Winter 2018 Services Committee Newsletter
JMUs University
UNIVERSITY
SERVICES
JMUs University Services Committee Newsletter
Do you have a problem with JMU?
T ired of the lack of parking at
JMU and Festivals unreliable
straws? The University Services
committee of James Madison
Universitys Student Government
Association released a survey to all
students to get input on all issues
related to dining, transportation,
facilities, technology, and libraries
to make student life the best for
students. The form is found on www.
sga.jmu.edu and will stay active for
the 2017-2018 academic year.
The survey consists of four
questions:
1) What is your suggestion/concern/
idea for improving student life?
2) What category does this
suggestion just fall into?
3) What is your name?
4) What is your email address?
Responses are sent to Halle Forbes,
the University Services Chair, and
she will work with her committee to
contact appropriate administrators
to resolve the issues submitted.
Suggestions are reviewed every
Tuesday during the University
Services Committee meetings. Each
University Services Committee
member oversees either dining,
Issue
Winter 2018 | Page 1 1
This Issue Includes:
Do you have a problem
with JMU?
Lack of parking continues to be Explore the ways you can express
the biggest complaint among JMU your issues with JMU Page 1
students
transportation, facilities, technology
or libraries. The committee regularly
meets with administrators in each
sector to voice student concerns
with possible solutions.
The committee will set
up stations across campus to
input suggestions throughout
This Group Strives to Fix
the year. Every first Friday of the the Madison Experience
month, members of the University Read about how the committee
Services committee will be in the has been working tirelessly to
Student Success Center gathering make student life as best as
student opinion for improvements. possible Page 3
The purpose of this is to create a
relationship with the student body
and let others know the resources
available.
Previous improvements
include getting better straws at
Festival, creating a bus stop by Tree Member Spotlight
House dorms, installing wheelchair Kent Erwin Page 4
JMUs University Services Committee Newsletter Winter 2018 | Page 2
Problem cont.
ramps on campus, providing more
seating in Student Success Center
and Carrier Library, bringing back
spicy chicken sandwiches to Top
Dog, creating a path from East
Campus to Walmart, fixing broken
drinking fountains and desks, and
others. Some projects in the works
include providing more gender-
inclusive bathrooms, installing a
camera in Mason Parking Deck, and
providing even more study spaces
across campus.
On-campus services reach
out to the University Services and
ask for student opinion regarding
student life. Previously, James
Madison University architects
met with the committee to gather
opinions regarding new facilities
on campus such as the new D-Hall.
The services work with the group
to promote on-campus services
such as The Writing Center, The
Well, Health Center, Career and
Academic Planning, and Counseling
Center. The committee regularly
collaborates with Dining Services,
Dining Services is among the many sectors of JMU to work with University Services
Carrier Library, Rose Library and Meet the
Parking Services.
At the end of the academic Team
year, the committee will compile
a list of completed tasks. The
accomplishments will be posted
on a board in the Student Success
Center for all students to see. The
goal of the survey is to get 500
responses throughout the year. The
response has been amazing so far,
says sophomore committee member Name: Halle Forbes
Colin Moore. It is interesting to Major: Media Arts & Design
see how many little fixes there are Year: Junior (Class of 2019)
on campus that I did not realize. For Position: Current Chair
instance, I am never on East Campus
so there is no way of me to know
if something is wrong. Seeing the
power of student opinion is quite
special, explained Moore.
So far the survey has
generated several improvements
such as 2% milk in Carrier Library
Starbucks, benches outside of E-Hall,
a more wheelchair friendly curb Name: John Carr
outside of Mr. Chips and so many Major: Accounting
more. Year: Senior (Class of 2018)
Position: Former Chair (2016-17)
Name: Towanna Moore
Position: VP for Business Services
Time at JMU: Since 2002
JMUs University Services Committee Newsletter Winter 2018 | Page 3
This Group Strives to Fix JMU
These students do anything they can to improve student life at
James Madison University
I
magine being born with a
disability that interfered with
your ability to walk. Coming into
college, you realize the campus has
areas that are not fully wheelchair
accessible. The extra time it takes to
get to class is draining physically,
mentally and emotionally. At James
Madison University this wouldnt
happen because theres a group of
eight people here to help.
Out of all the committees that
make up the Student Government
Association (SGA) of James
Madison University, the University
Services committee makes the
most visible impact on campus.
