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TERRA & OSCAR'S PROPOSED INITIATIVES FOR THE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
Academic Experience is one of the most often overlooked facets of Student Assembly that bears the most significant impact on the average student. The main objective of our time here at William & Mary is to learn, and the ways that we interact with our educational material and our scholarly environment are critical. The classes/subjects being taught, the ways that students feel equipped (or ill-equipped) to learn, and the productive environment of the classroom are all things that Student Assembly should be interested in.
The Student Assembly President harbors the ability to sit on the Board of Arts & Sciences, meaning that they serve as the student voice to Dean Raitt as well as other influential members of the faculty. Academic Affairs should be at the forefront of the President's mind, and we understand the importance of getting policy implemented thoroughly.
Creating a Database for Syllabi
Creating a Database for Syllabi
Hey, can you send me the syllabus…? We know what it’s like to be interested in a class while not wanting to sign up until you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. We propose funding and establishing a platform to house past and current syllabi to aid student registration decision-making, foster interdisciplinary collaboration between faculty, inspire self-directed learning, and keep a record of the university’s academic offerings throughout the years.
We understand some faculty members may worry about a database in which their intellectual property is stored—we plan to work with the Office of the Provost and the Office of the University Registrar to seek a solution that respects and takes into account the perspectives of faculty.
See: Harvard's Syllabus Explorer, Louisiana State's Syllabus Database, Villanova's Syllabus Archive
School of Computer Science, Data Science, Applied Science, & Physics
School of Computer Science, Data Science, Applied Science, & Physics
Wait, there’s another school? That’s Vision 2026, baby. We promise to support and advocate for students to ensure that the split of Arts & Sciences does not impact course registration, student services, class availability, and student support. We will work towards ensuring that the administration is as transparent as possible during the establishment of our sixth school.
Advocating for ASL & Interpretation Courses in Modern Languages & Literatures
Advocating for ASL & Interpretation Courses in Modern Languages & Literatures
Fostering inclusivity in the ways we communicate. According to the Modern Language Association, American Sign Language is the third most popular language for college and university students to learn. At this time, William & Mary does not offer courses or faculty-led programming for ASL. ASL is crucial for the inclusion of our deaf peers. We believe linguistic diversity is important—beyond the confines of spoken languages.
See: UVA's ASL Program, Program in ASL and Deaf Culture, Virginia Tech's Free ASL Offerings through Foreign Language Institute in 2018
Language interpretation is more than just translating—it’s serving as a cultural agent, a conduit, and clarifying what may be lost in translation. Learning the art of interpretation is critical for people intending to work to bridge gaps between speakers of different languages. As of right now, the Department of MDLL offers a “Medical Interpretation” course within the Hispanic Studies department, but we believe that interpretation extends beyond medicine and the Spanish language. We will advocate for an introductory level course or series of lectures explaining the roles and responsibilities of interpreters for learners of all languages to become equipped with essential skills for translating language within courts, conferences, and more. See: Hispanic Studies Course Offering on Medical Interpretation, What Is Interpretation
In partnership with the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, the Office of Diversity & Inclusion, and the Office of The Dean of Arts & Sciences, we will advocate for course offerings regarding ASL and language interpretation. This will include calling for a comprehensive credit transfer plan for ASL and language interpretation credit gained at other institutions.
Embracing Diverse Students & Scholars in Syllabi
Acknowledging and Supporting Minority Scholars and Academics. We will advocate for the mandatory acknowledgment of marginalized student communities (such as FGLI/BIPOC/women/LGBTQ+) in class syllabi, with the inclusion of resources to support them.
Acknowledging the contributions of diverse scholars. We believe that citing and acknowledging the contributions of diverse scholars in course syllabi across all academic fields should be commonplace at William & Mary. Course syllabi should reflect and feature diverse scholarship. We propose making a GBAT score mandatory on each syllabus. The Gender Balance Assessment Tool (GBAT) assesses the percentage of work featured in syllabi and biographies derived from academics who are women.
See: Decolonizing the Higher Education Syllabi, Decolonizing the Academy, More Information on The Gender Balance Assessment Tool
Ensuring those who need Accommodations, Receive Accommodations
Invisible disabilities deserve visibility. We will work with the Office of Student Accessibility Services and Student Health Center to advocate for greater mental health academic policies like mandatory excused absences for mental health-related reasons and mental-health-related SAS accommodations. We are firm in believing that invisible disabilities have right to accommodations.
See: Accommodations in Higher Education: A Student Perspective on Invisible Disabilities, Learning to Live With Disability in Grad School
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