Adam McGonigle, Wichita As Student Senate President, McGonigle communicates with many individuals and special interest groups on a daily basis, but he has never worked with the University Student Issues Advisory Board.
"I honestly had never even heard of it until you brought it to my attention just recently," McGonigle said.
The University Student Issues Advisory Board has not met since the 2006 academic year. The committee was created to discuss city issues that affect students at the
City Commissioner Sue Hack, who was part of the board the last time it met, said there was a lack of desire on all parts to see it continue. City Manager David Corliss speculated that scheduling conflicts also prevented the group from establishing a regular meeting time.
Video by Ryan Elder
The city does work with Student Senate from time to time on specific issues. The Oread Inn and the proposed changes to the transit system are the most recent examples.
"We are meeting with KU student transportation board representatives on a weekly and monthly basis as we discuss possible cooperation opportunities for transit," said Corliss.
McGonigle said that it is important to create planning committees for specific issues, such as the transit system. However, he thinks it would be more beneficial to have an ongoing dialogue with the city.
"I would agree that it would be helpful to do so," he said. "To be able to sit down formally on some sort of regular basis would be great. It's important to keep an ongoing conversation between the city, KU and Haskell."
Right now, there is very little conversation between those organizations. Community Affairs Director Ryan Lawler, Bolingbrook, Ill. senior, attends city commission meetings weekly, but it isn't often that he speaks in front of the commission. Lawler's predecessor, Rachel Barnes, left notes that mentioned the advisory board, but that was the extent of Lawler's knowledge of the University Student Issues board.
The mayor's office sent congratulatory letters to McGonigle and Vice President Michael Gillaspie after they were elected into their offices in April, but the city didn't receive any response.
"I'm not pointing fingers," he said, "but that is just an example of how communication has been almost nonexistent. The good thing is that it's something that can and should be easily fixed."
McGonigle said that there could also be better communication between KU Student Senate and the Haskell Student Senate. However, he has not met Haskell's Student Senate President. McGonigle said that the only current group that directly interacts with Haskell students is the First Nations Students Association.
"The two schools are in very close proximity to each other, so they have a lot of the same community needs," he said. "Also, it's always a benefit when students from different universities can meet and work together."
Hack said some changes must be made to eliminate problems that inhibited the group in the past. In her experience with the board, she said most of the discussion was directed toward homecoming planning and to touch base with Student Senate.
"If it were to be reorganized, I think there needs to be a clear direction for the group with specific goals and objectives," she said.
Leave a comment