Although the Student Government (SG) ticket that The Miami Hurricane editorial board endorsed for executive board – “Amplify U” – did not win the election, we are hopeful “Unite the U” will get right to work. We have selected the top three platforms they should start to develop. In addition, we want to remind our new SG leaders to work alongside the candidates from “Amplify U” and push for some of its more popular platforms, including tax-free textbooks in the state of Florida.
1. Tuition Lock-In
Locking in students’ tuition at the price it is during their first year at UM would have the largest impact. Such a monumental change would likely take several terms to accomplish, but given how valuable this would be to students, we hope that “Unite the U” gets a head start in paving the way for future SG executive boards to carry the project forward. And, if SG encounters roadblocks with the administration, they should inform students that the lock-in won’t happen. However, if a top-ranked school such as George Washington University can provide its students a fixed tuition rate, why can’t the U?
2. Parking scholarships
Parking is one of the biggest complaints of commuters, and annual permits are expensive. Offering scholarships could be extremely useful, but we’re wondering how many students this would ultimately apply to. What kind of standards would be used to determine if a student is in need? Would it correspond to FAFSA? Some students who receive financial aid already have money allocated for expenses, so it is not clear to us how this scholarship is different. What committee would allocate the funds? There are many questions to consider, but this platform would be valuable if accomplished.
3. Food delivery service
Implementing a food delivery service is a simple campus life initiative that could have a wide-reaching impact. Oftentimes students are in the library or working in the organization suites and feel hungry but are too busy to leave. This seems like a very feasible goal to implement by next fall, and it would benefit not only hungry students, but also students looking for a job. Delivery could increase student employment opportunities and let freshmen enjoy No-Yes fries from the Rat from the comfort of their dorm rooms.