial amount of energy by keeping lights on in the Cafe, Alter, and Smith. By installing more light sensors we can help sustain more energy as well as create a safer environment to see and be visible in all times of the day.

Printer accessibility in every major building on campus:

Hoff Dining Common device charging accessibility:

The café has been a place of social gathering. Providing device charging ports and accessibility, will help increase another viable environment for students to grow their education and foster community. Table and booth charging accessibility will allow students to increase productivity in the café, and better prepare to transition to their next location.

Advisors Consulted- “Sustainability”:

Becky Cull – Associate Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, Office of the President
Melissa Bauman – Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Office of the Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Jean Griﬃn- Director of Student Integrity, Dean of Students
Dave Johnson – Associate Provost and Chief Student Affairs Officer, Office of Student Affairs
Leah Busman Klenowski – Senior Director for Student Affairs, Office of Student Involvement, Student Affairs

SAFETY

Safety is something all students should feel they are. Xavier University is home for all students and like home Xavier should be as safe as possible and have safe measure in place to be proactive for all students and staff of Xavier.

With the help of XUPD, Risk Management and Norwood Police, we can provide means for all members of Xavier community to have safe alternatives, and other safety measures below:

Assist XUPD and Office of the President in implementing mandatory active shooter training:

Xavier University currently only requires university employees to receive active shooter training. We seek to work along the Xavier Department of Public Safety, local law enforcement agencies, and XUPD in developing a plan of action to ensure all students are aware of what they should do in the event an active shooter were to be on campus.

XPRESS:

To prevent students from drinking and driving, we want to implement a student run SGA sponsored shuttle that all students will be able to catch from any surrounding neighborhood on Thursday-Saturday nights. This shuttle will be student run, with vehicles provided by SGA, on a call and driving service to also help XUPD spread their area of coverage.

Advisors Consulted- “Safety”:

Jeff Coleman – VP of Risk Management, Interim XUPD Chief, Office of the President
Melissa Bauman – Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Office of the Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Jean Griﬃn- Director of Student Integrity, Dean of Students, Office of Student Affairs

TITLE IX

We will coordinate with the Title IX Office to ensure that all students are made aware of their rights when studying abroad, as well as the proper protocol to follow if an incident were to happen in another country.
We also are committed to creating more programs for and with cis-men, because we recognize that that is a population that is the least present in smaller areas of discussion around Title IX topics.
We will implement a mentorship program that will allow first-year students to learn how to properly engage in healthy relationships.

Advisors Consulted- “Title IX”:

Kate Lawson – Chief Title IX Officer, Title IX Office

DINING

We, like every Xavier student, are highly concerned with the lack of food options currently available on Xavier’s campus. Students are having to explore for food options or alternatives off-campus, placing a heavy burden on all students. The lack of food on campus has heavy implications most often for first-year and international students.

We are committed to working with Connex and Risk Management to finding solutions after talking with administrators to ensure feasibility to these problem in the following ways:

Bi-Weekly Food Trucks:

Xavier University has the ability to negotiate a contract with any local fast-food place or restaurant that would allow them to sell their food on campus to Xavier students. We would work to dedicate one day, every other week, to having establishments come to us, as opposed to relying on other means of transportation and access.

Extending X-Cash Contracts to Restaurants in Clifton:

In the past, Xavier students have been able to use X-Cash at certain off-campus locations such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Chipotle, and Graeter’s Ice Cream. We are proposing that the university extend those same agreements to fast-food restaurants in Clifton that are highly utilized by Xavier students such as Raising Cane’s, Waffle House, and other establishments with extended hours. Doing so would benefit the large amount of Xavier students that already spend a significant amount of time in Clifton, as well as students that live in that area due to off-campus housing deals with Res-Life (i.e. University Edge).

Diversifying Food Options in the Café:

There is a demand for food in the cafe that helps international students transition into American culture. While we recognize that there are many cultures represented at Xavier, there are some foods that are more common overseas than here in the U.S. There have been attempts by Connex to have more diverse foods; however, the recipes are often inauthentic and are not received well by many international students. As a solution, we want to push the managers of Hoff Dining to train the head chefs and provide them with the ingredients they need to create at least one authentic multicultural meal per week. In addition, we would like to see more cooking tutorials offered during regular cafe hours that allow students to be exposed to preparing these types of meals. These meals could include examples like Soul food Sundays. These tutorials would be similar to the fruit smoothie stand that was offered last semester. Doing so will demonstrate solidarity among students, in showing that they care about learning more about other’s cultures, and helping other students ease the transition from abroad to America.

Hoff Dining Commons Meals-To-Go:

Commuters and students on the move are in the need of to-go meals that does not require a full swipe. Students may not have time to fully sit and eat in the cafe but are still hungry and do not have cash readily accessible. We want to help implement a system that will help allow commuter students to optimize their meal plans, and not have to go hungry for the sake a preserving swipes.

