Justin Kang for Student Union President
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Student Finances

We all know the importance of money. Money can affect almost everything. With that said, a dynamic relationship between the President and the Treasurer is extremely important in ensuring an amazing financial state of the Student Union. Therefore, I will work very closely with the Treasurer to create practical and sustainable solutions for all club finance issues.

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Justin Kang Will:

  • Help solve rollover (unspent monies from Student Activities Fee (SAF) revenue) through ensuring the ratio between spending and allocation is close as possible to one.
  • Create incentives for clubs to plan better and spend money programmatically.
  • Help implement a Appeal Request (AR) Meetings that would allow clubs and the Finance Board to think and analyze budget requests for a longer period of time
  • Review of Student Activities Fee in general.
  • Consider switching SAF to be dependent on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rather tuition increases. (Currently, its annual increase is equal to the annual increase in tuition fee)
  • Support the sustainability of the Office of the Treasurer
  • Support a constitutional amendment that guidelines the succession plan for the Treasurer.
  • Review and reform CapEx (Capital Expenditure and Emergency Funds).
  • Continue to help implement the SAF Management System, which will consolidate the three software programs (Microsoft Access, PeopleSoft and Quickbooks) used different university departments and organizations to provide accurate up-to-date data, allow club leaders to handle finance-related matter in one setting, allow club leaders to see every transaction through a live web-interface, allow club leader to check spent vs. unspent amounts at any time and allows the F-Board to reallocate unspent funds
  • Increase the number of P-Cards for the Office of the Treasurer so club leaders do not rely on the Treasurer and his office hours.
  • Create a Rollover Marathon, only under extreme circumstances when the ratio of spending and allocations is not close to one, in which clubs can propose large-scale events using rollover from the previous semesters.

Social Justice

I have committed myself in advancing social justices during my time at Brandeis as I wish to devout my life to community organizing and activism. Brandeis has been a great resource for me to engage in social justice issues. During my sophomore year, I served as the Students for Environmental Action Treasurer and Student Environmental Education Coordinator. Additionally this past year I organized WiLD: Eco-Fashion Show, VOCAL 2008 which raised nearly all the operations budget for Prospect Hill Terrace partnership and Students Crossing Boundaries trip to Israel and the West Bank.

Therefore as President, I would continue to advocate a social justice agenda as it is clear that the student body is generally socially conscious and active. The practices and policies of the University therefore should reflect the attitude of its students especially considering Brandeis takes immense pride in its history of social activism.

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Justin Kang Will:

  • Make the Brandeis endowment transparent as students deserve to be included in and informed of the decision-making process.
  • Advocate for the University to hire a Queer Resource Center (QRC) Coordinator.
  • Ensure that gender-neutral housing remains.
  • Advocate for Sweat Free and Fair Trade Options across campus.
  • Have Brandeis University create an environmental action plan with Waltham.
  • Advocate for improving the recycling program.
  • Ensure the creation of Sustainability Fund.
  • Assist Sustainability Coordinator and lay the framework of creating Office of Environmental Affairs
  • Have the Student Union Government purchase and use sustainable products for the its general operations and Club Resource Center.
  • Advocate for the Brandeis’ purchasing policies and practices to include sustainable materials throughout its offices.
  • Advocate Aramark to provide more organic, vegetarian and vegan dining options.
  • Ensure that all Vans and other Brandeis vehicles when purchased will run completely or partly on renewable energy.
  • Ensure all Brandeis buildings to be built meet LEED standards
  • Plant trees as they will enhance the environmental quality of the campus but also make the campus more beautiful.

Hiatt Career Center

Brandeis prepares us for the future. It is then essential for Brandeis to provide a strong career center. Hiatt has significantly improved in the past year under new Director Joe Dupont. There still remains room for improvement and therefore it is one of my key priorities to continue improving the services of Hiatt.

