The Ebbtide - Student Government

Meets and greets from SBA

Erika Wilkes

Welcome back to all students, staff and faculty members. That’s right; it’s that time of year again. It’s time for the early mornings to begin, the rain, homework and the long lines at all the coffee shops. With all that said, I know that a lot of you aren’t looking forward to this time of year, but as the new student body president and with an excellent team backing me up, I hope that we can make this year a good one for you.

My name is Erica Wilkes, and I am the new SBA president. This is my second year at Shoreline, and my major is nursing with a minor in Spanish. I also play volleyball for Shoreline. Last year, I was the student ambassador, a Senate member and a tutor.

I would like to introduce my wonderful team. Sean Keller is your vice president, Carla Magee is your treasurer, Sara Lundahl is your legislative director, Chance Kennedy is your student advocate, and Marta Matthews is your secretary.

Carla Magee

Hello, Shoreline. My name is Carla Magee, and I am your new student body association treasurer. I want to welcome you all back to school this year, and, for the newcomers, welcome to Shoreline.

I have attended Shoreline for one year. I am part of the purchasing program here on campus. I am a business transfer and am involved in Delta Epsilon Chi. I have been married for three years, have two cats and a ton of fun.

As your treasurer, I would love to see you all get involved in clubs and all of the fun activities we have planned for you this year so that you can get the most out of your student fees. My job is to chair Student Senate meetings, allocate your money and budget for the next year. So, if you have any questions, come and see me in Room 950, send me an e-mail message at stu_gov_tres@shore.ctc.edu, or call me at 546-6997.

I am really excited for this school year and look forward to seeing you all on campus and at various events. Welcome back.

Sara Lundahl

Hola y Bienvenidos a fall quarter amigos! My name is Sara Lundahl, and I am your legislative director. My summer was full of sunshine, laughs and lasting memories of crazy adventures. I hope yours was just as good or even better.

This is an exciting time for you to get involved in our school. There are 60 different clubs ranging from language, culture, sports, arts, music, majors, and tons and tons more. And, if there isn’t one for you, maybe you’d like to start one. I’d like to see y’all getting involved and having fun, taking advantage of the different activities that are planned for us to enjoy.

Mexico trip offers revelation to Student Government

Chris Jones

Managing Editor

A 12-member delegation of SCC Student Government members and staff recently returned from a two-week trip to Mexico’s premier technological university, The Instituto Technologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (El Tec), to learn about the El Tec model of student participation and see how it differed from the model common in the United States.

What the delegation found, according to delegation leader and Student Activity Advisor Scott Saunders, was a racially, culturally and ideologically homogenous student body with little or no input to campus governance but with a close relationship to the business community and a record of community service on a grand scale.

El Tec is the flagship campus of a 33-campus, 95,000-student system distributed throughout Mexico. Comparable to our premier Ivy League schools, El Tec is the training ground for the future business, technical and political leaders of Mexico. Founded in 1943 by a group of businessmen, headed by Don Eugenio Garza Sada, El Tec’s mission is “to educate individuals who are committed to the social, economic and political improvement of their communities. And, to educate those who are internationally competitive in their areas of specialty.”

The hallmark of El Tec’s organization is its close relationship with the business community of Mexico, which, aside from tuition fees, provides the school’s financial support. In return for this support, businesses get generous tax breaks from the government and a wide variety of assistance from student organizations. One example of the student-business relationship is the international marketing program. In return for financial support, each student thoroughly studies five Mexican companies and then, in a group of 40 students and one advisor, they travel out of the country for two months, visiting up to 100 foreign companies to promote the products of their Mexican sponsors. In essence, the students are building their own future jobs and the sponsoring companies are training future employee while gaining valuable overseas contacts and building relationships with the future business and political leaders of the country.

More than 200 different student clubs are involved in projects ranging from organizing social activities to undertaking major construction projects, all funded by local businesses. As an indication of the scale of some of these projects, the engineering club recently completed a multi-million dollar bridge for the city. One club has organized a series of 10 lectures per year featuring such internationally known figures as Desmond Tutu, Mikhail Gorbachev and Oscar Arias. Honoraria for speakers of this caliber may sometimes exceed $100,000 (a figure well beyond the reach of SCC’s own well-developed lecture series).

Many other clubs are involved in community outreach projects to assist the disabled, poor or otherwise disadvantaged sectors of the local population. The university requires 300 hours of community service to graduate.

