Student Association plans to tackle the woes of upper and lower classmen separately this semester, as well as cater to the student population as a whole.

 

At the SA meeting Monday night, President Jon Barnhart and committee chairmen outlined in-the-works programs designed to acclimate new students to campus, improve the safety of drinking-age students and relieve the long-standing problem of overcrowded study space on campus.

 

Barnhart spoke of a proposed shuttle that would run to off-campus neighborhoods and bars in Syracuse on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights this semester. He said he hoped it would reduce drunk driving and make the city accessible to students without cars.

 

A system planned by the student engagement committee would provide incoming students with a targeted list of student organizations that might interest them. 

 

Students would register on OrgSync, a website that currently lists student organizations, and submit their interests and intended major. The program would send students in return the personalized list. It would also invite students to the organizations’ meetings, said David Woody, chair of the committee.

 

SA projects to relieve the congestion in E.S. Bird Library by opening up study space in the Heroy Geology Laboratory and the Life Sciences Complex are underway.

 

The project involves rearranging furniture in Heroy and pushing back the closing time of the Life Sciences’ computer labs from 10:00 p.m. to 1 a.m., said Bonnie Kong, a SA general assembly representative from the College of Arts and Sciences and head of the project.

 

SA is also looking to create a student advisory board for Career Services, the university-wide career center, to help make the center more useful in connecting students with jobs and internships. 

 

The association is also hoping to create an incentive program to draw students into Armory Square. Oleander, a boutique in Armory Square, and the Jefferson Clinton Hotel have expressed interest in providing a student discount, Kong said.