At the first Syracuse University Student Association meeting of the semester, SA President Aysha Seedat said she received official support from the State University of New York Student Assembly (SUNY SA), the official student government of the entire SUNY system, to bring Uber to upstate New York.

Seedat said she has also been in contact with Uber and she is planning to go to Albany to lobby on behalf of the ride-hailing service in the upcoming months.

SA also has many initiatives planned for the upcoming semester, including the second annual Cuse Conference, which will bring together student groups and administrators to address a variety of problems on campus.

Seedat said SA is also planning a Mental Health Awareness Campaign and Impact Week and is assisting in continuing a conversation with the Chancellor’s Workgroup on Diversity and Inclusion.

SA members said they plan to allocate nearly $70,000 for special programs this year.

SA members also gave updates about the heat lamps the organization helped to implement on campus bus stops. The bus lamps were approved last year to help students who rely on campus buses stay warmer as they wait for their buses. The bus lamps are up and running, and SA reported that it has received a lot of positive feedback so far and is still looking for more feedback to see if there are any ways to improve the heat lamp program.

SA is also initiating Orange SUccess. The program plans to improve advising and student success on campus through a program that better connects students with their advisers and professors. Orange SUccess will be piloting this semester in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, the College of Arts and Sciences and University College.

Seedat said over Winter Break there was more work done on choosing a vice chancellor and provost for the university. Seedat, who is on the search committee for the provost, said the new provost will be announced in February.

SA members also discussed the extension of operation hours for the Student Life Slocum Café, which will now be open until 5:30 p.m. on Fridays, and the promotion of Chat and Dine, a program that allows students to have lunch with any faculty and staff member. The program is designed to increase networking and learning outside the classroom.

Additionally, SA elected Domenica Vera as the speaker of the assembly, Matthew VanDemark as parliamentarian and Nicole Sherwood as external public relations chair for the spring 2016 semester.

Published on January 26, 2016 at 12:06 am

Contact Nina: nsleeds@syr.edu