Stephen Ratner for SGA President

My vision for the Student Government Association

Creative Resources, Creative Solutions

Table of Contents

Letter of Declaration ..................................................................................................................................................... 3

Qualifications………………..………………..………………..………………..………………..………………..………………..………………..………….……4
What I’ve Done .................................................................................................................................................................. 5
My Vision for Emory………............………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7/8
 For
Emory,
By
Emory
 3




To the Emory community,

In these difficult economic times, it is increasingly important that your Student Government Association
not fold in the face of budget cuts, but rather become more creative to continue to provide additional
resources to each one of you and your educational pursuits. While finances may be tight across the
University, the competitiveness outside of Emory is only increasing and the need to equip Emory students
with top-of-the-line tools for success is undeniably necessary for each student, division, and the future of
the University.

With that said, I humbly and excitedly declare my candidacy to be your next SGA President. In this role,
more than anything, I will look to find ways to enlist untapped, creative resources on campus to strive
towards creative solutions to equip Emory students with what they need to maintain the competitive
edge. In this moment, with the economy posing a threat to our futures, I intend to place the entire
support and resources of the organization behind each and every individual student in a concrete way
that will directly affect your lives daily.

For those of you further interested, the rest of this program will outline what I have done as a University-
wide representative to forward these goals and what I plan to do to expand on these student-oriented
initiatives.

Sincerely,

Stephen Ratner
 QUALIFICATIONS

Fall 2008 – Spring 2009

• Freshmen Representative, Student Government Association

• Member, SGA Student Life Committee
• Member, Food Advisory Committee @ Emory (FACE)

Spring 2009 – Spring 2010

• Representative At-Large (University-wide), Student Government Association

• Chair, SGA Ad Hoc Committee on Graduate/Undergraduate Mentoring Program
• Member, SGA Campus Services Committee
• Member, University Taskforce on Undergraduate Admissions
• Alternate Member, Committee on Academic Standards

Other qualifications:
• University-wide constituency
• Endorsed for University-wide office last year by The Emory Wheel, College Republicans of
Emory, Young Democrats of Emory
• Working relationships with administration across University
o EPD, Vice Provosts, President Wagner, Office of Undergrad. Education, Career Center,
etc.
• Worked with plethora of student organizations
o College Council, Graduate Senate, Young Democrats, College Republicans, etc.
o Through SGA Building Bridges Program: The Emory Wheel, Black Star America,
 For
Emory,
By
Emory
 5



WHAT I’VE DONE

SGA Graduate/Undergraduate Mentoring Program

• Founded program with Career Center and Graduate Senate

• Bridged a divide between graduate and undergraduate divisions
• Enlisted the untapped resource of graduate students to advise undergraduates on
career, educational, and life pursuits for an affordable (free) price based on
graduate tract

CONCRETE TAKEAWAY: Over 225 graduate and undergraduate

students from all divisions across University involved in this program that,
moving forward, will allow graduate students to bestow upon their
undergraduate counterparts the knowledge necessary to succeed in post-
graduation life. An affordable and creative supplemental resource for
Emory advising.

Creation and expansion of peer-to-peer advising within the College

• Worked with College Council to meet with several college department heads in
an effort to enlist the untapped resource of undergraduate students as peer
advisors
• Peer advisors will help students choose classes and increase compatibility thus
increasing the value of our degree and educational experience
• Looking to expand this program University-wide
• Already expanded to two departments and more in the process: Economics and
Political Science

CONCRETE TAKEAWAY: College students will have an additional

resource to ensure that the classes they are looking into are compatible
with their educational style and pursuits, a move that uses available
resources in a cost-effective way and had direct, positive effects on the
value of our degrees.
-Economics and Political Science Departments on board
-Other departments are in the process of implementation
-All department chair meeting has been attended and more
meetings are scheduled
Monetary Code Amendment of 2010
• Worked with Vice President of Finance and Attorney General to
overhaul the Monetary Code

CONCRETE TAKEAWAY: Increase financial responsibility through

empowering the VPF to look into individual divisions of divisions and seek
out if there are violations of The Monetary Code. Removes legislative
rubber stamp, which often led to missing major violations of the
Monetary Code.

