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SBA NEWS
Message from Tom
Contents
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$88,000
225%
Increase funding for
Academic Affairs
Executive Budget
450
Number of Students at
Fall Ball
500%
Increase funding for
Student Concerns
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Liaisons
87
Committees
Twitter followers
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Newsletters
4,133
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Clubs
200%
Increase funding for
Sustainability
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Facebook posts
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175%
Increase funding for
Diversity
Facebook: Suffolk Law SBA
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Section
Representatives
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4,133
Total newsletter views
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III.
584
o Twitter: @SULS_sba
o Keep the Suffolk Law community up to date on SBA events
o Tips for students on academic success and resources
o Consistent communication with the student body
IV.
Thus far, this years SBA is on par to engage students in more ways than the
previous three years combined. Examples of how we have increased student
engagement include:
o Weekly office hours with Tom and Chief Justice Nick Smalley
o 1L Mentorship Program was brought back after its absence last year.
Launched before the semester began, our Student Concerns Committee
paired 1Ls with upperclassmen who could assist with any and all
questions or concerns. Through this program, more than 100 1Ls were
afforded the opportunity to reduce stress and increase performance.
o Our Student Concerns team of Sandra Bauer-Evans, Kristina Foreman,
and Leah Brady also hosted two Town Hall Meetings, one of which was
paneled by Deans and faculty and the other by Tom and Monica. These
meetings opened the floor for students to ask questions directly and get
immediate answers. Both were recorded and posted to the SBA website.
o Our Tech Team held a Website Training for clubs and committees to
introduce our new website and its many functions.
o Tom was able to ensure a Suffolk Law student voice in the official
search committee for our next Dean by working with the University
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Provost. Tom and Monica opened the application to all eligible students
and appointed 1L evening student Silas Cooper to serve in this
important role.
o For the first time in years, Tom made sure that the SBA Scholarship was
publicized to the entire student body so as to give more students the
opportunity to apply.
o Message board on website
o Organized by Director Megan Weber, our Academic Affairs team held
three events for students during the Fall
2014 semester.
In early October, we provided Panera
coffee, orange juice, bagels, and
pastries as a "Welcome Back" for the
450
Number of Students at
Fall Ball
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V. Alumni Engagement
One of the greatest assets at the disposal of Suffolk Law students is our alumni
base. In an attempt to increase awareness of the importance of reaching out
to our alumni base, this semester we highlighted 14 of our alumni through
weekly Q&As, which also offer important insights to current law students. In
addition, we significantly increased student participation at Alumni
Weekend. Moreover, our Alumni Affairs team of Eunice Aikins-Afful, Erin
Knight, and Melissa Gaied is currently working with the Office of Alumni
Engagement to create the first-ever large scale SBA alumni event.
o Alumni spotlight in the newsletter
o Alumni weekend
o Planning of key alumni event for spring semester
VI.
Community Engagement
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VII.
Social
Our Social team this year received roughly 60% less funding than last year.
However, despite having significantly fewer dollars to spend, Directors Daniel
De La Torre and Lindy Nash found ways to be more effective than ever.
Through innovation and teamwork, our student body had numerous
opportunities to have a good time, including:
o Welcome Back to Boston event
o 1L Orientation Mixer
o Committee Mixer
o Fall Ball at the W
o Halloween Bash
o Holiday Mixer with the SULS grad school (first joint event with the
graduate school)
IIX.
One of the main reasons that Monica and Tom ran for Vice President and
President, respectively, was to make sure that student body money is allocated
and spent in ways that benefit as many students as possible in meaningful
ways. Consequently, we were pleased to have been able to significantly
increase funding to the below committees:
o Student Concerns = 500%
o Academic Affairs = 225%
o Sustainability = 200%
o Diversity and Inclusion = 175%
Furthermore, Tom established a policy that the Executive Council cannot use
any SBA money on its meeting. Hundreds of hours of work and meetings
later, not a penny of student body money has been spent by the Executive
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Council.