Advisors Consulted- “Dining”:

Dave Johnson – Associate Provost and Chief Student Affairs Officer, Office of Student Affairs
Jean Griﬃn- Director of Student Integrity, Dean of Students
Kim Diehl –Director, Center for International Education

INCUSIVITY

Establish a student-run daycare for Xavier students, faculty, and staff:

Currently, most of the policies and procedures outlined in class syllabi are geared toward traditional students. We recognize that there are many Xavier students with children or that are responsible for extended family members. There are times where these students must choose between going to class on time, and picking up their child(ren) from outside caregivers. Furthermore, there are faculty and staff members that often bring their children to work if they have a late meeting, or if their caregivers have the day off. We would like to implement a student-run child care service, or daycare, on Xavier’s campus. This will be a space where students, faculty, and staff will be able to drop off their kids for a couple of hours while they are working or in class. This child care center will help allow non-traditional students to be more successful, as well as open more opportunities for student employment.

Implement at least one gender-neutral bathroom in first-year resident halls

In an effort to increase gender-neutral bathrooms on campus, it should start inside res halls. Kuhlman Hall, for example, has a restroom on the ground floor that is meant to be for visitors or staff in the building. Spaces like this could easily be officially gender-neutral, and be more welcoming for people with all gender identities.

Celebrate multicultural holidays:

The University currently only celebrates a handful of holidays that aren’t all-encompassing. We plan to work with the University to acknowledge and celebrate unique holidays through announcements on social media accounts through the University, changing Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day, and adding holidays and making official recognitions like Veterans Day to University Calendar.

Advisors Consulted- “Inclusivity”:

Dave Johnson – Associate Provost and Chief Student Affairs Officer, Office of Student Affairs
Jean Griﬃn- Director of Student Integrity, Dean of Students
Leah Busman Klenowski – Senior Director for Student Affairs, Office of Student Involvement, Student Affairs
Taj Smith- Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion
Kim Diehl –Director, Center for International Education
Janice Walker – Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

CMW: Cole Stautberg, Maureen Murray, Will Zimbler

Mission Statement: Cole, Maureen, and Will (CMW) believe that Xavier University is a community of determined, passionate, and upstanding individuals. We aim to create a campus that has accessible and necessary resources for each person to learn and grow both as a student and as an active community member. We will incorporate Xavier’s Jesuit values to educate students on how to engage within their community as Xavier students and as alumni. By doing so, we hope to create a more inviting and unified campus community for future Musketeers.

Cole Stautberg (he/him/his) is a junior Special Education major with a Peace and Justice Studies minor, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. His involvement on Xavier’s campus includes serving as the current Vice President of SGA, serving on the Xavier Christmas board, being a peer mentor in a Goa class, serving on the Manresa Orientation Team, participating in and leading X-Change weekly service, leading Community Action Day, and participating in and leading Alternative Break Trips. Through his role on SGA, Cole attended the Emerging Leaders Retreat. He sits on the Student Leadership Advisory Board, the Bias Advisory Response Team, and regularly meets with university administrators to discuss changes and issues in the university. Cole lived on campus for his first two years here and now lives off-campus. He wants to run again for SGA because he believes all students should have access to the necessary resources to change this campus for the better and that he can be that resource.

Maureen Murray (she/her/hers) is a sophomore Communication Studies major from Woodstock, Illinois. Her involvement on Xavier’s campus has included SGA Senate, Manresa Orientation Team, X-Change weekly service program, and the Emerging Leaders Initiative and Retreat. Maureen is an on-campus resident with plans to move off-campus for her junior year. She is passionate about Xavier’s compassion and inclusion of the on-campus community and hopes to extend this culture to off-campus neighborhoods and beyond.

Will Zimbler (he/him/his) is a junior Finance major from Oak Park, Illinois. His involvement on Xavier’s campus has included serving with the X-treme Fans Board of Directors, Manresa Orientation Team, X-Change weekly service program, Student Alumni Association, leading Community Action Day and participant and leader on the Emerging Leaders Initiative Retreat. Will is an off-campus resident and lived in Husman and Fenwick during his first two years at Xavier.

Health and Wellness

Mental Health Resources: We pledge to push for more awareness of and accessibility to mental health resources, even as administrators and staff have indicated that those resources will be expanded, in response to the growing Xavier population. This also involves providing educational programming to students about how to cope with mental health challenges, how to support those living with mental health issues, and reducing the stigma of mental illness on our campus.

Health United Building: Xavier is looking forward to the opening of the Health United Building (the HUB) in the fall of 2019. The upcoming spring semester will be a time for students, faculty, and the Xavier community to have major influence on our newest building. Our team plans to push for student voices to be included in conversations about all aspects of the HUB project.

Student Success and Career Development

Alumni Outreach: Continuing to increase outreach for all students to alumni would give students more opportunities to network for career advice, internships, and future employment. These relationships would also allow alumni to interact with one another more frequently and to develop relationships after their time as Xavier students.