SGA Building Bridges Program

• Formally identified Cox Amphitheatre as a location for freedom of expression on

campus, a move that won praise from President Wagner
• Organized this program with President Alex Kappus to increase dialogue on
campus and bring together disparate groups on campus to facilitate mutuality and
understanding

CONCRETE TAKEAWAY: A location on campus for students to express

themselves and learn about the opinions of others. A program that will
bridge the gaps between different groups on campus to promote the
University’s goals of respect for diversity and difference of opinions. Held
several events over the course of the year.

Campus Safety – Safety Walks with EPD

• Organized Safety Walks with representative group of Emory
students to identify safety concerns on campus during nighttime with
EPD
• Submitted comprehensive report with several policy and program
ideas for EPD to increase campus safety

CONCRETE TAKEAWAY: Increased student concerns into the campus

safety process and forged a relationship with EPD to continue to
increase campus safety. Created a Student Advisory Board for Campus
Safety to ensure channel for communication and safety concerns
throughout the University.

For more detailed information about what I’ve done, please contact me to request my SGA Reports on
the initiatives’ progress as well as suggestions for bettering them moving forward.
 For
Emory,
By
Emory
 7




MY VISION FOR EMORY

AFFORDABILITY


•  Using
resources
 •  Each
initiative
must

already
available
by
 add
or
better
a

Emory,
for
Emory
 •  Little
or
no
 component
of

additional
fee
to
 student
life

students
and/or

SGA

ADDITIONAL

CREATIVITY

RESOURCES


Examples:
1. Using graduate students at no cost to advise undergraduates on career and
academic issues
2. Enlisting Volunteer Emory volunteers as childcare resource for no cost to
graduate students and an on-campus, convenient resource
3. Offering peer-advisors within department to increase value of degree by
promoting compatibility and increased information
 Platform
Advising and Mentoring

Career Center and divisional career resources interface

(President Maria Town’s ‘Student Support During Financial Crisis’ Report)
More interaction between Career Center and divisional Career Centers to ensure accessibility
and additional resources for all students
Additional training for Career Center advisers to meet the needs of the
difficult economic times and advise their students more effectively
Graduate students need Career Center counselors who have adequate
advising, especially since graduate students attest to lack of these counselors
who understand this job market adequately

Publicize course syllabi before class registration and include questions on student
questionnaires to publicize about classes
Ensure students have access to information they need to make smart decisions about class
choices
Work with Office of Undergraduate Education to include course review questions that can and
will be publicized to students to facilitate class registration

Further expand Peer-to-Peer Advising

Use two department platform as a pilot program for rest of University
Continue to sell program to department chairs
Enlist SGA Ad Hoc Committee to see the program into long-term academic vision
Use peer advisors for students seeking advising post-PACE and pre-major declaration, liberal
arts-oriented students, and students needing more major advising

Alumni Networking and Advising

(President Maria Town’s ‘Student Support During Financial Crisis’ Report)
Worsening job market requires strong alumni network
Increase Alumni communication to update Eagle Opportunities database
Divisional councils should work with their divisions to ensure divisional-specific alumni information
Alumni outreach must be greater to outline the struggles of current Emory students in finding jobs

Found Intercultural Exchange Mentor Program

Collaborate with cultural club presidents and OMPS to form program
Enlist cultural club mentors to become paired with other cultural club mentors to share cultural
experiences at Emory
Increase diversity through mutual respect of experience while taking advantage of full cultural,
religious resources at Emory

Double enrollment of SGA Graduate/Undergraduate Mentoring Program

 For
Emory,
By
Emory
 9



Use same program platform, but spread enrollment to increase divisional enrollment in lacking
divisions through gaining support
Reevaluate this year’s successes and shortcomings to better the program
Expand meeting times and incorporate other career services around campus to mentoring
groups

Continue to bolster relationship with Career Center

Build on relationship created this year with Mentoring program to further establish affordable
advising supplements
Tie in other divisions to Career Center leaders to establish buy-in for advising programs across
University and mutuality of resources

Advocacy, Student Concerns, SGA Accountability

University-wide policy for professors on textbook requesting
If only minimal changes to new editions, professors should adhere to this policy and not request
the new, more expensive editions to save students money

Use roundtables as active forum of invitation for student advocacy groups

Open up roundtables with constant invitations to club representatives and other divisional
leaders to increase conversation

Work with Speaker to set benchmarks for individual legislators

Divvy up presidential agenda amongst legislators without initiatives and set benchmarks for
results-oriented success.
If legislators do not meet benchmarks, move forward with facilitative action and if legislators to
not work, punitive action.

