Rese Fox 4 MSA

PLEASE COMMENT on anything I have on ANY PART of this site. If you disagree with what I am saying, I do want to know because I might miss considering your angle of the issue if you do not comment. I am not afraid to admit when I am wrong. Similarly, if you really like what I have to say I will be able to know what should be my top priorities in MSA. I will keep all of the posting public because it's important for other students to hear concerns with my platform.

Accountability and Transparency

MSA and LSA-SG members should have a blog similar to this very site to post their student government activities. Students should know if their representatives are reflecting their views and if they are consistently putting forth effort to meet the goals of their campaigns which convinced students to vote for them. Student government meeting minutes should be regularly posted online and information on how each representative voted should be available and easy to find, utilizing charts instead of large bodies of text. Constituents should be able to score their representatives so that they can learn how to improve and so that they can be held accountable for their responsibilities that come with the privilege of representing students at the University.

Site of interest: http://www.msa.umich.edu/government/minutes.html

Accessibility

MSA and LSA-SG reps should work to hold office hours within the residence halls and at other high-traffic places outside of the union like coffee shops.

Student Housing Rights and Education

Many students rush into signing a lease without knowing their rights as a tenant or if parts of their lease are enforceable or not. For instance, many landlords charge cleaning fees to students moving into an apartment or house when by law all landlords must provide a clean living space free-of-charge. Also, landlords often take advantage of students who aren't provided with adequate information. For example, some landlords convince seven students to live in a house when only six are allowed by Fire Code so that student tenants cannot call law enforcement to complain without being evicted. MSA should provide information and empower students with it.  Currently MSA does host an Ann Arbor Housing Review site, but this attempt to inform students about housing could be enhanced.  Further, Student Legal Services does offer guidance on landlord/tenant disputes, but the staff also attends to many other student needs and might not be able to devote as much time as needed to this prevalent issue. 

If students just have general questions and hope to prevent landlord/tenant disputes instead of deal with them in the future, they should have an online resource. MSA should have a central website with a renter's rights guide, a landlord rating section, renting and negotiating tips, and information about what is and is not enforceable in a lease. A tenant's rights hotline would also be helpful. MSA should look into hiring a staff member to work extensively on tenants issues which affect so many University students. 

Site of interest: http://www.marypirg.org/renter/

Site of interest: https://www.msa.umich.edu/housing/

Site of interest: http://studentlegalservices.dsa.umich.edu/

Student Lobbyist in Lansing

Many student bodies at colleges and universities the size of University of Michigan have their own lobbyists. We should, too! Lansing politicians decide the laws that govern voting laws that affect students and determine our higher education funding. They draft legislation that either protects students from identity theft or leaves students' private information exposed to criminals. They influence the development patterns of our cities, suburbs and rural areas. Student lobbyists on other campuses fight to stop the publishing industry from driving up the cost of textbooks and work to educate students about crooked spring break companies. Big businesses have lobbyists; we should have our own lobbyist to represent ourselves, too!

Site of Interest: http://www.studentpirgs.org

Representation in Ann Arbor City Council

From the couch ban to the expansion of the Historical District, activity in the city council can disproportionately affect students. Student government should have a vocal presence at city council meetings.

Student on the Board of Regents and Regent Office Hours

The Regents decide funding allocations, the hiring and firing of the deans of schools and the president of the University (Mary Sue Coleman),  the ideology of the University in its class offerings (do we offer the "How to Be Gay?" course?) and have the most influence of any other governing body in the University. It is an understatement to say the University would not exist without its students: we help fund the University with our tuition dollars and our accomplishments benefit this institution. We offer so much to the University, yet why don't students have a direct voice on the Board of Regents through a voting member? I would like to establish a dialog with the Regents about students earning a seat on their Board.

Because getting a student position on the Board of Regents will take quite a bit of time and negotiation, in the meantime MSA should request for the Board of Regents to hold office hours on campus for students. MSA does have the opportunity to meet with the Regents, but student representatives should not act as a filter of the general student body. With the best intentions an MSA representative could potentially not present a student's concern in the best possible way. The passion and conviction of the student also might be lost if the message has to travel through an MSA member, as well. It is in the best interests of the student body, MSA members and the Regents that students have direct communication access.

Site of Interest: http://www.umich.edu/~pirg/election2004/regent.html

Site of Interest: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/regents/studentreg.html

Student Organization Support

MSA had promised to promote "Student Group Outreach" by requiring each representative to regularly attend student group meetings. However, "Student Group Outreach" has not been enforced. MSA should stand true to their word and attend more student group meetings. This would allow student groups to have more influence and for their goals to be buttressed by more MSA resources.