Reporting Period for December 2024 and January 2025
Executive Summary
Over December and January, I engaged in key discussions with university leadership to advocate for student interests, including revisions to the Healthy Minds and Student Tailgate policies, improvements to the lockout fee policy, and enhanced outdoor study spaces. I supported faculty calls for budget transparency, addressed concerns about student preparedness and scholarships, and proposed an SGA-funded grant for financially struggling students. Initiatives advanced include improving campus communication through operationalized TVs and mass texting, submitting cost- saving proposals, refining mental health support strategies, and advocating for academic policy improvements. Major accomplishments include securing a monitoring system for KD bathroom cleanliness and enhancing campus communication efforts. Challenges persist with slow administrative processes and the unjust DP resident charge, which I will continue to challenge. Despite delays, progress is being made, and efforts will continue to enhance student engagement, financial support, and overall university experience.
I. Meetings
1. Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Anderson Sunda-Meya: December 19, 2024
• Key Points Discussed:
▪ Introducing our second draft of the Healthy Minds Policy for his feedback.
2. Vice President of Student Affairs, Curtis Wright: January 7, 2025
• Key Points Discussed:
▪ I advocated for the lock out fee policy to reflect more leniency.
▪ I presented the first draft of our Student Tailgate Policy Revision Proposal.
▪ I asked for a meeting with Bruce Hamilton to be arranged at our next meeting to discuss the
logistics of improving the outdoor study spaces.
▪ I was informed that he will have the logistics to set up a post-call survey system from the Vice
President of ITC.
▪ We discussed the creation of a universal policy for setting police rates at student events.
3. University Academic Assembly Meeting: January 8, 2025
• Key Points Discussed:
▪ The faculty have asked for the University’s budget to be disclosed, which I fully support as there
was no backlash felt from the percentages of the University’s Fall 2024 budget being released.
▪ Based off the national and University enrollment and student performance data presented to the faculty, they deemed that many of the incoming students are less prepared to succeed at Xavier.
▪ A professor expressed that we may not be receiving top students due to not having enough funding which would allow more premium scholarships to be offered.
4. University President, Reynold Verret: January 9, 2025
• Key Points Discussed:
▪ Incremental communication reminding students to check their account balances and the time until
registration will begin being sent in February.
1 Drexel Drive • Box 117 • New Orleans, Louisiana 70125 • (504) 520-7367 • sgapres@xula.edu • www.xulasga.org
▪ I have expressed that working with administration takes longer than we’d like, but we’re still waiting to hear about a solution to mitigate this issue.
5. Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Phillip Adams: January 10, 2025
• Key Points Discussed:
▪ They’ve agreed to share their quantitative metrics and endowment numbers, though we are still
waiting for them.
▪ The average annual donation is $600 per alumnus. This excludes the amount of funds raised by
an alumnus as well.
▪ They informed me that alumni who were student leaders are more likely to donate and gather
other alumni to donate. This may seem obvious, but it lets me know that we need to prioritize
making it easier for students to become involved and to cultivate our geographical organizations.
6. SGA Executive Board Meeting: January 14, 2025
• Key Points Discussed:
▪ We planned our February Student Body Meeting and the Spring Leadership Summit.
▪ We recognized many issues stemming from our relationships with our advisors that we intend to
address.
▪ We explored ways to make ourselves more accessible to students.
7. Vice President of Student Affairs, Curtis Wright: January 16, 2025
• Key Points Discussed:
▪
▪ ▪
▪
▪
▪
We discussed the changes made for this year’s spring elections and solidifying the process for changes to be made.
I presented the second draft of our Student Tailgate Policy Revision Proposal.
I followed up on my request to have a meeting with Bruce Hamilton be arranged at our next meeting to discuss the logistics of improving the outdoor study spaces.
I followed up to gather the logistics to set up a post-call survey system from the Vice President of ITC.
on the creation of a universal policy for setting police rates at student events.
regarding the solutions that I proposed to the current lockout policy.
I followed up
I followed up
8. SGA Executive Board Meeting: January 28, 2025
• Key Points Discussed:
▪ We spent a significant portion of the meeting discussing resolutions that would be presented at
the Senate Meeting.
▪ We planned out a Black History Month campaign that will be rolled out by the SGA Interns.
9. Vice President of Enrollment Management, Joel Munza: January 29, 2025
• Key Points Discussed:
▪ I invited VP Munza to lead the discussion that was had amongst the faculty with the students.