Student/Faculty Engagement: Growth in the connection between faculty and students allows both groups to get to know one another on a personal level. Based on our own experiences, we believe that faculty who understand a student’s general interests in and out of the classroom makes each student feel more comfortable during his or her time at Xavier. Similarly, students getting to know their professors increases the students’ drive and determination in class and enhances their college experience. This growth in connection expands the Xavier community in a positive manner.

Faculty and Staff Participation: Along with growing the connection between students and faculty in an academic setting, we encourage faculty and staff to participate in on-campus and off-campus events that draw a large number of Xavier students. This can include athletic events, service activities, general interest sessions, and challenging conversations pertinent to the Xavier community. These involvement opportunities can expand valuable relationships within the Xavier community and allow students to bond and grow faculty and staff.

Food Options

Student/Connex Committee: We propose a subcommittee through Connex to serve as a voice for student concerns regarding dining options and Hoff Dining Commons recommendations. We believe these students can serve as a contact group for peers and other members of the Xavier community to listen to and act upon input from their fellow Musketeers.

Student Discount Program: We pledge to reach out to local and chain restaurants in the nearby Xavier community to provide a student discount to Xavier students. Providing students with discounts provides students with more dining options and allows businesses to grow and connect with the Xavier community.

Food Truck Friday: As Xavier’s on-campus food options continue to develop, a new idea that can serve all facets of the Xavier community would be having Food Truck Friday on-campus. These food trucks would not only allow Xavier students to support local business, but build community by enjoying time outside with one another. This also provides opportunities for students to enjoy foods of other cultures that they might not otherwise encounter. This idea would also serve faculty and staff and allow for connections to continue to grow within our community at an on-campus setting.

Safety

Dana Avenue Traffic: We are aware of the busy traffic and, arguably, reckless driving surrounding Xavier’s campus, especially on Dana Avenue for students who travel to and from the Village Apartments. We believe that there should be a safer and more accessible approach to this part of campus, first by using more technology and signage to alert cars of the pedestrian crossing. We will advocate for the construction of a footbridge to cross Dana Avenue.

XUPD Engagement: Former chief of police, Dan Hect, implemented a strategic plan that involved community policing. We want to ensure that the new police chief continues this program. This involves officers walking on foot, using bicycles to get around, and also attending on-campus events with students. Such a strategy helps create an environment in which students feel safe on campus and also feel comfortable going to the police in times of need.

Active Shooter Training: We will continue to push for required active shooter training for all students. Currently, only faculty and staff are required to attend this training; however, we believe that in the world we live in, this is just as important as fire safety training. We feel that we need to be prepared for any type of emergency on campus and to be equipped with the proper knowledge and skills to stay safe.

Street Lights: We will look to add more street lights on Cleneay Avenue, between the Commons Apartments and University Station. This effort will not stop with this stretch of walkway, as we look to add more street lights in the areas of off-campus housing. Secondly, a stop sign at the three-way intersection of McGrath, University Station, and the Health United Building would slow down vehicle traffic and provide a safer way for students to cross the street.

Title IX

Prevention Coordinator: We hope to work with the new prevention coordinator on increased education and awareness surrounding sexual assault, gender-based violence, harassment, and dating violence in order to implement early intervention for students coming to Xavier, as well as reinforcing awareness and knowledge among upper class students. We plan to continue the amazing work that It’s On X has done over this year and will work on expanding its presence on this campus.

Title IX Student Hotline: Since Kate Lawson has been so busy in the past year due to a large caseload, there has been no movement to implement a sexual assault student hotline. However, with this new staff member working with Kate and closely with students, this is something that may be able to be started in the coming year.

B.R.A.V.E. Peer Educators: We recognize the value of B.R.A.V.E Peer Educators and hope to incorporate this group in Goa, especially in the “Bystander Intervention” session. These students go through exhaustive training to be able to educate their peers on Title IX issues, and we believe their work can touch even more students than it already does.

Resident and Commuter Life

On- to Off-Campus Living: As early as the first month of sophomore year, students are expected to have a course of action to find housing for their upperclassman years, without guidance from the university. We hope to organize programs and promotional materials to inform students of the correct way to contact landlords, safely sign a lease, and secure safe and accessible housing.

Commuter Engagement: Commuters currently make up a significant portion of the student body, yet their retention rate is disproportionately lower than residential students. We believe this is due to the lack of inclusivity from student organizations and programming. There needs to be stronger communication between campus organizations and commuter students. With an increased number of commuters, but no increased funding, Commuter Services is struggling to provide adequate resources for these students. We want to push for increased funding to Commuter Services, as well as an increased communication line between student involvement and commuters. Commuter Services needs this in order to create a welcoming environment for the students the board works with.

Residence Hall Construction: As Xavier’s first-year classes continue to grow, the university moves closer to achieving the goal of five thousand undergraduate students. Our team believes that creating new residential spaces for these students is crucial. The construction of a new residence hall or apartment complex is vital to student life and retention.

