Even though Alex Solis and David Neely are running unopposed for Undergraduate Student Government president and vice president for the 2013-2014 academic year, they say they still want to be receptive to the student voice.

Solis, USG president, and Neely, vice president, will host an open forum Thursday at 6 p.m. in Union 315, Neely announced at Monday’s general assembly meeting.

“This will give students, student leaders, faculty and staff a chance to come in and ask questions,” Solis said.

The forum will be similar to a town hall meeting, with anyone present having the opportunity to ask any question they have, Neely said.

“We’re giving every community member their chance to voice their opinion,” he said. “We feel confident we can answer students’ questions accurately and fairly.”

Voting for all USG positions begins next Monday, April 1, and runs through April 4. Students can vote on the University homepage.

University provost outlines changes for next school year

Also during the meeting, Rodney Rogers, provost and senior associate vice president of academic affairs, presented changes for the next academic year.

Rogers addressed changes to general education, academic experience and class sizes.

“We have excellent programs here, so my job every morning and night is thinking about what we’re doing to get better to ensure that the institution you attend is excellent,” Rogers said.

The University will increase class sizes next school year, following the decision to cut 100 faculty for this fall.

“We have carefully begun to say, ‘We need to make sure we are staffed in the appropriate way that ensures the education for our students is delivered,’” Rogers said.

This will only be a slight increase, with most classes only seeing as many as five seats added, Rogers said.

The University benchmarked other similar universities in Ohio such as Kent State University and Ohio University. The findings showed that the University had the lowest student-to-faculty ratio of any public college in Ohio, Rogers said.

The University seeks to expand grants that fund different technology for faculty members, who can then change the way they teach the classes, Rogers said. The University is going through the second round of grants. Eighteen were given in the first round this past fall.

The University will also make major renovations to buildings on campus, particularly the second floor of Olscamp Hall, which will be revamped to include more flexible seating, integration of technology and multiple class sizes, Rogers said.

“We want Olscamp Hall, to make that the edgy building in terms of teaching space and constant working on design to enhance student learning,” he said.

The University is also reviewing the 300 general education courses to remove those that are rarely offered or feature minimal enrollment, Rogers added.

The University will also offer linked courses to freshmen next fall, which will place a group of students in the same core classes. This decision came after piloting it with the business college this past fall with good results, Rogers said.

“This will bring a small college feel to a major university,” he said.

Solis and Neely met with Rogers monthly throughout this semester to discuss these changes and appreciated the consistency of his message.

“I think the most important message is that the undergraduate education is always being changed,” Neely said.

Student lobbies for funding for trip to Costa Rica

During lobby time, Allison Kump, a member of International Student Volunteers, asked for USG’s sponsorship for a trip to Costa Rica her group will take in June to promote environmental sustainability.

Six students will go for four weeks to help repair infrastructure, prevent erosion, fertilize coffee plants, Kump said.

“We’re going to be helping out the local community to promote environmental stability in the area,” she said.

The group has raised $560 so far.

“We’ve been going to several venders around town,” Kump said. “We’ve been doing some eco-friendly fundraising locally,” she added.