Hey everyone!
As the Chief of Staff it is my job to keep track of everything and anything the Cabinet is doing. As such I will be writing a weekly blog post giving a brief summary of what the cabinet has been up to in the past week. This is what we have been up to for the weeks of January 23rd to February 13th:
Each year, as the American public crumbles at the knees and gives into the most palpable face of capitalism, I take a moment to reflect on the hype behind the biggest shopping holiday of the year. Somewhere between “Candyween” and “CreditCardMas” falls Thanksgiving–what is generically accepted as a day to feast, watch football, bond with cousins you otherwise dread seeing, and of course–a day to give thanks. Yet, somehow, the retail industry, which profits billions of dollars a year by targeting our most sensitive consumption needs, has found a way to capitalize on Thanksgiving Day, too.
Transcript for the SGA update on WMUA 91.1 FM’s 5:30 PM news cast on November 30th.
Hi everyone. This is Tiff Tai with your Student Government and Campus Life update.
This week, the Secretary of Finance Benjamin Johnson presented to the Senate the preliminary plans for a new Student Union. The Student Union was built in 1957 and has not received any major renovations since. To bring the building up to code and to provide more useful spaces for students, RSOs, and student businesses, the university is exploring options to build a new Student Union. Currently, the committee that Johnson sits on is exploring financing the project in a combination of bank financing, donations, and student fees, as the state does not fund the construction of nonacademic buildings. All talk of a new Student Union is completely preliminary, and no final decisions have been made.
Robert L. Caret
Office of the President
225 Franklin Street, 33rd Floor
Boston, MA 02110
December 6, 2011
Dear President Caret,
Attached to this letter you will find a motion passed yesterday, December 5th, 2011, by the UMass Amherst Student Government Association in regards to the recent decision by Mr. Eddie Hull, the Executive Director of Housing and Residence Life, and Ms. Tara Loomis, the Director of Residence Education, to drastically change the way Housing operates and cut multiple student jobs. Mr. Hull and Ms. Loomis were both given well over an hour to address the SGA Senate last night and take questions, after which time the Senate heard from the public and decided to pass this motion. We are writing to give you notice into this matter.
December 1, 2011
AY2012-13 Changes: Residence Education
Residential Life leadership has spent the past year critically examining Department resources and how well they align with our current and future priorities. As part of our comprehensive organization structure review, we asked ourselves “Where are we going, and are we organized in ways that will best help us achieve our goals?” Our determination has been that we are doing many things well that don’t need to be reconsidered. We have also identified areas that need significant rethinking.