There is one ticket running for the executive positions in Student Government Association this year. However, the ticket must receive at least 50% of the student body vote and one additional vote in order to win the seats. The ticket goes by the name MMM, and is comprised of Michaele Townsend, MaKayla Conners and Marina Salazar.

The below platform is unedited to preserve the candidate’s original language.

Mission:

Our mission is to ensure that every student at Xavier University has a seat at the table by allowing our diverse Xavier community to be fully represented through opportunities to form relationships with SGA, admission, and have their voices heard. Regardless of how the next two months unfold, Xavier University will continue to move forward together with no voices being left behind. 

Our platform is constructed around progress. We want to involve students who have never been involved before and help their voices truly be heard, giving all students a seat at the table. Xavier is a great university, but we want to ensure we leave Xavier better than how we found it. This is not Michaele, MaKayla, nor Marina’s platform. This is the Xavier University community’s platform. We will move forward together.  

ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL

Diversity and Inclusion:

• Retreat for Black men:
  • Black men have the lowest retention rate on campus. To ensure our black men feel welcomed on campus we will create a retreat that brings our black men from the board of trustees and black students together to create connection. 
• Committee for Cultural Inclusion:
  • Create a committee with all the eboards of cultural organizations on campus to hear the needs, concerns, and wants from ALL students of color. 
    • BSA
    • HOLA
    • COW 
    • ASA
    • MSA 
    • LEAD 
    • GOAL 
    • LGBTQ+
    • National Pan-Hellenic Council
  • We want to increase engagement on campus. By holding more events, partnerships with other clubs will help bring together all students. 
• Fall Cultural Fair:
  •  There is power in numbers! Therefore, we want to hold a fair each fall to:
    • Ensure incoming freshman knows Xavier has organizations that represent them. 
    • Start a collaboration culture. This is not just my university; this is our university. We want clubs to know that collaboration is a great way for clubs to get more turnout, meet new people, and ensure everyone has a seat at the table. 
• SGA Campaigns/ Events every month:
  • January — Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month 
  • February — Black History Month 
  • March — Women’s History Month 
  • April — Arab American Heritage Month
  • May — Mental Health Awareness Month/ Autism Awareness Month #Celebrate Difference 
  • August — Continuing “Your School, Your questions”
  • September — Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15)
  • October — Breast Cancer Awareness Month/ Nation Domestic Violence Awareness Month 
  • November — Native American Indian/ Alaska Native Heritage Month 
  • December — Late Night Breakfast; helping students prepare for finals 
• Improving commuter services:
  • As SGA Executives we propose to partner with Commuter Services in hopes of revamping the commuter lounge, to help make it a space where students would want to be.
• Better Partnership with XUPD:
  • During town halls, Your School, Your Questions, and other administration and student events ensure XUPD is present. 

Academics:

• Offer further academic support for minority students especially in STEM majors:
  • With the low rate of minorities in STEM on Xavier’s campus and lack of representation in classrooms, it is important to provide support and assistance to minority students in order for their continued success in their majors. 
    • Xavier already has a tutoring service, but getting more students of color to be tutors, so underclassmen not only have a tutor that looks like them but a mentor.
    • Partner with CDI to create for mentor program for students by major
    • Host a Panel of Minorities in the Stem field, and showcasing minorities who have created milestones in the STEM field in the STEM buildings on campus 
  • Pushing back the last day to drop and register for new classes:
    • On average, Xavier only gives students four days to change classes without a withdrawal appearing on one’s transcript. 
    • We want to make sure every student is sure about the classes they will be participating in for the next 15 weeks. Four days is not enough time to make sure you understand the class and know the professor. The first week of class is usually syllabus weeks, meaning you have not effectively met your professor.       
      • The drop deadline should be at least two weeks after the semester starts (the end of the second weeks of the semester). 

Sustainability:

• Recycling:
  • Xavier University is a university that recycles. However, many students do not find this to be true. SGA will hold tours of physical plants, so students are aware of our recycling efforts. 
  • Creating new signage in hopes encouraging more students to recycle and the importance recycling can have or not just our university but our community. 

Xavier University’s Finances:

• SGA Scholarships: 
  • With the increase of tuition each year SGA will provide two $500 scholarships per semester in hopes of taking off a financial burden on a few students per year.
  • Students will apply for scholarships at the start of each semester in hopes of them receiving it two weeks after the semester has started. 
    • This scholarship is gears towards student leader, activist, and/or any other student we think has shown true musketeer spirit.
• Post Budgets:
  • The Student Government will start posting the budget for clubs on our website, to ensure we are staying transparent with not only administrations but students as well.

Student Government Association:

• SGA executive office hours:
  • We as executives will be in the office during designated times open for students and faculty to come and talk to us. We will have office hours once a week.
    • Once a month we will have “Coffee, Concerns, Community”
      • Where we will have our office hours during normal time, however, we will have snacks for students. 
• Hybrid SGA Meeting:
  • Although Executives and senators are expected to be at every meeting in person, we want to give other students an opportunity to come to our meetings even if they cannot physically be in the room. 
    • Increase inclusivity 
• Xavier University Town Hall Meetings:
  • To ensure we are representing students to the best of our abilities. We as executives along with Senators and administration will host a town hall meeting to discuss wants, needs, and concerns by students. These meetings will alternate time and date so that any student is able to stop by to listen, comment, or ask questions to their representatives.
•  Better communication for events:
  • Oftentimes events are sent out with little time to prepare or take off work in order to attend. We propose a university calendar filled with planned events so that students can prepare and equally take part in all activities. 
• Assigning Representation for students: 
  • Each senator will be assigned a group of students in case there are any questions or concerns that want to be addressed. This will provide each student with a direct contact with an SGA representative even if they do not personally know one. 

We want to remain 100% transparent with all of the Xavier University Community. Our goal is to be the voice for all students. If there is something you would like to see done by SGA that has not been addressed, please reach out us at: SGA@xavier.edu

Michaele Townsend, MaKayla Conners, and Marina Salazar