Enlist student liaisons to handle small scale, rapidly reparable concerns

Create team of small student volunteers to quickly assess problems pertaining to dining, campus
services, etc. and meet with the right people to remedy the issues over night.

Actively use social media as outlet for concern and information

Bring a student concerns presence to both Facebook and Twitter as well as constantly update
SGA blog with initiative progresses to allow students to see their representatives in action

Enforce legislative minimum for legislators and ensure that legislation is quality work
The Legislature and SGA as a whole must be active and meeting student concern, thus a
requirement of legislative activity is necessary when legislators are not being proactive.
If the legislation is not quality and concrete or is blatantly an attempt to just meet the quota
instead of do their jobs, then punitive action could be taken.

Use SGA Liaisons who report back to Presidents and all divisional councils
 We have these currently, not used and not charged with responsibility to co-opt efforts with
divisions
Far too often does communication break down and these liaisons to Campus Safety, EPD,
Career Center and other organizations must allow us to create a unity around campus of
information.

Community Building
Ideas for Emory Summit of Student Leaders
Bring together student leaders annually for an event attended by administrators and students to
discuss Emory and ideas for creating a stronger community
Present an end-of-the-year program of student concerns and blueprint for future initiatives

Extend SGA Building Bridges Program and freedom of expression

Work with even more student groups to allow them to use the area for their events and for
expression purposes
Advertise the area around campus in a communications effort to establish a tradition of free
speech
Concretely bring clubs of differing opinions together to forge common ground or at least gain
mutual respect for varying opinions
While this may seem abstract, the idea of brining groups together around campus is extremely
concrete.

SGA Development Directors

Have students act as Development Directors similar to what the University has for themselves to
facilitate projects that students are working on
They would know about how projects can get off the ground and organizations can run events,
so they will be able to facilitate these projects throughout the Emory campus by connecting
people and explaining the necessary processes to have successful efforts and student-oriented
initiatives.

Campus Safety and Life

Additional Work-Study Jobs on campus

(President Maria Town’s ‘Student Support During Financial Crisis’ Report)
More jobs on campus can remove the “visa-border” for international students in need of jobs,
but that have trouble without visas obtaining them off-campus
Difficult economic times call for more work-study jobs because more students eligible
o Part time jobs that are more high-paying to ease burden of being full-time student and
full-time employee

Integrate campus safety orientation into freshman orientation

Integrate Emory Police Department into orientation week to have the opportunity to introduce
freshmen to campus transition
 For
Emory,
By
Emory
 11



Potentially partner with PACE to make one of the requirements of the 1.0 credit hour class to
attend a campus transition meeting with EPD

Safety Walks with EPD Officers

Students walk around campus with EPD officers to identify spots on campus that they do not
feel safe or comfortable
Assessment will be made and SGA will work with EPD to ensure students feel safe at all spots
on campus

Require Emory Escort Drivers to take numbers of students

Work with EPD and Committee on Escort Services as well as Campus Life to establish a method
to take student numbers
Will help by preventing students from waiting outside or alone when they could be inside and
have the driver call them

Student Health Center Shuttle Stop

Collaborate with divisional councils to gain funding and propose the idea to Transportation
Services

Graduate Childcare through joint venture with Volunteer Emory or Work-Study

Enlist either Volunteer Emory volunteers or create work-study jobs to provide an affordable
alternative and on-campus childcare for graduate students in need

Assess price, quality competitiveness of Sodexho compared to other campuses

Career Center and divisional career resources interface
(President Maria Town’s ‘Student Support During Financial Crisis’ Report)
Enlist Campus Services committee to work with other campus SGAs to assess food and dining
methods as well as affordability
Compile a list of suggestions as well as complaints and deliver them to Sodexho and University,
similar to the approach done to change the mailing service
Ensure graduate students have accessible, affordable food options, many graduate divisions
only have Jazzman’s available to them.

