The Student Association wants your ideas.

“The SA is looking for students interested in voicing their concerns,” said SA President Abe Andrzejewski.

Andrzejewski is currently appointing student representatives to sit on the University Council. “I plan to fill all those positions by the first UC meeting,” he said. The first meeting is scheduled for Sept. 8.

The UC is the highest governing body of the university. It is comprised of faculty, staff, professors and students and sets policies for the campus, Andrzejewski said.

“There is a lot of work involved in being a representative on the UC,” he said. “You have to do your homework to understand both sides of the issue discussed.”

The student representatives on the UC serve as an important link between the student body and the council, Andrzejewski said.

“Most students on campus can’t keep up with what the UC is doing, so it is up to the representatives to make sure student interests are protected and there is student input on issues.

“As long as those students (chosen for the UC positions) attend the meetings, do their job right and bring the issues back to the students, it’s a simple process,” he said.

While Andrzejewski is looking for people with prior experience for the UC positions, and already has a few people in mind, there are many other opportunities to serve on the SA and university committees.

“Students can also come in to voice their interests and concerns,” Andrzejewski said.

The SA serves its most important role on the many university committees, he said. “The most important job of the SA is at the committee level, where most of the decisions are made.”

Andrzejewski is currently working on a system to make sure there are student representatives at every meeting where student input is wanted and needed.

“We are coming up with a master sheet of all committee and subcommittee meetings, so we can have a representative where we need to and they can file a report with me,” he said. “This will give us a connection.”

One of the more important committees to the SA this year is the Academic Planning Council. “One thing we’re gunning for this year is to expand multiculturalism at NIU,” Andrzejewski said. “That’s the committee where any sort of legislation will be introduced.”

“The most important job of the SA is at the committee level, where most of the decisions are made.”

-Abe Andrzejewski

SA president