2004-2005 Student Government Association Presidential
Elections Platform Sheet
Name: Bryant A. Jones
Phone: 542-6445
Email: bryant4president@netscape.net
Address: Harris Hall Box 10
College: College of Arts and Sciences
Major: Biology Minor: Asian Studies
Quote: “I have noticed in life that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.”
Motto: “Encompassing All”
Hello, my name is Bryant Jones and I am running for president of the Student Government Association (SGA). I have served on the Senate for three years, and have served most recently as Speaker of the Senate. I served three years on the Committee on Legislative Action, the SGA Committee that interacts with members of the Vermont State legislature and the Burlington City Council. This Committee stays attuned to issues affecting UVM students, such as tenants' rights, tuition rates, and other student-related issues. With the help of other members of this Committee, such as Stephanie Bennett, Elizabeth Shorey, Lena Danall, Kelly Chamberlain, Adam Stone and Ajay Schmidt, we have worked to maintain a constructive and positive relationship with those elected officials.
Having been born and raised in Idaho, I came to UVM to study biology, and have found my experiences in Vermont and New England to be invigorating and enlightening. I truly believe that if one does not travel and see the world, then one does not turn past chapter one in the book of life. I believe that opportunities exist for all UVM students to expand their horizons.
I am running for President of the SGA because I feel that there are always new ideas that can be proposed and implemented to make the University a better place for you, me, and future students. Positive communication and strong leadership are needed to ensure that the students' voices are heard by the administration. Finding a common ground and being able to compromise are vital to obtaining goals and keeping lines of communication open. The position of President is a huge commitment and I am hoping that you will allow me the opportunity to represent you as President of the student body here at the University of Vermont.
On the next pages I have listed some issues I want to address, some of my goals if elected as President, and some accomplishments I have made during my three years on Senate.
Thank you,
Bryant A. Jones
“Encompassing All”
Meal Plan and Dinning Services Issues: Bryant Jones
σ Convince the University to end the Sodexho/Marriott contract, and get rid of Sedexho and make Dinning Services a University department or find a better company. This will help to decrease food costs and allow for more student input in food options. We don't need Sedexho to be over-charging and making a profit off students. When it costs 8 dollars to eat dinner, you know that you are being overcharged.
-Make the Harris/Millis and Simpson Dinning Halls open earlier on weekends for
students who get up early or want to ski/ride.
-Investigate why prices at the Marché are so expensive and work to lower costs.
-Better quality food at certain eating locations.
-Award Dinning Service employees for their hard work.
σ Work with University Dinning Services (UDS) to increase weekend hours of dinning facilities and extend the hours of operation of the Cyber CafĂ©.
σ Determine if Sedexho is charging tax on products it sells.
Safety Issues:
σ The University has an award-winning Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHWB) that has inadequate buildings for the dozens of helpful student programs. I will encourage President Fogel to find funding to design and construct a new Center for Health and Wellbeing.
-This will centralize the services offered such as the Women's Health Clinic,
H.O.P.E., the Counseling Center, and Athletic Medicine.
σ Try to re-institute SAFE ride by placing it under the Parking and Transportation Department and using work study students to drive the vans on weekend nights.
“Green Space” Issues:
σ Push for an increase in green-space on campus. I will work to get physical plant trucks off the walkways once and for all. Then the University will not have to replant grass every spring and fall.
σ Move faculty and staff parking to the periphery of campus, in newly constructed parking garages (such as the new Gutterson Garage being built this summer) and transform the old faculty lots into green areas and parks.
Athletic Issues:
σ I will put more pressure on the Athletic Department to help recreational and club sports to obtain more funding through the athletic fee that was created last year. The Athletic Dept. promised they would help clubs sports when the department implemented their athletic fee last year, but have yet to follow through on that pledge. I will fight to make them keep that promise.
-This increase in funds will help offset the embarrassing budget cuts clubs face.
-Reserve more student tickets for home games.
-Try to get the Athletic Department to have sweet towels for students working out
that can be checked out with your UVM identification.
Transportation Issues: Bryant Jones
σ The off-campus bus needs to have increased hours of operation and cater not only to on-campus students heading downtown but also to off-campus students going home after classes.
σ Try encouraging the faculty (who use 2/3 of parking on campus) to find alternative methods of traveling to work. There is a parking problem on campus and this leads to degradation of the campus beauty.
-Parking garages should be in President Fogel's 10-year vision for the University.