Community Engagement

Veterans Affairs: CMW will look to incorporate and ease the transition of Student Veterans to campus life and the Xavier community. By doing so, we would allow for more collaboration with Student Veterans across all areas of campus and encourage Student Veterans to assume leadership roles within our campus. In conversation with the former president of SVX, we learned that the camaraderie amongst Student Veterans is lost when coming to campus. We would like to serve as a resource and provide the tools to ease the veterans’ process of starting or resuming their college careers.

Service Requirement: By implementing a service requirement for graduation, students would have the opportunity to grow closer to members of the Xavier community and learn more about its diverse membership. This can be achieved through Community Action Day, X-Change, Alternative Breaks, and much more in and out of the classroom. As our academic curriculum is starting to roll out an immersion-learning requirement, we hope to work closely with the provost’s office and ensure that this program is both accessible and beneficial to students.

Jesuit Values: Our ticket realizes the importance and value of Xavier’s Jesuit tradition. We would encourage the university to stress the importance of these values beyond Manresa by including them in the classroom, E/RS lectures and discussions, and campus events. Jesuit values should be a part of our culture, not just something we learn on a single occasion.

Employment: Our ticket recognizes the importance of on-campus employment and employment in the nearby community. We will work diligently with administration to ensure employment opportunities are being advertised to and filled by Xavier students in an effort to benefit our peers.

Diversity and Inclusion

LGBTQ Engagement: We pledge to create a more inclusive, welcoming, and safe environment for our students who identify as LGBTQ. There is currently no option on Xavier’s housing website to select that one is open to living with someone who identifies in this community. We want to create a way for students to find welcoming roommates, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Safer Zone Training: One of the steps we can take as a university to be more aware and supportive is have increased safer zone training. This could potentially be placed into Manresa or the Goa curriculum. This initiative would increase awareness, support, and education surrounding the LGBTQ community. It will help our students understand how to educate others about certain topics, and how to be allies.

Responses to Bias Incidents: We aim to continue to have challenging discussions when it comes to incidents regarding bias on our campus. Forums are often held for students, faculty, and staff after an incident occurs, but it is important to educate all students proactively in order to decrease the number of these incidents on our campus. Faculty and staff should also be educated on how to support students in the wake of an incident.

Collaboration with Identity Groups: In the current campus climate, we understand that cultural competency and the education that surrounds it directly influences and can prevent bias incidents happening on our campus. When we create a community of support and learning, we then have students who appreciate and celebrate all walks of life. Our goal is to collaborate with organizations that focus on identity and work on programming that can help educate students that otherwise may not be engaged in some of these tough conversations. This can be done through lectures, focus groups, forums, and much more.

Accessibility:

Automatic Doors: Throughout Xavier’s campus there are a lot of areas that are not accessible or easily accessible. An example is that there are many buildings that do not have automatic doors, like The Hoff Dining Commons. The issues with this location prevent students with impeded mobility to have direct and easy access to this space.

Walkways: Sidewalks and walkways on campus are also not always easily accessible. One issue is that there are many curbs that are not a smooth transition to the street. We pledge to work with Physical Plant to push for all places on campus to be easily accessible for our students, faculty, staff, and guests. There is also the issues of scooters and bikes being left in places that block doors or walkways. We want to help enforce that scooters and bikes should be placed near bike racks and should stay off the walkways when parked.

Expectations of the Executives

Monthly Newsletter: Our team is motivated to create a monthly newsletter to share what we have been working on in meetings with Senate, administrators, and Father Graham. As Xavier grows and changes, the executive team is aware of the transparency needed to create an informed Xavier community.

Social Media: In addition to a monthly newsletter, we plan to utilize social media to update followers on the day-to-day happenings of the Student Government Association, in order to promote events and projects, as well as gain feedback from students.

Open Communication: We plan to have an open line of communication with students. This means being accessible to students throughout the year. We plan to have open office hours, coffee hours, and other events to listen to student feedback. We will also have our emails and phone numbers available for people to contact us and will respond within 24 hours.

Clubs and Organizations: In addition to making the SGA office and executive team accessible to all students, we plan to be visible at meetings and events planned by other clubs and organizations. This would be a joint effort with Senate to make sure all members of SGA are accessible to students, in order to share ideas and gain feedback.

RRE: Riley Head, Rita Daniel, Evan Green

Inclusion

Our ticket will make a more concentrated effort to recognize minority concerns. Instead of imposing new ideas on existing groups, RRE will prioritize listening to concerns, providing resources to groups dedicated to diversity and inclusion, and creating connections between groups with common goals. RRE’s primary focus is growing the campus fabric to include all identities in constructive and creative ways.

