The Student Government Association Senate appointed biology sophomore Norma Islam to the Natural Science and Mathematics Seat 1 and At-Large graduate Sen. Van Hua to the Scholarships and Financial Aid Advisory Committee on Wednesday.
Islam is also involved with the Muslim Students Association, the Student Governing Board and is a member of the Evaluations Committee and the Honors Advocates. She said she’s been following what the SGA Senate has been doing for the students.
"I’m interested running for this position right now because I think it’ll help me know what the SGA is more about, and I’m hoping to run again for next semester," she said.
Islam said she is interested in improving campus lighting, trying to get a bus system to go through the economy parking lot to the Campus Wellness and Recreation Center and working toward having every restaurant on campus accept Cougar Cash.
"I believe I am a representative of the diversity of this campus that we’ve always liked to publicize, and I’m willing to listen to what people have to tell me," she said.
Islam and Hua were unanimously appointed to their positions.
At-Large undergraduate Sen. Alejandro Capetillo reported progress on the Scholarships and Financial Aid Advisory Committee, saying that, as chair of the committee, he was happy with the way things proceeded.
"Some of the things we’ve discussed and some of the things that we’re really going to try and focus on this semester, so that we can really get things fixed for the fall, is going to be communication between the administration and the students and also some of the problems we’ve been having at the Welcome Center as far as customer service goes," Capetillo said.
The Scholarships and Financial Aid Advisory Committee meets bimonthly on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Hua said that he was available to be on the committee because of his schedule.
"Tuesday is my free day," Hua said. "I’m already here for my office hours."
Communication and customer service have been the biggest complaints the advisory committee has heard, he said, but they are also the things the committee can do something about.
Capetillo said that he was in the process of planning a financial aid town hall organized in the next few weeks for students to share their concerns with the committee.
SGA Senators Kelli Harper, Shameria Davis, Jason Cisneroz, Laura Bobrick, Varun Ambrose, Donna Suttajit, Oana Borcoman and Emerson Vance did not attend the meeting.
