The Student Government Association (SGA) conducted its first university-wide Senate meeting, with representatives and Executive Vice Presidents from each of the five campuses both physically at the meeting, or attending through Skype.
Three major university figures attended the senate meeting to give all campus heads a briefing on Georgia State’s recent accomplishments and what to look for in the future.
Dean of libraries Jeff Steely addressed the government body with the department’s consolidation challenges, including increasing the content available to Georgia State students. Library security, according to Steely and later on Chief Mullis has gotten a security camera boost, climbing from 50 cameras to 200. Up ahead, students can look forward to virtual reality becoming one part of the library experience.
A list of upcoming projects around the university, presented by Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Douglass Covey, including the Courtland Bridge tear-down, a green space from Woodruff park to Library Plaza, as well as plans for the Turner Field neighborhood. Senators expressed concern for The Ted’s plans with many of them addressing questions to Covey on the affordable housing issue as well as graduation.
Covey confirmed that with Turner construction not ready by spring, and the Georgia Dome no longer available for the ceremony, spring commencement will be held in the Georgia Tech basketball court.
“This is a one-time thing and the only choice we have,” he said. “And we will make it as Georgia State-y as possible.”
As for affordable housing, Covey said neighbor community groups have expressed concerns from the very start of the project, and the university has been engaged in conversations since then.
“We very much want to be good neighbors,” he said.
Covey explained the free speech area change, which has caused uprise among university students, even sparking a petition to bring it back. He said the decision to discontinue the Plaza as a free speech area was due to the campus growth which posed safety concerns in case of an emergency.
But with all upgrades and changes, sounds of a push-back made their way in the meeting, once again from a senator of the College of Law.
Julie Lavelle said law students have been asking for a lowering of university fees just for them, as since the new College of Law building was built, they don’t use other campus facilities as much as other students do.
Here’s what’s happened so far:
- Over 150 new cameras added to library
- No more free speech in the Plaza
- Clinic now operated solely by university staff
- Grocery shuttles are up and running once again
- Georgia State joined the nation-wide All-in challenge to promote voter registration
Here’s what to look out for:
- New glass sliding doors in library entrance
- 25-camera pilot project by GSUPD
- Courtland Bridge’s going down
- Spring grads will be walking in Tech’s basketball court