University Services, or USERVE,
is a committee that acts as a
voice for the students, amplifying
student opinion to appropriate
administrators, executing projects
to resolve concerns and promoting
student-based initiatives on campus.
They focus on aspects of student
life including transportation, dining,
housing, recreation, safety, substance
abuse, technology and any other
service to improve student life.
USERVE was one of the
first committees to form when SGA
was established in 1915. When the
organization was formed, it strived
to collaborate with all members
of its community to advocate for
student opinion, while fostering a
proactive, inclusive environment.
This statement rings true to present
day, especially with USERVE. While
the committee has gone through
numerous name changes, it remains
as a liaison to administration and
students.
Halle Forbes, a junior Media
Arts & Design major, is the current
chair and has been a part of the
committee for the past two years. She
sees her work as a duty to students,
and wants to make everyones
unique Madison experience a
positive one. When asked why
she wanted to become the chair,
USERVE hard at work during their
weekly meeting (pictured left)
she stated I joined the USERVE
committee last year and I really
enjoyed being able to make a visual
impact on campus. I like the idea
of being able to walk by something
to improve a students life. A lot of
students dont know we exist, and
its my job to let them know there is
a way to solve certain issues and to
get in contact with the right people.
Forbes leads a team of 8 individuals
that regularly meet with Dining
Services, Transportation, the Office
of Residence Life, Facilities, and the
libraries that take student opinions
and voice them to representatives
from each sector. The committee
takes students suggestions through
peer conversations, social media
mentions and an online form
which then goes to the proper
administrator for a monthly meeting.
Sometimes suggestions can be
completed in a month; however, a lot
The Honor Council, and early form
of the current Student Government
Association, pictured in 1915
JMUs University Services Committee Newsletter Winter 2018 | Page 4
Fix JMU cont.
of them take time or are undoable.
A lot of people do not realize all the
work that goes into a task getting
completed, says former chair John
Carr, The biggest issue is parking,
right? Everyone complains about
parking because they say there are
no spots. However, students do not
know that parking garages need to
be mortgaged or how long it takes
to build one. Students get frustrated,
but we try our best. Many students
also do not realize that the university
has a long-term plan. Some buildings
such as Showker Hall, Convocation
Center and Phillips Center all have
plans for destruction in the next 10
years. While it is frustrating that
there need to be improvements in
certain areas of campus, it is not
financially responsible.
Aside from physical changes,
USERVE strives to create the most
inclusive environment possible. In
the 2016-2017 academic year, the
committee worked to bring free
feminine hygiene products to all
academic bathrooms on campus
as well as require all buildings
on campus to have an accessible
gender-neutral bathroom. The
committee found it nearly impossible
to convince administrators for such
a large change, so they took the
issue to students. Members crafted
a Bill of Opinion which requires 10
percent of the student body, or 2,000
students, to sign a petition saying
they agree with an opinion. The goal
of a Bill of Opinion is to bring the
issue directly to administrators with
a substantial number of students
showing their support. The two
issues created a larger conversation
for students and brought up issues
that some did not know existed.
Our goal is to amplify student
opinion and that involves every
single student. I think its important
Member Spotlight: Kent Erwin
Kent Erwin is a Junior Media
Arts & Design and Political
Science student from Northern
Virginia. Ever since coming
to JMU, he wanted to make
a difference. Even with his
involvement in The Breeze and
University Program Board, he
wanted to take his involvement
a step further and channel his
passion for civic engagement.
When learning about USERVE,
he felt an immediate click. His
favorite part about USERVE is
seeing how much power he has
when improving student life.
Working as a dining services
representative he brings student
concerns to those in charge and
has already seen payoff.
that we seek out underrepresented
opinions. Why do we need to have Contact Us
gender-neutral bathrooms? It might
not be an issue you understand at
first, but by talking to students and
understanding their viewpoint you
might be able to see why. You dont
share their same JMU experience so
its our job to make sure they have
a good one, says Forbes. As far as
goals are concerned, Forbes hopes to
double the number of improvements
made in the year prior. For long-term
goals, Forbes wants every student Email: Sga@jmu.edu
to know there is a means to voice an Twitter: @JMUfixit
opinion. She wants the committee Office: Madison Union 331
to be able to focus on more social
issues such as diversity and equal James Madison University
gender rights.
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