During my sophomore year (which was my first year at Brandeis), I served on the Hiatt Career Center Advisory Committee where I met frequently with the Associate Director and Interim Director at that time. I interviewed candidates for the Hiatt Director during the past summer. Brandeis ultimately selected Joe DuPont.

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Justin Kang Will:

  • Connect Hiatt and the Office of Communications together to strategize, create and implement a campaign that focuses on enticing graduate schools and employers to recruit Brandeis students.
  • Connect Hiatt and Alumni Association to create a ‘Reverse Shadowing’ program, where Brandeis alumni will be invited to shadow and spend time with a student whose career interests fit an alumnus’ career.
  • Ensure the sustainability of this program and funds of the WOW internships.
  • Create a Hiatt Career Center Conference Fund to allow an individual or group of individuals request funding for conference fees.
  • Connect Hiatt and IBS Career Center in order to offer more opportunities to Brandeis undergraduate students.
  • Ensure Brandeis commitment to Hiatt by advocating for more staff members for Hiatt and for the University to commit to its current employees and entice them to stay as Hiatt’s high turnover record has affected its consistency and effectiveness.
  • Ensure Hiatt plans its second annual career fair and also organize smaller job fairs focusing on specific careers.
  • Advocate for Hiatt to organize trips and provide transportation to Boston-area career fairs.
  • Improve Hiatt Website to become more accessible and less cluttered for students to be enticed to use Hiatt, its technological resources and featured programming.

Student Services

We need to make students services more accountable and accessible to students. This includes ResLife, dining services, the health center and many other departments and services. They are intended to serve us and we must ensure that the proper resources and most sensible policies are in place for these services. The success of these student services will noticeably improve simply the daily life of students and their overall experience at Brandeis.

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Justin Kang Will:

  • Public Safety
    • Ensure that all lights on campus are properly working for students to feel and be safe.
    • Ensure the transition of public safety officers using firearms goes smoothly and is open to the student body.
  • Health Center
    • Advocate the Health Center provide free STI testing.
  • Access to Administrators
    • Hold periodic student forums with administrators, faculty and staff to allow and provide students to directly voice their concerns and suggestions.
    • Convince administrators and senior level staff member hold open office hours throughout the semester, similar to President Reinharz.
  • Accountability
    • Make Student Services accountable to students by creating task forces to create a report that includes grade(s), recommendations and comparisons to comparable programs at other schools.
  • Res Life
    • Allow students to choose meal plans not according to their residence hall.
    • Advocate for increased CA compensation plan that may include meal plan and WhoCash.
    • Insist for ResLife, along with ISSO, to clarify and confirm a message whether international students are guaranteed housing or not.
    • Review the possibility that TYP students do not room with each other in their TYP year and with a first year student as it may help the TYP student better integrate into the school.
    • Make meal plans more consistent and fairer as a number of students are on the 21-meal plan when Usdan only provides brunch and dinner during the weekend which only amounts to 19 meals.
  • Dining Services
    • Increase the value of the meal plan at the Stein as one meal is worth $5.00. while other meals are $6.75 for lunch and $7.85. I would work to make the worth of ‘Meals’ more consistent across campus.
    • Expand the items that are accepted as meals at the C-Store to include frozen foods, larger selection of chips and others.
    • Extend longer weekend dining hours.
    • Review student input of Ollies Eatery to improve its menu, customer service, etc.
    • Ensure students are not overlooked when Usdan is renovated.

Campus Life

Campus life includes academics and social life, both integral parts of any college experience. Brandeis offers solid opportunities in both social life and academics. In regards to social life, Brandeis has plenty of campus activities provided by the many campus organizations and departments. Also its location near Boston provides many excellent options for culture and recreation. With some reform to already existing programs, advocate for more transportation opportunities and increase senior programming, we can improve on the social life here on campus.

