Course Critique Update + Spring Registration Resources
The SGA Information Technology Board has been working hard on a new version of Course Critique. Earlier this week, the new version went live at https://critique.gatech.edu. The application is now built on React.js and AWS. Other features in development include the integration of course syllabi links and CIOS information into course and professor tables. To support student developers on campus, IT Board is also working on publicly providing the Course Critique API in the coming months. Other registration resources include the numerical information from CIOS data, which can be found here, and a Bits of Good course scheduler which can be found here. Feel free to email it@sga.gatech.edu with any questions.
Buzz to the Ballot!
Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion hosted early voting for Fulton County residents on October 21-23 and served approximately 1,500 voters with minimal wait times. The early voting precinct was staffed by a mix between Georgia Tech students and Fulton County Staff, with SGA Vice President of External Affairs Samuel Ellis serving as the poll manager. On November 3rd, McCamish Pavilion served as Fulton County Polling Precincts 03I and 02L2 and was the first fully student-staffed general election day polling precinct in the country. Athletics gave out pizza, waters, and snacks to those standing in line and we worked with a Georgia Tech research team to optimize the layout of the polling place on election day. Between early voting and election day, nearly 2,000 people voted at McCamish Pavilion!
Updates from Around the Institute
Department of Homeland Security Advocacy
SGA partnered with Georgia Tech International Ambassadors to advocate against the September 25, 2020 rule proposed by the Department of Homeland Security that would arbitrarily limit international student visa lengths and place additional restrictions on student visas based on an individual’s country of origin. You can read the letter sent to Senators Perdue and Loeffler here.
Mandatory Student Fee Advisory Committee Update
MSFAC, the committee which reviews the current mandatory fee levels, has begun meeting and hearing presentations for the coming academic year’s mandatory student fee proposals. All information, meeting times, and further resources can be accessed here. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns feel free to reach out to the committee here.
Commencement Student Speaker Application
Graduating this semester and want to speak to your fellow Yellow Jackets during your commencement ceremony? Apply to be one of the student commencement speakers here! The deadline to apply is November 12, 2020 at 12:00pm.
Hiring of 5 New Positions in the Counseling Center and CARE
Georgia Tech CARE has received approval to hire an immediate temporary tech position and two new clinical case managers to begin full-time for the Spring semester. Additionally, the Counseling Center has hired two new counselors, one of which recently started.
Georgia Tech Personal Finance Course
Be on the lookout for GT’s Personal Finance Course this spring semester! It will be coded as GT 4801 in BuzzPort and is one-credit hour. If you’re interested in learning more about managing your money, this is the course for you! To learn more about this and other exciting course offerings, click here to contact SGA’s Vice President of Academic Affairs.
Need Assistance with Your Financial Aid?
Be on the lookout for emails from the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OFSA) to fill out your application for the next academic year. Reach out to OFSA anytime if you have questions about your application, want to apply or need any help. In particular, if you have questions about how COVID-19 may impact your ability to pay for school, this office is a great resource. Find them here.
Message from the SGA Vice President of Student Life
HAPPY NOVEMBER, Folks!
It’s the final stretch of the semester. You all have worked tirelessly through the semester and I’m proud of each and every one of you! This month is jam-packed with elections, finals, holidays, and travels. With everything happening at once this month, it’s VERY important to take care of yourself. If you’re not sure what help you need or where to start, I listed some links below to help. Always remember that you’re not alone. Please contact someone if you’re in need of assistance so that you can get the support you need!
- Post-Election Resources
- Self-Care Tips from GT Health Initiatives
- Bhakti Yoga @ GT
- SKY @ GT (meditation)
- GT Meditation Club
- Virtual Events and Engagement Opportunities
- List of Spiritual Organizations
- GT CARE
Try to get outside for a walk, catch up with an old friend, or watch that show your friend recommended to you that one time. Just remember to take time for you! Good luck with finals, Yellow Jackets! If you have any questions, suggestions, worries, or just want to talk, reach out to me at studentlife@sga.gatech.edu.
Read SGA Student Life’s Full Update Here
Campus Services: A Month of Change
Housing & Residence Life (HRL): Free Laundry & RA Conversations
On Tuesday, October 20th, the efforts of long-term student advocacy led to the elimination of laundry costs for all residents beginning in January 2021. This is a major win for the student body and one, very large step towards rebuilding trust between students and Campus Services. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but this successful effort is proof that there are short-term, attainable changes here at Tech that can be made when we make our voices heard.
Additionally, the SGA Campus Services unit has been conducting conversations with both Housing & Residence Life administration and current/former Resident Assistants (RA) via the Campus Services StudentExecutive Advisory (CSSEA). The purpose of these conversations is to better understand the underlying issues with the RA position, and develop actionable advocacy items for SGA to encourage HRL to adopt. CSSEA meetings are open to all students and occur on a daily basis. You can find out more here
Dining: SGA/Auxiliary Services’ Focus Group Results
Following the completion of a focus group series in collaboration with Auxiliary Services, SGA has developed the following set of initial recommendations for Georgia Tech Dining to implement. Further advocacy and results will soon be released as SGA works to move quickly to our next phase of reinventing meal plans at Tech. You can view our initial findings here.
Campus Services: Open Chats w/ VPCS & Study Spaces Survey
Hearing concerns and ideas from students is critically important to the advocacy efforts of the SGA’s Campus Services’ unit. If you have a story, idea, or a concern to share with your student advocates about Campus Services, please email the Campus Services’ team at campusservices@gatech.edu to get connected with a member of our team.
Additionally, SGA is heading a project to aggregate study spaces across campus. We understand that this semester, not everyone has had the opportunity to explore campus, so we’re working to compile a list of spaces to share with the GT community. Send us your favorite places to study by filling out this form!
Opinion Survey on GT Recycling and Composting
FreShGA is one of many First-year Leadership Organizations on campus. For their fall semester project, they hope to gauge student awareness and opinion on GT’s current sustainability initiatives and existing recycling and composting infrastructure. Based on the results of this survey, FreShGA will highlight what is and isn’t working well, and propose a series of changes to the recycling and composting policy that will hopefully be enacted in the near future. Thank you for taking the time to fill out this survey!