Student Involvement gets upgrade

A new model for UW Tacoma’s Center for Student Involvement awaits implementation.

The Center manages organizations such as the University Y student center, publications such as The Ledger and Tahoma West, and The Center for Service and Leadership and Student Engagement Administration.

The Center looks to add a full-time student media specialist, replacing a part-time position that currently sits empty, and adding a director to oversee the entire organization.

ASUWT was not asked for input to the current model for student involvement, but were presented the information in a senate and a board meeting in January of 2017. According to ASUWT President Berkan Koroglu, both he and others have reservations about the model.

“Some of the questions we asked were unanswered,” he said.

“[And] even though this model is being used by a lot different universities, that does not mean it will be beneficial to our organizational structure.”

The proposed new model will have an administrator at the head of the student led publications of The Ledger and the Tahoma West Literary Arts Magazine. The model needs final budget approval before hiring begins. The new fiscal year starts on July 1 and the Center aims at implementing these changes then.

“The word administrator gets confused,” said Assistant Director Elizabeth Hansen. She said that they “hope to give more of a voice to the students.” Hansen currently fills the vacant administrative positions.

Hansen also explained that these changes are taking effect to further support students. When filling the roles, UW Tacoma hopes to hear student voices and aims to hire those who support the goals of the student body.