RRE will refocus the discussion of issues around accessibility for students living with disabilities on feasible and impactful projects. We will work with ACCESS to make sure our initiatives are sustainable and necessary. We will work with physical plant to make physical changes to features of campus that make accessibility challenging, including but not limited to:
- Installing a door open button on the Caf side of Fenwick so that individuals with mobility challenges are able to exit Fenwick without additional assistance.
- Making the main entrance to Alber’s Hall handicap accessible.
- Working to build a ramp to the main entrance of Kuhlman Residence Hall.
- Expanding and lowering curbs on and around campus.
RRE will work to make the LGBTQIA+ experience more comfortable at Xavier. We will work with Residence Life and Student Affairs to create new initiatives that make students who identify on the spectrum feel more safe, including but not limited to:
- Adding an “ally box” on Residence hall applications.
- Starting the conversation about the creation of a living community for students who identify on the spectrum
RRE will create a fund that will help students with legal fees. This money will be specifically available to survivors of sexual assault that are going through a Title IX case and immigrant students needing assistance with USCIS applications such as DACA and Green Cards.
RRE will partner closely with the newly created Title IX Prevention coordinator to continue efforts that Riley and her research team began this summer.
- RRE will work to create student fellowship positions that combine student voices and concerns with the administrative position working to advance prevention efforts.
- RRE will continue to push forward sexual assault based curriculum in classes based off the pilot program currently being developed through the Theology 101 classes.
- RRE will continue to sponsor talks and student lead workshops to engage with students year round, throughout all four years at Xavier.
- RRE will work with the Title XI office to create a Teacher fellow position. This position will grant a tenure or tenure-track professor a course release so they are able to focus on engaging their colleagues on how to best teach and connect with issues surrounding sexual assault.
RRE will increase the visibility of international students on Xavier’s campus and support their transitions into Xavier culture with programs such as:
- RRE will sponsor a Taste of Xavier event where International student organizations can set up tables and share tastes of their culture.
- RRE will sponsor an immersive immigrant experience (Walk a Mile in their Shoes) where students can go through different activities and assume the role of refugees. Students would have their own identity cards and start at the border entry station and go through simple everyday activities like food/water station and education station. This will give Xavier students a little glimpse of what it’s like for refugees to flee their homes. The simulation will take place on the yard to support solidarity for immigrants from around the world.
RRE will work with the Xavier police department to reestablish the Police escort services for students that feel unsafe or are unable to walk home.
RRE will work to get free laundry for all on campus students.

Holistic communities

RRE will work with to expand the concerns of the executive office not only to student populations that are underrepresented in our campus fabric, but to groups in our greater Cincinnati area as well. It is time as a university that we pop the Xavier bubble and connect outside life to our time at the University. We as students have lives and connections off campus, and RRE as an executive ticket will work to support both of those identities.

RRE will increase it’s awareness of low income students and financially independent students on Xavier’s campus. We will build in support systems for these students to succeed at Xavier and in the real world.
- RRE will host FAFSA completion sessions, scholarship searches and completion sessions, headshot and resume workshops all with the appropriate resources to help students succeed.
- RRE will revamp the pantry located in the Village. Senators will be required to table and collect donations of food to contribute to the pantry.
- RRE will expand the food pantry to include toiletries.
- RRE will work with the administration of GSC to provide a canned food drop box in GSC to collect food and toiletry donations.
- RRE will work to move the pantry to the more central location of GSC— this new arrangement would provide a permanent location with regular hours. The new location will be located on the upper floors of GSC to continue the sense of privacy given by the village but will provide a more central location and an increased sense of comfort to commuter students who may feel uncomfortable having to go to a residence hall.
RRE will focus on connecting already existing groups on campus through retreats and workshops so student leaders can build connections and bolster our community.
- RRE will prioritize SLAB meeting with the Provost of the University to report student successes as well as needs.
- RRE will assist in the creation of a Center for Diversity and Inclusion Student Leader Advisory Board.
- We will sponsor a Female Student Leader Retreat— during which student leaders from clubs across campus will be invited to build relationships and plan programing.
RRE will work to create a more positive environment for survivors of sexual assault on Xavier’s campus. Throughout our campaign and term in office, one of RRE’s top priorities will be pushing the Xavier community to think and grow compassion for the struggles survivors go through not only in the immediate aftermath of their assault, but for the rest of their time at Xavier and into the rest of their lives.
- We will work with the provost to get teachers through the appropriate training to handle student reports of assault in a positive way.
- We will support bystander intervention workshops and informational materials throughout the year.
- We will work to redouble efforts of education during “the Red Zone” and expand prevention efforts to all grade levels, not just first years.
- RRE will create more survivor support only groups through McGrath and Sycamore house. This will include a male survivor support group.
- RRE will work with the Xavier Police department to nuance safety classes and move them away from survivor blame rhetoric.
RRE will refocus weeklong programs such as Mental Health Awareness and Eating Disorder Awareness week to include events and information specifically geared to minorities and marginalized groups to create a more complete image of the issues facing all students.
RRE will work to engage with commuter students and more fully involve them in campus life. We will partner with Commuter activities board.
- RRE will work to establish a “hotel system” for commuter students who feel unsafe driving home late at night due to weather or exhaustion. No long term residences will be established, but one room in Kuhlman will be reserved for commuters. The RA on duty will be responsible for checking in commuter students.
RRE will work to partner with different identity groups on campus to host “How to be an Ally” workshops that will engage students interested in understanding and supporting minorities on campus in a constructive way.
RRE will create more programs to help students struggling academically
- RRE will work with the Student Success Center to create a trigger system for students in danger of failing classes.
- RRE will work with the senators to create a tutoring hotline that students can call to get quick answers on homework and guidance on papers and projects.
RRE will work with the immigrant population not only on Xavier’s campus, but in the Cincinnati community, that will establish a weekly class in which citizen skills such as: citizenship test preparation, Drivers license practice tests, and other helpful skills for non English speakers and non Americans are taught.