In-person Textbook Exchange for Emory Students

Prioritize finding a place on campus that students can donate their old textbooks or trade
textbooks with other students
Create a system framework to allow for trading of textbooks on LearnLink to allow students to
know what is available and connect them

Financial Responsibility
Support Transparent Protocol for Financial Advising
President Maria Town’s ‘Student Support During Financial Crisis’ Report)
During financial crisis, students must be aware of who they can go to on campus and need not
rely on individuals untrained to deal with these touchy issues
 Information about financial advising resources should be readily available to students through
mediums like email, flyers, LearnLink, offices, etc.
Faculty and staff should be trained or receive information materials on how to handle students
who come to them about financial issues
Organizations and clubs on campus must have uniform method to ensure that financial
discrimination can be dealt with in a fair way, if they want to provide support for example, who
qualifies and how they can practice their financial policies fairly and helpfully

Monetary code overhaul

Enforce Monetary Code Amendments of 2010 that I was a cosponsor of and act financially
responsibly with student activity fee funds.

Establish position of Deputy Vice President for Finance to increase preparedness

Create a Deputy position so that the next VP of Finance can learn the job and not have to face
the steep learning curve
Will also allow VP of Finance more time to concentrate on student concerns and organizational
funding since Deputy will ease the load of responsibility

Develop Emergency Fund for students in financial need

Work with office of Financial Aid to put aside money for students who face dire financial
conditions
If emergency occurs that is medical, academic, or related to their success at Emory, this fund
could offer them financial assistance to get through the rough times
Funding could be gained from divisional council support
Work with office of Financial Aid and administration

Long Term Investment and Structural Improvement

Interdivisional Investment Fund for long term, University-wide improvements

Develop an inter-divisional committee to determine an improvement necessary that students
want each year
Go to divisions and seek funding to unite all together and collectively fund a project yearly that
is sustainable, student-oriented, and will be value added

Enhance McDonough Field by pooling together organizational funding to be matched

by SGA
Work with club presidents to pool together funding to provide upgrades to McDonough field
that all groups can use to their benefit (i.e. especially political, programming, performance
oriented groups)

Assess blue light availability around campus

Work with Emory Police Department to assess where blue lights are needed and if blue lights
from certain places can go to ones of higher priority
Assess safety within parking decks to deter crime, increase lighting and presence of EPD and
security officers at night hours.
 For
Emory,
By
Emory
 13



Administration + SGA Transparency

Follow through with meetings with executive search consultants to display reasoning
throughout process
Often, student leaders are invited to meet with executive search consultants to find new
University administrators
Follow through with this by proposing legislation in support of a particular candidate or by
giving suggestions
Also, report back to legislature and members to solicit advice

Publish all legislation online for students to view prior to legislative sessions
Use website as an archive for legislation and make students aware that voting records are
online

Formalize student-oriented proposal for traits we wish to see in hirings

SGA legislators and executive board members consistently meet with hiring consultants to give
student feedback on University hirings, we must formalize these suggestions and
recommendations for each new, significant opening in the administration

Oxford Campus

Increase shuttle routes to and from Oxford Campus

Work with Oxford SGA to identify routes that students desire and work with Transportation to
find ways to increase frequency of shuttle routes

Appoint Oxford Ambassadors to increase flow of information between campuses

Enlist main campus students to serve as intermediaries between the two campuses to guarantee
Oxford students know what opportunities exist on main campus
Open up the channel of communication between peers on both campuses so that upon arrival
connections are made and involvement is secured and easier

Reestablish Emory-Oxford Committee

Comprised of two Oxford representatives and two main campus representatives to co-opt
Oxford-oriented initiatives

Main campus orientation for all Oxford students upon arrival to main campus
SGA legislators and executive board members consistently meet with hiring consultants to give
student feedback on University hirings, we must formalize these suggestions and
recommendations for each new, significant opening in the administration

Assess resource availability on Oxford Campus to guarantee all resources available

on main campus are also present on Oxford Campus
Cross reference resources available on Oxford campus compared to main campus to ensure
that there is a dual availability of resources
**In sculpting this platform, I met with several student
leaders, campus administrators in order to gain the most
comprehensive background for how to better the Emory
community as a University.