-Encourage faculty and staff to not use cars to get to work.
-Student parking fees will go up to $208 next year, I will work with parking
officials on the many long term parking issues on campus.
Police Issues:
σ Police Services has a communication problem on campus. The department does not listen to the students who, in a poll conducted in January, said that they are somewhat to very dissatisfied with Police Services. I will work with UVM Administration to find ways to change policy within the UVM Police department.
-Try to encourage police services to be friendlier.
-Create a community-based policing service and get rid of the response-based
program that UVM Police are currently using.
-Open communication with the police and student representatives.
-The current path of Police Service leads to disgruntled students and a lack of
communication and respect, this needs to be mended.
Communication Issues:
σ The students of the University need to be represented more in campus committees to ensure that our voices our heard, and I will push for more student involvement so that the University officials hear what the students want.
-Voter turnout in SGA elections is low. I will use my campaign to try to increase
voter participation.
-I want Senate to be a diverse group of students from all spectrums of the student
body. I will work on that regardless of whether I win the presidential election.
-Have fair representation on Senate from Free to Be, ALANA, VSTEP, Hillel,
Campus Navigators, the Greek system, College Democrats, College
Republicans, College Progressives, and other groups on campus.
σ Continue to improve the relationship between the University, its students, and the City of Burlington.
σ Continue to increase school spirit not only through athletics but also through music concerts and late night activities. Make school events hoppin' and fun.
-Spring Fest
-Homecoming
-Tenants Fair Bryant Jones
-Winter Blitz
-Week of Welcome
-Green for Gold
-Campus Activities Fair
-Movies, comedians (CATS is doing a great job!!)
σ Improve faculty-student relations and ensure that the University gives students a week off for Thanksgiving, currently a project being aggressively worked on by the SGA.
σ More efficient, healthier, and regular communication with influential clubs and organizations on campus, such as, ALANA, Free to Be, Greeks, and the schools media.
Other Goals as President:
σ Continue to push for the new student center, a fight that was started years ago. Ensure that the students are informed of the design and that our suggestions are incorporated into the final product, such as having a pub in the new Student Commons.
σ Paint the two water towers with the “V-cat” or other University logo/name.
σ Always improve communication with clubs, students, and University officials.
σ But most importantly I will listen to the student body and effectively uphold “The Voice of the Students!!”
Some Accomplishments while on Senate:
and keeping it open 24-hours a day, Sunday through Thursday.
σ When University officials threw out plans for kitchens on every floor in the new residential halls at University Heights, I fought to keep the kitchens and succeeded.
σ Jen Hughes and I helped to guarantee blue lights would be placed on Trinity Campus, along South Prospect Street, and by the Counseling Center.
σ Students receive many solicitations in the mail and via the phone. I made certain that the University was not selling our names, address, and phone numbers to solicitors.
σ When issues of safety and assaults increased along South Prospect street, I convinced the City of Burlington to add more street lights and encouraged the University to help out in the project by placing blue lights along the street.
σ I pushed for and succeeded in creating a diverse array of rooming options in the new University Heights residential halls. There are singles, six-person suits, and two-story four-person suits.
Bryant Jones
σ I argued endlessly that the University to meet LEEDS Certifications in all new buildings. As a result Catamount Apartments, University Height Residential Halls, and the new Student Commons Project are all vying for a Certification or Silver rating in the LEEDS initiative.
σ Key member in rewriting the SGA Constitution and bylaws last year.
σ This past semester I created a program to send students to Montpelier and engage the legislature in order to put a face on the University and listen to debates on bills that will affect the University and the students.
σ In concert with the Committee on Legislative Action, I have encouraged communication between University and City of Burlington officials. This year we had freshman Senator Ajay Schmidt elected to the Ward One Steering Committee to advocate the student voice in city politics.
σ Advocated for tenants' rights and helped teach tenants that they have allies when dealing with landlords and slumlords.
σ Used the media to get the voice of the students heard. This effectively grabbed the attention of the Faculty Senate and made them listen to SGA's quest to change the academic calendar in order to get a week of for Thanksgiving, hopefully starting in 2006.
σ Participated and designed Green for Gold Week, with Stephanie Bennett and Elizabeth Shorey, to make a statement to the City of Burlington that the University is a vital organ of the community and that the City cannot function without the students, faculty, and staff.
σ Fought the city noise ordinance along with the other members on the Committee on Legislative Action.
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