The Chancellor’s Liaison Wednesday marked the first for new Student Body President Jay Dawkins, and the group discussed the development of a new Town Hall Forum Series.
According to Dawkins, a junior in civil engineering, the forums would allow for students to discuss important campus issues with student leaders and administrators. Neil Ballentine, a sophomore member of the executive branch of Student Government, is fostering the idea, Dawkins said.
“The idea is, issues that are coming to the forefront of the N.C. State community can be openly discussed by any student,” Dawkins said. “Student Government officials and administrators can be present to hear comments and provide feedback.”
The forums would take place about once every month, Dawkins said, beginning in August or September.
“A big key to this is getting the pulse of the students, finding what their need is … and going from there to make our student life better,” Dawkins said.
Town hall forums will allow students one more outlet to discuss their needs, he said.
“Students always want their concerns to be heard, and in the past they’d have to come to Student Senate meetings [to do that],” Dawkins said.
Also present at the Liasion meeting were members of other organizations on campus, The Agromeck, the Center for Student Leaders Ethics and Public Service (CSLEPS) and the African American Student Advisory Council (AASAC) as well as former Student Body President Bobby Mills, a junior in political science.
Chancellor James Oblinger spoke of the importance of the group of leaders.
“I will continue to underscore that the pulse of the student is very important to us [because] this is a group we turn to for insight and reaction”, Oblinger said.
Representatives from a portion of the 17 expected groups were present.
“There should be 30 people at every meeting. … We are not representing 13 organizations,” Mike Giancola, director of CSLEPS, said.
Mills spoke briefly after Dawkins’ welcoming speech about accomplishments he made during his term.
Oblinger also presented Mills with a gift that he awards to all the Trustees at the end of their terms.
“Bobby did a great job of representing the student body,” Dawkins said. “His opinions were highly valued and sought out by the members of the board.”
Mary Beth Hamrick, a senior in political science and editor-in-chief of the Agromeck yearbook, was in attendance representing the Agromeck.
She presented Oblinger, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Tom Stafford, Giancola, and Vice Provost Katie Perry with their copies of the Agromeck, which she said were delivered earlier than last year with the yearbook’s new spring delivery.
“Only 100 copies were sold,” Hamrick said. She stressed the issue that graduating seniors should buy their copy before they graduate, because the longer a student waits, the more difficult they become to obtain.