Similarly in academics, Brandeis provides a strong academic curriculum taught by accomplished and amazing professors. However we need to provide resources and structure to Community Engaged Learning initiatives. This past year I coordinated VOCAL 2008, a charity spoken word concert, which raised money for Waltham after-school programs and a large portion of the operations budget for the CEL initiative at Prospect Hill Terrace. It is a wonderful opportunity, enhances one's own academic experience and therefore as President, I would continue to support CEL's development and existence.

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Justin Kang Will:

  • Reform the Party Reimbursement by
    • Increasing the social fund for party reimbursements
    • Uncapping the $50 maximum for party reimbursements
    • Opening party reimbursements to include recreational group activities. It must be clear that it must include a large number of students.
    • Forming a committee, instead of an individual, to allocate party reimbursements.
    • Advertising more effectively.
  • Increase programming for Brandeis seniors for a more relaxing and enjoyable final year at Brandeis.
  • Arrange a Spring Break trip for seniors at a reduced rate.
  • Create a process where club leaders can apply to hold an event that extends later than quiet hours.
  • Review whether Cambridge/Boston shuttle schedule can be made more efficient.
  • Provide a weekly calendar through e-mail and on the shuttle of Boston-area events.
  • Advocate for transportation to Riverside MBTA Green Line stop.
  • Collaborate with Bentley College in publicizing and providing transportation respective campus events.
  • Advocate for compensation for Community Engaged Learning (CEL) through academic credit or financial compensation.
  • Help develop and secure funding from the University for CEL.
  • Advocate for dance and photography classes.
  • Locate funding for travel reimbursements for students taking classes off-campus.

Student Union Government

Everyone should acknowledge and recognize the need for change in the Student Union Government. Whoever the next President is, he or she must reinvent the Union to serve as the platform for clubs and students to excel.

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Justin Kang Will:

  • Diversify the Student Union Government through attending residence hall meeting, club meetings and other venues to challenge those underrepresented to run.
  • Determine feasible use(s) of Village Space in a campus vote.
  • Improve Club Resource Center through implementing a system where CRC is in order and fair as too often supplies are not being returned.
  • Create a database for club leaders to easily locate their copy codes and usernames.
  • Create a Midyear and Transfer Senator Position
  • Create Committee Grants (Social Justice, Diversity, University Spirit) that will be awarded the projects that reflect the ideals of their committee. This is Village Quad Michael Kerns ’09 idea this past year with the Social Justice Committee which I want to expand.
  • Expand Midnight Buffet Expansion where clubs will help plan and limit Student Union’s planning scope. For example, allow specific clubs to provide food (i.e. ICC Clubs, Culinary Arts Club, Hillel). At the same time, instead of it just being a mad rush for food, have other clubs plan events as part of Midnight Buffet as well. So perhaps having Punk, Rock N Roll Club having a show at Chums and have Student Events provide massages in the Atrium.
  • Create and introduce new Student Union Website where it incorporates the Office of the Treasurer website to limit confusion and inconsistency.
  • Have a weekly group meeting with campus leaders of umbrella organizations (i.e. UTC, Hillel, ICC, Waltham Group) to ensure constant communication and create a support system.
  • Meet regularly with the President of the Graduate Student Association to create and strengthen the relationship between graduate and undergraduate communities.

Campus Publications

One of my favorite experiences on campus has been working on The Hoot. During my time, I got to understand the process of creating a publication. When I first arrived at The Hoot, it had limited resources. The same can go for most campus publications. I find campus publications important, some times ineffective but definitely promising. As President, I would help provide the resources for these publications to excel.

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Justin Kang Will:

  • Renovate the Brandeis Media Coalition (BMC) Room, the home of every publication on campus besides The Justice, with proper and reliable equipment including new computers, printer and general office supplies.
  • Review the possibility of securing a single printer (that must be reliable and quality) for all publications to reduce costs and allow more SAF revenue to other clubs.
  • Buy affordable racks for campus publications to improve distribution and limit clutter of publications across campus.