Juan Sebastian Parra:
What has been your involvement in SGA as the current VP of Academic Affairs?
At Georgia State, I was chosen by the senate to fill a vacancy in January 2014 for the vice president of Academic Affairs position. I started my work by meeting with the Academic Affairs Committee members and assessing their past objectives and determining the relevance of such goals. It seemed like they had mostly focused on the “Plus/Minus Grading System,” after determining that we had more important things to focus on we moved on to work on other issues like: Increasing research opportunities for undergraduate students, ensuring that the school starts offering Massive Online Open Courses and elevating GSU’s academic reputation in general.
My biggest accomplishments have been creating the Student Government Association Scholarship Fund that will begin in the fall with a $2,000 budget. Additionally, I helped Senator Justin Brightharp draft the legislation to create the Panther Mentorship Program.
I am very pro-active in my work, which is why I noticed that our legislature did not really have a standard form of drafting legislation. Therefore, I created a bill template that established the standard way for all of the senators to draft legislation. Although it has little to do with Academic Affairs, this bill template of mine has been implemented with outstanding success. All of the bills drafted after my introduction of the template, were drafted with my template.
Finally, as an Executive Board member, I have been a critical part in making decisions regarding the $50,000 allocation for Pantherpalooza, establishing a legislative procedure that assigns to the relevant committees all of the bills that are introduced and the many other issues dealt with at the SGA’s Executive Board.
What makes you a good candidate for the position in Academic Affairs?
Being the current vice president of Academic Affairs makes me the best and most qualified candidate for this position. I have directed the Academic Affairs committee and re-aligned its attention to actual relevant issues. I have always cared a lot about academic affairs and I believe that the school’s commitment to it starts at the budget. That is the reason why I joined the Student Library Advisory Council, to expand the operation hours of the Library. While there and at the SGA, I have been a strong advocate for funding our library, increasing research opportunities for undergraduates and offering Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs). Unfortunately, due to the snowstorms, I only had two meetings with the Academic Affairs committee and two legislative sessions with the SGA’s senate. Consequentially, my ability to accomplish my initiatives has been very limited. I believe that if I am given a chance to continue working on my goals, the student body will benefit greatly. I have a very specific agenda with clear goals and a way to get them done.
Finally, my personality, experience and legislative capacity to form coalitions in support of my bills makes me very efficient. I have served my campus in several organizations, which has given me the experience to know how to get things done and get the support of the people that will help me get them done.
What is your platform?
I am running with TEAM IMPACT. Our platform is:
I – Increasing the value of every student’s degree.
M – Mobilizing the campus community.
P – Promoting panther pride.
A – Advocating for a 24/hr. study space.
C – Creating a unified campus.
T – Targeting safety concerns.
However, my specific goals are these:
A) Make sure that Georgia State University offers three Massive Online Open Courses per semester, this will help establish GSU as an elite research university by elevating it’s academic reputation and consequentially the value of every student’s degree.
B) As the creator of the SGA’s Scholarship Fund, I plan to at least double its budget to $4,000 in order to help more students complete their tuition and/or pay for their textbooks.
C) I will advocate for more funding for our Library by increasing the current library fee of $5 to $15, which is less than half of the previous fee of $35 which was being used to pay off a loan.
If you were to be selected for the position in Academic Affairs again, what would you change and or plan to change?
I would like to change the passive culture as far as Academic Affairs go; I have noticed in my short time at the SGA that academics are looked upon as a “boring” Vice Presidency. However, I think that I have shown that it is actually essential to our student body. Certainly, I will be a very active VP and will work with all of my committee members to accomplish the goals I have described above.
How has your past involvement with various organizations (SGA, Democratic Party of Georgia, Student Library Advisory Council and Latino Leadership Initiative) impact your leadership role on campus?