Transparency

RRE is committed to increasing the transparency not only of the executive office, but of the university as a whole. As the university’s enrollment numbers continue to exponentially grow every year, an open and honest dialogue between the students and the upper level of the administration is crucial to a positive community. RRE wants to change the face of Xavier SGA by utilizing tabling and engaging on a more intimate and regular basis with students.

RRE will streamline the communication between the University and the students by releasing more timely news updates to the student body regarding construction projects, staff changes, and population growth.
RRE will work with the Xavier police force to bring timely and relevant information to the student body. We will expand “AlertMe” from just Xavier’s campus to the immediately surrounding area to keep the student body more fully informed of community happenings.
RRE will host executive coffee hours once a week where the executives will have a table on the main floor of Gallagher for one hour so students feel more comfortable approaching and asking questions.
RRE will revamp the “SGA is listening” feature. Once a month two senators will sit on the main floor of Gallagher and be available to hear student concerns.
RRE will work with the Xavier IT department to create a permanent student feedback feature on the main page of the Xavier webpage.
RRE will work with the administration of the Gallagher Student Center to increase the number of printers in GSC to compensate for the increased number of students.
RRE will partner with the Xavier News Club to increase their access.
RRE will revamp the SGA social media accounts to increase timely communications with the Xavier community.
RRE will work with the Xavier Police to create active shooter training for campus situations.

Sustainability

RRE will shift the conversation around sustainability to include impactful everyday actions, but long term projects as well. We will push the Xavier student body and administration to think about projects that not only change the structure of campus, but set the standard of sustainability for Cincinnati, local colleges, and the twenty eight Jesuit universities around the nation.

Xavier will work with administration in the Gallagher Student Center and outside contractors to get recycled paper into all of the student printers.
RRE will push forward discussion on Xavier’s consumption of energy. We will begin the conversation around using the roof of the Connotan Learning Center and the McDonald Library as a potential space for solar panels.
Launching easy recycling and sustainability tips campaigns that increase awareness and provide the student body with accessible literature
- Homogenizing the recycling process across campus: both residence halls and classroom buildings should have consistent and easy to understand recycling receptacles.
- RRE will build a relationship with Rumpke to help off campus students understand and streamline the process of obtaining a recycling bin.
Look into the process and affordability of implementing wind turbines on campus buildings.
Assess and restructure the types of materials being used for everyday usage such as schoolwork, dining, and residential purposes in hopes of furthering the use of “green” materials.
RRE will cooperate with on and off-campus programs that strive for decreasing Xavier’s carbon footprint such as the Urban Farm and Nexus Garden (located next to McGrath), and investing in more opportunities, both educationally and physically, for students to partake in those programs.
We will coordinate with physical plant on the implementation of LED and possibly CFL lights in campus buildings and residential halls, and the possibility of making all rooms motion detected lights to cut down on energy usage.
Offer Xavier Official reusable grocery bags for all students but geared towards off-campus students to use for grocery shopping.
RRE will coordinate with Xavier Dining on introducing a composting program for uneaten, compost-friendly food and/or donating uneaten food to local food banks, homeless shelters, and soup kitchens.

TKT: Tim Rafter, Kate Rottkamp, Thomas Wehby

Health and Safety

Prioritize It’s On X

It’s on X is currently increasing sexual awareness around campus and is designed to instill in our students that they have a responsibility to look out for one another when it comes to sexual safety. We want to make this a priority and fund it in any way possible through the many funds SGA has to tap into.

Sex Education

We are currently unsatisfied with the extent of the sex education on campus. We would like to propose either a class in GOA, or to have an hour during Manresa to talk to first years about everything that goes along with sex. After meeting with two of SGA’s administrators, we found the resources we need to see the possibility of integrating sexual education into Xavier’s core curriculum, GOA, and as a first year seminar.

