What relevant experience would you each bring to the positions you are seeking?
Collin has been involved with SGA since July 2015. He launched the new SGA website, co-wrote and passed legislation for the Stipend Review Committee, coordinated the 2016 SGA Election Night Extravaganza, and worked on SGA election reform. He has previously served as Senator and Assistant Speaker of the Senate. This year, he has led SGA's Between Election Series, crafting the Coffee & Conversation events. Vrinda has worked to facilitate problem-solving within the UMBC community through several on-campus positions, such as Secretary of the Erickson Hall Community Council, member of the Student Health Advisory Committee, member of the Relationship Violence Awareness Advocates, and student leader with the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation initiative. We are former STRiVE participants, and will serve as IHU Peer Mentors in Fall 2018. Our multitude of experiences on campus make us more than qualified for the office of President and Executive Vice President.
How do you intend on fulfilling your roles while working alongside other members of SGA? What strategies do you use to address conflict?
The roles of President and Executive Vice President require that we listen and reflect on the culture of the student body. This means that we will fulfill our roles by creating a space for collaboration and communication across every branch of SGA and student life. We will be focused on rebuilding the relationships that students have with the Student Government Association. The strength of these relationships is integral to our roles, the organization itself, and our university’s principle of shared governance.
There are unavoidable conflicts that exist both inside and outside of SGA. As President and Executive Vice President, our duty is to address the organization’s conflicts directly and fairly. Occasionally, conflict resolution will require decisive action. However, we will most often address conflicts with the same mindset of collaboration, communication, and balance that is central to our roles.
How do your approaches to leadership complement each other? How do you navigate disagreements between the two of you?
We make a great team because we share a lot of similarities and our differences complement each other. Our experiences have demonstrated that hard, high-quality work can be rewarding both for us personally and for the community. Collin is focused on getting work completed. Sometimes this means delegating a task to someone with a particular skill set; other times it means providing self-care space so an individual can work to their potential. Vrinda has an extensive background in conflict resolution and interpersonal relationships, and greatly values feedback. She believes that no formal process is above constructive criticism, and this involves regularly taking time to reflect and improve. While our leadership styles are somewhat similar, we have our share of disagreements. In navigating disagreements, we can take a break from conversation, return with clear heads, and express our viewpoints with as much detail as possible. This approach helps us compromise.
What is your vision for UMBC and the UMBC student body? How do you intend to strive toward this vision?
UMBC should be a place where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and empowered to make meaningful contributions to our community. UMBC has a unique culture that now faces both national attention and local pride. We believe we can capture this energy, and turn it into engagement from all students. Our responsibility is to ensure that SGA is the resource that amplifies student voice and cultivates community leaders.
Student organizations connect students to campus life- even students who don’t see themselves as involved members of the community. SGA has to ensure that student organizations feel supported - both financially and through leadership development. Most importantly, we need to be able to take care of ourselves and of each other. The well-being of students is an integral part of a healthy and cohesive campus. Health and wellness, organizational development, and community engagement are the foundation of our vision for UMBC.