▪ We discussed the situations of involved students not being able to afford to stay at the University
and determined that the creation of a grant raised by SGA be created for this purpose.
10. Vice President of Student Affairs, Curtis Wright: January 29, 2025
• Key Points Discussed:
▪ I presented the third draft of our Student Tailgate Policy Revision Proposal.
▪ I followed up on my request to have a meeting with Bruce Hamilton be arranged at our next
meeting to discuss the logistics of improving the outdoor study spaces AGAIN.
▪ I followed up to gather the logistics to set up a post-call survey system from the Vice President of
ITC AGAIN.
▪ I followed up on the creation of a universal policy for setting police rates at student events
AGAIN. He’s now given me a timeline of completion by February 22.
▪ I followed up regarding the solutions that I proposed to the current lockout policy AGAIN.
II. Initiatives and Projects
1. Ongoing Initiatives:
Better Informing the Student Body
▪ The 6 TVs that we have placed Opti Signs systems in are now operational.
▪ We are gathering student contacts so that we can use the mass texting system that we purchased. ▪ The DOC has been completely restructured, and an operations manual was created.Implementing Cost-Saving Practices for the University
▪ Proposals to implement a food waste reduction program and for many lights in public buildings tobe converted to motion sensor lighting have been submitted to the respective administrators.
Aiding Where we Can in the Mental Health Crisis
▪ The Presidential Interns are refining their strategy to secure Xavierite discounts with stores in
New Orleans.
▪ The Wholistic Students’ Wellbeing Policy has been drafted and will be presented to the Dean of
the College of Arts and Sciences. He did not offer us any constructive feedback and the SGA
Chief of Staff will be meeting with him soon.
▪ The Presidential Interns have picked up the project to place positive affirmations around campus
but have strategized for them to be more effective than the first rendition.
Improving the Academic Experience
▪ The VP of Enrollment Management will investigate technology needed to be invested in to
improve the credit transfer process.
▪ The Council that oversees XCOR 1000 has read our reports and our proposed curriculum and will
continue to meet weekly to determine what changes will be accepted.
▪ The survey to gauge students' current experience with their academic advisors will close in early
February.
▪ A report to determine why non-STEM majors feel undervalued by the institution has been
reviewed by the provost and her office. They are currently working with my Cabinet Secretaries
to execute on solutions.
▪ The Secretary of Academic Policy will meet with the Chemistry Department professors to ensure
that health concerns are omitted from the drop policy. If you are seeing this part of the report,
email me the phrase “run through the wall” to be entered into a twenty-five-dollar gift card raffle.
▪ The faculty have been discussing new approaches to make it possible for students to regain an
academic scholarship. The provost has tasked my Secretary of Academic Policy to find
reinstatement policies from other universities.
Improving the Performance of Student Leaders
▪ I have met with the Chie Justice to determine the effectiveness of the Supreme Court and ways to
improve it.
▪ The Senate has passed a resolution requiring that students pass or enroll in XU Leads Advanced
to serve on any RSO executive board.
▪ I am working on a holistic document to present to the Interorganizational Council which aims to
improve the experience and effectiveness of all Registered Student Organizations.
Increasing SGA’s Funding Opportunities
▪ The Senate and the Election Commission have been preparing for Constitutional AmendmentVoting, which will occur in February.
Increasing Student Engagement in Events
▪ The Senate has passed a resolution urging RSOs with similar interests unite into larger RSOs toincrease their benefits.
▪ I have been meeting with the VP of Student Affairs to allow Student Tailgates to occur on campus.
▪ I have set aside funding to ensure that XAB can hold more Live Music Fridays at night. • Student Concerns and Requests During the Term
▪ No concerns were sent to me. III. Accomplishments
1. Major Achievements:
The cleaning of the KD bathrooms will now be logged and monitored to address what was deemed the biggest issue by residents, bathroom cleanliness.
The TVs around campus are now in use and should significantly aid in students being more informed. IV. Challenges and Issues
1. Current Challenges:
At the end of January, it was determined that someone was stealing from the DP store (not by the cameras), and the residents were charged $50. This has caused outrage, and I will begin advocating for this to be overturned.
You’ll notice in section 1 how long it takes for things to move when it comes to working with administration, more specifically the Dean and Student Affairs. I continue to seek solutions in hopes that timelines will shorten.
V. Financial Report through January 31
I expect our full budget to be given to me no later than the 5th week of classes per the SGA Constitution.
Per aspera ad astra, Chase Patterson