Student Hotline

Students don’t always feel comfortable talking to their peers or mentors about sexual assault, harassment, etc. Currently in place, there is a hotline where victims of gender based violence can call 24/7 and speak to an MOU expert trained representative from Women Helping Women (an organization based out of Cincinnati). After meeting with Kate Lawson from the Title IX office, TKT decided we will plan on working with Kate and Talia to urge Xavier to offer more prevention education. By working with B.R.A.V.E. peer educators, students can be offered 40 hour training to become peer advocates at Xavier. In these focus groups, situational hypotheticals could be discussed to increase prevention education. These students will be prepared to possibly offer a hotline where they would take shifts to be on-call.

Lighting at Night

Students think that XU could be doing a better job with making students feel safe on campus 24/7. With some points of interest in mind, (for example around the Village Apartments) TKT has met with XUPD to gauge the feasibility of better lighting being installed. XUPD has considered the issue themselves and are now going to be working with us, as well as Physical Plant to get better lighting in those areas.

Cross-Walk on Dana Ave

The cross walk connecting the Village residents to the Academic Mall can certainly be daunting especially at times of high concentrated traffic as well as morning and afternoon commutes. After talking to Officer Kenneth Grossman of XUPD about this matter, we were told that this was something he would bring up at his meeting with the City of Cincinnati, (since this is technically their cross-walk), and Physical Plant. He reminded us that, “we as a University do have an interest in this” and look forward to trying to get this done and paid for by the city of Cincinnati.

Accessibility

All buildings have at least one door that handicapped students can open on their own. We are currently in the process of teaming up with physical plant and disability services to discover a new way to reach every student’s needs on campus. Anyone should be able to come to Xavier and not have to worry about how they are going to get to a class in Schmidt Fieldhouse or how they are going to open the door of any building on campus when there is no one else around. Our main priority is academic buildings since all residence halls are somewhat accommodating.

It’s a fact the Xavier is not completely accessible. Unfortunately, the University claims that it is. We plan to work with the University to make it completely accessible for all. We also want to work to make sure that all dorms that claim to have proper accommodations are truly accommodated with door clicker access. In addition, with the campus being one with plenty of sidewalks, we want to make sure that all ramps on campus are properly marked with blue paint. This also includes working with Physical Plant in order to build a ramp for the Husman stage due to it being the center of many on campus activities.

Diversity and Inclusion

LGBTQ+, Diversity Training Classes

Currently at Xavier, we have Safer Zones Training. Here, students have the opportunity to learn situationally about our LGBTQ+ community. TKT wants to take this initiative and expand on it. After speaking with Dr. Taj Smith, director of the CDI at Xavier, we thought we could use the preexisting online presence of the CDI and add incentives to make students more likely to sign up.

Online, student club/activity chairs could sign their group or team up for a workshop taught by a director in the CDI. Dr. Taj would report to SGA of what club/organization came to the workshop, and we could offer the club an incentive (such as, more money added to their budget for team/group shirts).

After talking to some members of Xavier University’s LGBTQ+ Alliance there has been an expressed interest in working out Xavier University’s Learning Living Communities (LLC). Members of Alliance have expressed interest in being able to decide to live in a LLC that is oriented towards members of the LGBTQ+ community.

When applying for on campus housing for the first year of college can be a confusing process, we would like to not only work on fixing that for incoming first years, but also we would like to make it so that incoming students can mark on the housing application if they are comfortable with living with a member of the LGBTQ+ community. We would like to make an option when signing up for roommates that allows students to choose “does not choose to say”; therefore, all students have the opportunity to come in as they are. When talking to some of the members of Alliance, this was suggested as a way to focus on any misconduct that might be directed towards a member of the LGBTQ+ community. It is important to note that however a student marks the form will stay confidential.

Gender-Neutral Bathrooms

Currently on campus, there are 11 gender neutral bathrooms. As we welcome the HUB, we want to make sure there is an efficient number of bathrooms that students can go in comfortably. TKT wants everyone to feel welcome and safe no matter where they come from, including residence halls.

Continue PEDRO

PEDRO is based on empowerment for students of color. Often times, students of color shy away from applying for positions that are so commonly held by white students/professionals. Through pep-talking, social group events like paintballing to build comradery, PEDRO’s goal is to make students more confident and courageous. TKT wants to support the group in any way we can to increase membership and give them what they need to be successful.

Continue X Men

X Men is a fellowship group where men can learn more about their role in society based off of each other. Men who come to this group talk about things such as a man’s role in rape culture, how to support women, and to celebrate themselves. It’s not meant to replace what women have achieved; however, it has not gone unnoticed that men are disengaged, and the X Men want to better engage them because they’re a part of it too. TKT plans to support X Men in giving them what they need to continue to be a viable club on campus and help them grow and thrive in the future.

Mosaic

As the University plans to increase our non-white, non-international student population to 25%, it will become easier to become disconnected. Mosaic is a TKT new initiative, aimed to be a conversation between identities and leaders on campus. In these conversations, Mosaic will show where we are doing a good job and where we can improve organizations at Xavier. These student leaders will collaborate to see who has resources and who does not; students will be able to help themselves through problem solving, and creating a community. Mosaic is also meant to be something inclusive where students who are not a part of clubs who want to get involved or go on trips/events who cannot fund themselves can receive funding to go on this trips.