As a Student Leader in all of the organizations that I have been a part of, I learned the value of the students’ voices. Honestly, the faculty will always have the upper hand in any negotiation or project, they will always advocate for their interests. It is crucial for students to organize and promote their interests as well. However, I have learned that we can’t always have what we want; we are all blessed to attend such a great institution at such low price. Therefore, I have learned to compromise with our faculty members and the leaders of our university in order to benefit both the student body and keep the school running efficiently. This piece of wisdom in SGA is key; unfortunately, I’ve seen many people ignore it when they run for student government with grandiose plans and unrealistic promises. When I applied to fill the vacancy for the Vice President of Academic Affairs, I went before the Senate and promised them nothing, I simply told them that I would assess their current and past goals in order to decide which goals were attainable and made the most sense. I hate making promises; I just recognize the needs of the student body as I perform the duties of my positions.
As for my job with the Democratic Party of Georgia and my internship last summer with the ACLU:
I would like to highlight my favorite thing about GSU: Its location. I found out about the job with the DPG and the internship with the ACLU through our Panther CareerNet. I love that Georgia State has incredibly qualified faculty such as Dr. Stephen Anthony (former Director of the DGP and a senior aide to Speaker Murphy, basically an expert in Southern Politics). Through my classes in Political Science I have learned so much and it has really prepared me for a job in the real world of politics. I compare our program to the program at Montclair State University where I started my college career, and GSU’s political science program and faculty are certainly outstanding. Moreover, as a sophomore student of Political Science at Georgia State, I am the Field Manager of the Canvassing Team at the Democratic Party of Georgia, all of the workers under my supervision have graduated college from schools like: Emory, University of Miami and New York University; yet still, I am their manager. I credit my professors at Georgia State for that because I truly find it impressive all of the resources I’ve been given there.
In conclusion, as a student leader who has benefited so much from mentors, peers, and career resources from my school; I’ve found the essence of leadership: empowering others. I believe that a true leader is not selfish and does not keep all of the resources and opportunities to themselves. I have personally helped others to learn what I have learned and obtain the positions that I’ve held. In fact, I am currently applying to become a 1913 Society Ambassador and that is my main goal, to empower others and to create more leaders on my campus.
Breeana Minton:
What has been your involvement with SGA?
My freshman year, I met with some of the SGA members and attended the town Hall meetings to get a better understanding of GSU’s needs and SGA’s structure. Currently, I serve as the Senator for the Andrew Young School of policy Studies. As Senator, I have created and voted on legislation, remained an active member of the Academic Affairs Committee for the entire year (collaborating with the group to research and resolve issues brought up during meetings) and been a voting member of the Diversity Fee Committee. Additionally, I have also organized volunteer events as a member of the Outreach Committee.
How will you get more of the faculty and student population involved with SGA and Academic Affairs?
During my term as Senator, I have already spoken with groups and faculty and staff members about SGA’s presence on campus. Both this year and the upcoming year, I plan to have the Academic Affairs Committee and I physically reach out to students, organizations, and especially faculty members. I will introduce ideas to other Executive Board members to clearly define SGA’s role on campus and have physical descriptions of our organization distributed to academic departments, offices, information desks, and other areas. At least once a month, the Academic Affairs Committee meetings and agenda will be advertised via social media. Based on attendance, I will host the bi-weekly meetings in the SGA office or in an actual meeting room on campus that hosts a larger group of faculty and students. After my committee meetings, the Committee and I will visit specific departments and offices on campus, briefly discussing our current agenda and receiving helpful feedback and opportunities for further involvement with the GSU community.
Based on the previous position holder, how will you improve the position?
In the last year, we have had three VP’s of Academic Affairs, and I have had the opportunity to work with two of them. As a senator on the Academic Affairs Committee last semester, what I enjoyed most was how the VP included the Senators in the decisions and execution of our ideas. This semester, there have been a few good ideas brought to the table . However, what I will do is fulfill my position throughout the entire year, especially because I have researched and worked with the Committee, so I know exactly what I am getting myself into. I have also familiarized myself with and been involved in SGA since my Freshman year, and developed a greater understanding of how things work within this organization and our school. I have noticed that due to a lack of communication with faculty members and students, some excellent ideas have not been executed effectively. There is not much time in the school year to get everything done, so it is important to do extensive preliminary research on these ideas, and to have the entire Committee actively involved. I plan to do just that, and to also create a position for either elected SGA members or students to help research throughout the year.