Moreover, Tom is currently working to audit the SBA accounting system to
make sure that student body money is being spent according to current SBA
operating guidelines.
Finally, Appropriations director Gerald Glover is working with his associate
directors Micah Shalom-Kesselman and Jolethia Rogers on legislation to
ensure that SBA money is reimbursed in line with the reason it was
appropriated. Currently, there are no such rules in place.
IX.
This year, we invested 175% more funding into our D & I team of Joshua
Gonzalez, Sahara Defensor and Adebola Aderinto, which has allowed the
committee to make great strides in establishing themselves within the law
school community. Highlights include:
o Hosted the Diversity Meet & Greet, a welcome from the D & I
committee as well as the Dean of the Law School during orientation for
first-year students.
o Co-sponsored the Progress to Success Kick-Off Meeting. The purpose
of the program is to assist law students from underrepresented
backgrounds by providing them with mentors to help successfully
navigate the first-year of law school.
o Hosted a Diversity Meet & Greet with the Affinity Organization
Presidents. This was an introduction to the leaders of the affinity groups
and how the D & I Committee can be of support.
o Language Well-Intended People Should Reconsider. This event was
planned by the D & I Committee to engage the law school community on
how everyday language intended to provide support can actually strain
relationships.
o Movie Screening & Discussion of the movie "Dear White People"
o Co-Sponsored an event with the greater law school administration
regarding how campus-alerts can be more inclusive and be more
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X.
XII.
Issues Raised
Through our various student engagement mechanisms, the student body has
raised a wide variety of issues. Here is a list of key issues that we have either
addressed or are working with the administration and law school
community to solve:
o Last year many in the graduating class were upset about not being
allowed to wear Tam Hats at graduation. Thus, Tom worked with Dean
Ferrari over the summer to ensure that this years graduating class has
the option of wearing Tam Hats at graduation. Beginning in February,
Dean Cove will e-mail the graduating class with instructions about how
to purchase Tam Hats directly from the vendor for roughly $20.
o When campaigning for SBA President and Vice President, a central
complaint by the student body was that the SBA does not do enough to
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American flag, which previously hanged from the forth floor, put back.
At the first SBA Town Hall, a reason was not given for its removal. We
continue to work with the deans to find a solution.
o The current exam policy states that students may move the time of one
exam if you have three exams within 53 hours. However, the deans have
instituted a policy that take-home exams do not count as an exam. Since
many students have raised this issue on the record, we are currently
researching alternate policy proposals to bring to the deans in the hopes
of allowing take-home exams to count as exams in the future.
o Sodexo costs are unreasonably expensive. As such, our organizations
spend too much money with too little return. We are in the process of
researching alternatives to the schools mandate that we use Sodexo for
student body events.
o Last year the faculty allowed the graduating class to continue with the
classes. For example, at our second Town Hall an evening student let us
know that there is no option for evening students who work full-time to
take the universitys only IP Survey Class, which is a course that all
employers require. We are in the process of working with the
administration to identify ways to ensure no evening student is
inherently precluded from taking necessary courses to get ahead.
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o Barristers Ball
o Ski Trip
o Grad Week
o Bar Exam event
o Professors and Pastries
o Community Service initiative
o Staff Appreciation Day
o App
o SBA Video
o Book Exchange
o Class Gift
o BBA Event
o Yoga sessions
o Elections for the next SBA President and Vice President
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Contact Information
Name
Tom davis
Monica Bellevue
Neil Lindquist
Callie grossman
Kelley Sweetser
Position
President
Vice President
Chief of Staff
Chief of Operations
Treasurer
trdavis@suffolk.edu
mkbellevue@suffolk.edu
nlindquist@suffolk.edu
cgrossman@suffolk.edu
ksweetser@suffolk.edu
For a full contact list of all SBA Directors please visit our website at
suffolklawsba.com
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