In these meetings with presidents of clubs and the TKT executives, a centralized social media presence of all the things going on would be put into place. This would increase general awareness of what is going on in each club, it would provide a space where clubs can see where they can work together for their mutual benefit, and provide funding for students who have become disengaged.

Breaking Disciplinary Conduct Codes

On Campus Alternatives

We’d like to offer alternatives to doing service off campus to students who broke student conduct codes. We think that doing service off campus is vital to our existence; however, we think it would be a better representation of Xavier students if our peers are doing this voluntarily. We would offer alternatives to the RA directors such as volunteering at Xavier events, helping Student Government with our Childhood Cancer project, or doing some service on-campus, and the Residence Directors could use these punishments at their discretion if they deem that it is suitable for the crime.

New Initiatives

Bottle Cap/ Can Tab Collection

Collecting bottle caps and can tabs can be done easily, and they have such a large payout. By donating them to local Cincinnati hospitals such as Shriners, Cincinnati Children’s, and the Ronald McDonald house, Xavier students can take pride in themselves knowing that their trash will be used for childhood cancer research, as well as build the brand of Xavier.

RA’s in on campus housing will be given covered bins at the end of the hallway to collect them and those who wish to help out will go out bi-weekly to collect them all and then we will drive the tabs/caps to the hospitals.

Uber Partnerships

We believe safety is a priority, on and off campus. We also know saving money is a priority for students; therefore, by partnering with Uber we are hoping students will be willing to take more advantage of the resources outside of Xavier with different discounts and promotions. No student should walk home alone or be afraid to go anywhere. By partnering with Uber, Xavier students will be provided with different online promotions to incentivise them to use the resource and get home safer and cheaper. We have previous knowledge of other campuses working with Uber and it benefiting the University as a whole.

Miscellaneous

CLC Hours During Finals Week

The hours during finals week are already 24/5, however, the Sunday before finals week, the library closes at 5pm. We’d like to add that day to make it open 24/6 for just that first week. It is important that students are provided with all the resources and quiet spaces that are necessary for success. We are here for school and it is important that during finals week, the most stressful week of the semester, students are not held back on when and where they can study

Years ago, the Monday before finals, students were given off with no meetings or classes. Students used this day as a study day prior to finals and students were upset when this was stopped. If elected, we hope to reenact this.

Recycling

Xavier currently just does enough to show that they are making an effort to recycle, however, it’s our understanding that recycling does not actually take place. If we increase the number of recycling bins around campus and take off the lids that only allow you to recycle bottles and cans, students would be more likely to put their recyclable trash in the recycling bins. Any small effort to make lighter our ecological footprint would better our University. We are working with physical plant to implement more recycling spots on campus.

Work Study/ 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. We’d like to impose that international students get priority for Work Study jobs because they cannot get jobs that American born students can. If this is not possible, we’d like to at least offer them some sort of work study job that can reduce their tuition costs so that it’s like an indirect way of paying them.

Increase Financial Literacy

As of now, one GOA class is offered to first year students that teaches them ways they can save money and know how/when/what to spend money on. From our experience, for many first years, this is their first time managing their own money. Dissatisfied with this attempt to make students financially literate after only one class section, we’d like to add a class to the Xavier core curriculum or offer it as a First Year Seminar.

Sustainable Moving Xavier Yard Sale

Off campus students can bring TVs, mini-fridges, and other items that cannot be trashed. There would be a small yard sale once a year, either in the fall or spring, and students could barter, or sell their used items to students in need. This would make the moving process easier for students now that they would not have to get their large items in some kind of transportation and get it to school, but rather just carry it into their dorm rooms. This also would help minimize our ecological footprint and gives students something to be proud of.

Community Outreach

5K Run/ 1 Mile Walk

Rather than trying to go to meetings with Norwood’s council, or sitting in the back of city hall meetings to make our presence known in Cincinnati, the Xavier SGA 5K would engage the community with Xavier. Race bibs would be sold discounted for students and at a fair rate to the public. Students could volunteer to give out water and take care of race duties such as the timing of the run. There would be Xavier Club awards given out for things such as Best Team Performance, and Best Club Percentage Turnout.

Alumni Engagement

1.Homecoming/ Beef and Beer in Cintas

Just because Xavier doesn’t have a football team doesn’t mean we shouldn’t get our own Homecoming! Here, our alumni and senior class would be able to mingle and connect while sharing a meal and enjoying music. There would be an auction of donated novelties, things created by students, and memorabilia that is being trashed/ not in use.

The information in this post was provided by the SGA Executive candidates, reviewed by Editor-in-Chief Ellen Siefke, and formatted for online by Online Editor Trever McKenzie.