Small improvements can make SVSU 'place to be’

January 31, 2005 —

Every once in a while when roaming the campus premises, you hear a student talking or complaining about something in regards to the University – the way things are run, or other ideas on what could be done to make SVSU better. Sometimes I overhear these ideas and think, "Man that's a great idea!" but usually, those who come up with them never pursue them further or take action on them; instead, they leave it as an idea.

I won't pretend that I know all of the logistics of the University, and what can or cannot be done. I will also not pretend that I have the complete power to turn some of these ideas into reality and change things on campus. What I can promise you is if enough students voice a problem and take it to the administration, then something will be done, or an explanation will be provided.

So I came up with a list of things that could be improved and make SVSU "the place to be" for college students.

Information Technology Services should make a help section on CardMail, so those who do not understand it can be aided. As reported previously in the Vanguard, an estimated 73 percent of mail going through CardMail is spam. There is a new filter system, but many students don't know how to use it; an online tutorial would solve this problem.

There needs to be improvements to the SVSU Web site to stop it from stalling or having the server going down, which causes difficulties for students and faculty alike. This has been a constant problem at SVSU when, usually at night, the Web site or CardMail crashes. This stops students and faculty alike from being able to use Blackboard, Cardinal Direct, etc. There also needs to be assurances that students or faculty don't have other CardMail users blocked. This, of course, is a problem when students are required to form groups and work together on projects, and when e-mails are being sent from students to professors when an assignment needs to be explained.

Residential and open parking need to be better outlined, not leaving excess parking where it is not needed, especially in permit-required areas. Anyone who has been to Living Center South lately has seen the parking problem that the new additions have caused. Taking away excess zoned space or building new parking lots seems to be the only solution to the problem as SVSU gets more and more students each year.

There could also be some work done on the operation schedule of Doan Café and the pool in the Ryder Center to allow more access to students. Many students are found outside of Doan looking for food in between lunch and dinner when that section is closed. Sure, Quiznos and the C-Store are available, but having Doan open would provide much more choices and cut down waiting lines during these times.

Students rooming in the Living Centers and First Year Suites should be allowed to stay over break just like those in Pine Grove or the University Village can. This would be a big step in making and helping students grow to be independent and provide for themselves, and provide experience to help them manage their money. This would also help those who don't have a place to go home during break or live far away.

SVSU could also use more programs on campus to get residents involved, such as the current living leadership program. This is an improvement that can be made every year and has been expanding, but the more programs at a college, the more it will gain a reputation for having a diverse atmosphere to fill all of the students interests and needs on campus.

SVSU should provide students who use the Ryder Center with a lock in exchange for their Access SVSU card, which they can get back by returning the lock when they are done using the facilities. This would help those who do not live on campus and cannot simply walk over to the Ryder Center in their workout apparel. This would also protect SVSU if anything was ever lost or stolen, and would not cost much, as ordering bulk locks is already done for athletics.

Special parking permits should be issued for student employees, Aramark employees, and all other employees that work on campus, so they can get to work easier, on time and get the job done as efficiently as possible. Faculty and staff usually have special parking permits to use on campus to help them get to meetings and classes on time, so it would seem just as justifiable to have permits that would allow all employees to get to work on time.