The campus facilities themselves are modern and technologically advanced. More than 2,000 Internet connections allow students to plug in laptops throughout the campus. Lecture notes are e-mailed to each student daily and white board contents are instantaneously recorded to computer drives as they are written.

Racially and economically, the student body of El Tec is very homogenous. Only 8 percent to 10 percent of El Tec students receive financial aid. Virtually all the students are from 18 to 22 years old and come from Mexico’s upper class. What diversity there is is derived from the home states of the students. Many clubs and residence groups are organized on this basis.

SCC’s relationship with El Tec started two years ago when the nursing program developed a service project in the Monterrey area with help from the university. Saunders hopes that the relationship can be maintained and expanded in the years to come.

The cost of the trip to the Student Body treasury was approximately $12,000, consisting mostly of airfare. Lodging and most meals were provided by El Tec.

Student Body Advocate: Assisting the student

Chance B. Kennedy

Special to the Ebbtide

First of all, I would like to say welcome to all of Shoreline’s new students, and welcome back to everyone returning for another blissful year. I hope that this year lives up to or surpasses all of your expectations.

My name is Chance Kennedy. I am your new student body advocate. What’s a student body advocate, you say? Until late last year, I didn’t know about a student advocacy position either, and that, my friends, is quite unfortunate. Not unfortunate in the sense that I needed one, but in the sense that I didn’t know one existed. So this year, I am going to do everything within my power to ensure you know I’m here and what I can do for you.

What is it that I do exactly? I am a member of the executive committee of your Student Body Government. The constitution which outlines my position was written by prior students attending the College. First and foremost, I am here to “assist or refer students requesting aid.” I’m here to support you.

I will help you any way I can with questions or complaints that you may have. For instance, if you have a grade that you don’t agree with, come to me and I will work with you and the faculty to try and come to some accommodation. I can assist you in disciplinary proceedings. Or, if you are being harassed by a faculty member or fellow student, I can assist and advise you in the proper procedures which must be followed. I will only press an issue you have as far as you would like, and everything that comes to me is confidential, including your name and complaint. Please understand that there are always two sides to every story, and I must get both sides. That doesn’t mean that I won’t support you to the best of my ability, though.

If you have any questions, please come by the Student Government Office in the PUB, Room 950, or call me at (206) 546-6996. Remember that the Student Government is here for you, and our door is always open.

Student Body Association of SCC

LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR

The duties of the legislative director include chairing the Legislative Committee meetings of the SBA State Legislative Action Committee; attending all campus Legislative Contact Committee meetings; maintaining complete records of all correspondence and materials related to state legislation as it pertains to community college students; informing the Senate/Executive Board of the state legislature’s activities; and attending functions related to state legislation as a representative of Shoreline Community College students.

STUDENT ADVOCATE

The duties of the student advocate include being familiar with student disciplinary procedures; assisting students requesting aid with any disciplinary action or grievance against faculty, staff or administration; educating students about grievance and disciplinary procedures; keeping a record of all general student complaints; making monthly reports to the Senate/Executive Board; and developing a student survey subject to approval of the Senate during fall quarter, distributing the survey during winter quarter and reporting the findings to the Senate, Executive Board and student body during spring quarter.

SENATE

The Student Body Association Senate is made up of nine members. Each senator serves on one of three committees:

BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE

Headed by the SBA treasurer, the committee is in charge of researching and making recommendations to the Senate regarding financial requests from clubs and organizations on campus.

PUBLICITY, WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE

Headed by the SBA student advocate, this committee assists clubs and organizations with publicity needs and researches matters referred to it by the Senate.

CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS COMMITTEE

Headed by the SBA vice president, this committee researches and reports on all questions and complaints regarding the SBA Constitution, and is the official interpreter of the Constitution subject to ratification of the Senate.

Fall Quarter, the Senate meets every Wednesday afternoon in the Small Conference Room in the 1000 Building. The general student body is welcome to attend meetings to voice an opinion, offer suggestions or just observe. Call (206) 546-4654 for meeting time.Students have opportunities to learn about college governance by serving on committees such as Faculty Tenure Committee, General Education Curriculum Committee, Cultural Pluralism Planning Team, Strategic Planning Committee, Food Services Committee, Environmental Committee) and the Parking Committee.