How do you plan to keep your constituents (UMD graduate students) informed about the activities of the UMD Senate? How do you plan to learn their opinions on policies on which you will have to vote?

I’ve found that the workings of the University Senate are not adequately highlighted to the student body. This was true when I was an undergraduate student nearly a decade ago and remains true as a graduate student today. My plan would be to work closely with track representatives to help communicate with their respective cohorts and colleges about ongoing senate activities and what action they would like to see from the Senate.

Do you support collective bargaining rights for graduate assistants? If so, have you signed the Fearless Student Employees statement of support? If not, why not?

Graduate assistants are workers just like any other and as such deserve the right to collectively bargain. The current process of “meet and confer” does not work and allows the university to ignore the Graduate Assistant Advisory Council. We’ve seen graduate assistants at numerous other schools successfully gain the right to collectively bargain and even unionize. To deny that right to Terp graduate assistants is not only a disservice to them, but to the university as a whole. I have signed the statement of support for collective bargaining rights.

Have you previously been involved in any form of governance at UMD, whether through committees of the UMD Senate, on the Graduate Student Government, or otherwise? If not, have you been involved in other student groups at UMD, or in student government prior to your time at UMD?

I have not previously held any position of governance, and I hope to bring a fresh perspective to the University Senate. As an undergraduate I was involved in clubs on campus at the University of Maryland, such as the radio station, Greek life, and tutoring local elementary school students. My prior engagement with university life provides a strong underlying motivation to get involved with the University Senate now.

If elected, which UMD Senate Committees would you want to join, and why?

The Academic Procedures and Standards Committee would be at the top of my list. This committees work effects the core of our academic community. As we hopefully begin to transition out of the COVID era, the work of this committee will be vital in deciding which practices adopted during the pandemic should remain a part of academic life and which should be phased out in return to pre-pandemic norms.

I would also be glad to serve on the Elections, Representation, & Governance (ERG) Committee. I’ll tell you why in my specific policy change.

If you could make one specific policy change during your tenure on the UMD Senate, what would it be?

While my focus had been on academic procedures and standards when I first filed for senate candidacy, this process has led me to a new problem that needs solving. Students in the part-time MBA program, of which I am a part, are considered full-time students according to the Office of the Registrar. This may make sense for internal recordkeeping purposes, but for representation in student government, students in this program should not be grouped in with full-time students. I plan to introduce policy to correct this for the part-time MBA, and any other part-time students who are similarly miscategorized as full-time.

My name is Andrew Lewis, I’m a student in the Part-Time MBA Program, and I want to be your next Senator. I care deeply about my classmates, this program, and this institution. Having been an undergraduate Terp, I’ve seen the best of what this university and the graduates it sends forth into the world can accomplish. Unfortunately, I have also seen how often the University of Maryland fails to meet the needs of its student body. Part-time students, particularly those not based in College Park, are the most vulnerable. In the few months I’ve been here I’ve already seen students have to drop out of the program due to circumstances well beyond their control, but certainly within UMD’s. The University of Maryland is a world class institution, and the entire student body deserves the attention and resources it has to offer. I'm running for University Senate to make sure the needs of all part-time graduate Terps are heard and addressed. Where there are solutions there must be implementation, and where there are failings, there must be accountability. Thank you for your consideration, and I hope to have your support in this election. Andrew Lewis