Student senate to conduct department evaluations

The saying goes, “The customer is always right,” and members of the Southern University Student Government Association are planning to ensure university faculty and staff honor the statement.
Beginning Monday, Jan. 28, the SGA Student Senate will conduct student evaluations of many of the university’s departments and auxiliary services, particularly the ones that cater to the SU student body directly, said Deion Dorsett, SGA vice president.
“Throughout the semester, I have a lot of students who complain to me about the way they are being treated by their department,” Dorsett said, attributing the motivation behind the senate’s evaluations.
“These students don’t have the time in (their) day to make calls to say, ‘these things are wrong,'” he said. “Sometimes, you have to get out there and do some investigation on your own to find solutions to the problems.”
Dorsett said a seven-member committee comprised of five student senators, himself and the SGA President, Niiobli Armah, will conduct the department evaluations. Evaluations will consist of interviews between committee members and department heads and students to obtain a fair assessment of how well each division is servicing the student body.
“We plan on targeting the biggest departments first,” Dorsett said. “We’re setting up appointments with deans and professors to see if they are accessible to students.”
Dorsett said the committee will also be evaluating the curriculums and educational services provided by some departments he said students have complained haven’t been supplying the learning tools job recruiters are looking for in college graduates.
“We haven’t decided what department will be first,” he said. “(But) we need to get where students are having the most problems at.”
According to Dorsett, a complete report of each department’s evaluation will be submitted to Dr. Edward Jackson, SUBR chancellor, the Southern DIGEST, the university’s student newspaper, and a summarized report will be made available to the student body on the SGA’s website.
“We’re looking at a student government whose concerned with more than just planning Homecoming and Springfest,” Dorsett said. “You have to demand more.”