USG needs to set agenda


As the 2015-16 school year kicks off, the newly minted Undergraduate Student Government headed by President Rini Sampath and Vice President Jordan Fowler has a multitude of issues on its agenda. With a new USG administration and new provost, Michael Quick, in place, the time to tackle important student concerns and campus issues is now. Rarely do we get to see a combination of new faces from both sides of governance, and a myriad of opportunities can be realized if USG and the administration can marry their ideas and work together to improve the quality of life for students at USC.

Sampath and Fowler won the student election last spring on a platform of producing “real results.” With a non-greek President, the duo promised to speak out for those who are unheard and underrepresented on campus. They stood for a better future and promised to make changes that benefited the entire student community, not just a select few. With a majority support among students, the duo was swept into office, and it is time now to take that optimism and translate it into results. Quick was an in-house selection after a nationwide search for a new provost. With his prior experience, expertise and willingness to work with the student body, Quick has the potential to accomplish many goals this semester. In this column, I hope to keep USG and the administration accountable by discussing student government policies and proposing new ones.

USG and Quick, having recently joined forces, should introduce a detailed plan outlining what they hope to accomplish in their first 100 days and then throughout the semester. USG, together with the USC administration, has successfully extended the add-drop deadline. Students can now drop a class until week seven with no mark of “W.” This gives students more flexibility with their classes, as well as reduces the stress and toll classes take on students in the marathon of a semester. These kinds of proactive initiatives benefit students and positively impact student life. The addition of a Fall break is another key feature that benefits students, and there are many more factors that can be changed to help students.

However, USG should identify key features of student life that need improvement. For example, the egregiously outdated Web Registration website, where students sign up and register for classes, is in dire need of an overhaul. In 2015, it’s embarrassing to think we can Skype a TA for a class, but to sign up for that class, we use a site that echoes the early days of AOL. Searching by class name, a course description and the capacity to organize a schedule from a list of courses desired are some updates and options that should be added to help streamline the process of registering for classes and to reduce confusion and stress.

In the first 100 days, Quick, Sampath and Fowler should also look to help reduce classroom congestion. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, classes cannot be scheduled in 30 minute increments. As a result, classes that run for 90 minutes do not utilize the remaining half hour allocated to them for that classroom and 30-40 minutes can go by without a classroom seeing instruction. To make matters worse, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., classroom occupancy on campus hovers around 98 percent. Classroom space is in high demand and precious time is wasted because of scheduling restrictions. Efforts should be made to more efficiently schedule classes and decrease the gap time between classes.

With the construction of the new USC Village, the expansion of Metro lines and the regional connector and the rise of Trojan athletics on the horizon, USC is poised for new heights. Sampath, Fowler and Quick need to recognize the opportunities available to improve student life holistically, from athletics to academics to lifestyle and beyond. The first 100 days tend to indicate the strength and power of an administration, and it is important to showcase what USC is capable of and to demonstrate the change and hope that has been touted. It’s an exciting time to be a Trojan, and it is time to continue to show the world how we fight on.

Athanasius Georgy is a junior majoring in economics. His column, “Campus Talk,” runs Thursdays.