As a 2014 Inceptor (new student orientation leader) for Georgia State University, what types of relationships have you built with the university community?
Each week during my Incept training, I have been exposed to faculty members and offices throughout the entire campus. I now have access and contact information to our 9 colleges, to the Admissions Office, to our Library and to several other offices that want Inceptors to speak on their behalf to the entire incoming class. My boss, the Incept coordinator, has also been a great resource for me, as she also works closely with these offices, Deans, and faculty members to create the Incept program. The information I have learned about our University and all the resources offered is extremely valuable to this position. I have been able to speak directly with these individuals, and will continue to do so throughout the course of the year and in the summer when I am working with the Incept 2014 on our campus every week. Additionally, I will work with all 3,000 plus incoming students, speaking with many of them individually not only during the summer, but throughout the entire upcoming school year.
Are there any previous organizations that you were involved in that would make an impact on your leadership role?
My involvement as a Panther LEAP Peer mentor has allowed me to build relationships with a diverse group of current and upcoming student leaders on our campus. It’s important to build these connections with those you plan on serving, because our students need to know that you are somebody they can contact and trust. As the President of the National Black Law Students Association, I have also been in contact with a group of motivated students on campus, looking to pursue graduate school once they obtain their degrees. I am also a Campus Representative for Kaplan, Inc., a test prep company that prepares students to take the necessary test to enter their respective graduate schools. Through this position, I have interacted with hundreds of students across campus, given them a tool to move forward with their test prep search, and in turn they have shared their needs with me. Each of the positions I have mentioned allows me to understand the unique needs of our diverse group of students and seek out methods to improve the retention rates of our students and prepare them to further their education. Furthermore, I have developed the skill of communicating effectively and efficiently with a group, and delegating tasks to members. This is essential to running an organized, collaborative, and effective Academic Affairs Committee.
Why did you want to run for VP of Academic Affairs?
To me, the Academic Affairs Committee is one of the most important divisions of the Student Government Association. After all, as a prestigious leading-research University located in the bustling city of downtown Atlanta, Academics are our very foundation. We thrive on creating ways to change our world, developing our diverse student population to become the change agents that this society needs. To do this, we must prepare and equip them with the necessary tools to do so. This starts in the classroom, and continues outside of the classroom through the support and resources offered to students. At Georgia State University, we strive to produce nothing but the most well-rounded, highly motivated students that continue to represent our school well. The Academic Affairs Committee has an immense opportunity to work alongside our faculty and staff, and promote the goals stated in our University President, Dr.Mark Becker’s Initiatives for his term as President. During my interview for my Senator position this past summer, I expressed my interest in the committee, and remained involved with it since obtaining my current position.
What is your platform?
My platform consists of the following: Improving Classroom Procedures and Policies, Strengthening the Relationship between SGA and Faculty, Promoting Academic Support and Resources Available, and Providing & Researching Opportunities for Furthering Education. To discuss my platform with me individually, I advise all students to take advantage of my Office Hours during election week.
Why are you a good candidate for the VP position in Academic Affairs?
The Vice President of Academic Affairs should be well connected to our University, knowledgeable of the student population and diverse needs, open to new ideas, and dedicated to serving his or her constituents. I know what it is like to sit on the opposite end of the table in Committee meetings as a member of the student body and now Senator in SGA. I have also been able to develop great relationships with my fellow Senators, who have the power to and do contribute greatly to the ongoings of SGA. It is my goal to get not only the students and faculty more involved in increasing the value of our Georgia State diploma, but to also give the Senators a more distinctive role in this process. I research as a member of my committee, continue to fulfill my role as a Senator, communicate with our student body, develop essential leadership skills, and I am now ready to serve as the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
