The D.P. Culp Student Center is now open for campus access, and the Student Government Association offices are now located on the second floor of the building. For SGA, this is a progressive step to better access students.
“It’ll be really beneficial, and it’ll help us be more connected to the students,” SGA Executive Vice President Tiffany Cook said.
Cook discussed office hours, detailing how SGA senators are now available in a more centralized space to listen and help students when they have questions or concerns. In terms of communicating with students, SGA used to have a suggestion box students could use to submit a concern or suggestion to SGA, but Cook said a more personal interaction is best.
“The goal is face-to-face interaction,” Cook said. “We’ve had a suggestion box in the past. We don’t always get a ton of submissions to it. That’s definitely something that we might consider.”
The new location for SGA offices “will be really helpful,” Cook said, after explaining how the SGA offices felt removed from student spaces in their former location. Since the renovation’s start, SGA meetings have moved all over campus, making it difficult for students to pin down exactly where each meeting will be held.
“We had been pretty spread out,” Cook said. “It makes it easier to have everyone in one spot.”
Now that SGA meetings are more accessible, Cook said she hopes students will attend more SGA meetings.
“That’s part of our effort to be transparent to the students, because we represent the students,” Cook said.
Seven years ago, SGA proposed the idea for the Culp renovation, voted on the restaurants, and now it’s finally here.
“It’s really exciting to know that so many SGAs before me have been a part of this, and I’m the one that gets to be there as it’s completed,” Cook said.
Cook said she knows some of the former SGA members, who have come back for other events on campus, such as the opening of the football stadium, which SGA had also helped orchestrate.
“Some of them kind of mentored me as I was going through the process of getting into SGA, like with former presidents and vice presidents,” Cook said. “I got advice from them to help prepare for this position, so it’ll be exciting to have them back on campus.”
Meetings will resume again upon the Culp’s reopening. Full Senate meetings will be held on the third floor of the Culp in Forum 3, and many of the committee meetings will be held in the SGA offices. Cook said close proximity will help SGA members, administration and students better communicate and access one another
“I’m looking forward to having campus back in a central spot,” Cook said. “Like having that central meeting spot for everybody.”
Cook’s favorite part about the Culp’s renovation is the glass wall that faces the quad, where it will provide an overview of campus for students to enjoy.
“I think it’ll be great for the campus environment,” Cook said.
All SGA meetings are open to the public. Full Senate meetings are held every other Tuesday at 4 p.m., and the committees will meet on the alternate Tuesdays from the Senate meetings.
