The Wheaton Student Government Association (SGA), has made a move to reopen an initiative that had been done in previous years. The SGA will open a Google Drive for viewing by the Wheaton community. This will include things like meeting notes, resources, and points of contact for students. This is something that had been done in years past, but will be revamped this year expected to resume in the coming weeks.
The community Google Drive managed by SGA
The main goal of this movement is to open more lines of communication from the student government to the student body, and create a place that students can refer to when they are in need of resources or connections. Gabriel Albernaz, executive secretary of the SGA, said in an interview that “the drive is just like a one-stop point for anything for club meetings, resources.” By opening the Google Drive, Wheaton students will have access to a “one-stop” location for resources and contact information that they may need when encountering an issue or question. Instead of wondering where to go for help, students will be able to simply turn to the SGA drive and find all of the answers to their questions.
A spreadsheet including various resources on campus and their contact information was one of the things that would be included in the open Google Drive, according to Albernaz. “For instance, something that we want to update is: there’s a list of, for whatever issue you’re having, a contact for that.” By supplying students with a resource like this, it will be significantly easier for students to get help on campus. Through research and experience it has been found that students on campus, especially ones that are new to Wheaton and its community, are sometimes unsure about where to go with specific issues. Allowing students access to a general resource hub will alleviate a lot of stress that comes with being a new student and figuring out who to turn to with questions or concerns.
In addition to sharing the Google Drive, the SGA is taking many other steps to be transparent about the activities within Wheaton’s governing party. According to Elizabeth McKinley, student body president, the SGA intends to become more open about the topics discussed in their meetings. This will be done through social media posts, and shared general information about SGA senate meetings. McKinley believes this will allow for students to “understand that [the SGA is] trying, and we’re working to improve campus.” By being transparent with what they are working on, the SGA believes that this will create a better understanding from the student body. As said by McKinley, “I hope that they will have more faith in us, a little bit, and just have more confidence in what we’re doing and what we’re trying to succeed in for them.”
Transparency between government and the people is a way of building trust within a community. This is true, not only of the Wheaton SGA and student body, but of all types of communities. Allowing access to information allows for a better understanding and connection between government and those being governed. By giving students a resource that would provide them with information about the operations within the SGA and resources they could turn to, the SGA is bridging the gap between Wheaton’s formal government and the students, which will hopefully foster a deeper understanding of how the SGA operates and what strides they are making toward bettering the Wheaton community as a whole.