Editors’ Note: The Voice (TCV) sat down with SGA President Jamila Ezbidi ‘19 to learn about her current initiatives and vision for the future. Ezbidi is an Architectural Studies and International Relations double major. She is a CISLA scholar, member of the orchestra, co-chair of Architectural Studies SAB, and member of CISLA SAB.
TCV: How long have you been involved in SGA? What motivated you to first run for an SGA position and now serve as President?
I became involved in SGA my sophomore year when I ran for the position of Chair of Equity and Inclusion. What motivated me to run for that position was the experience I had as a first-year international Arab student on campus. While the Office of the Dean of International Students provided us with much support, easing our transition to Conn, many of us still encountered certain barriers to full participation throughout various aspects of our college experience. I quickly realized how my experience aligned with that of many other underrepresented students on campus and decided to run for a position on the Executive Board which would allow me to address some of these barriers in an effort to push the institution to further provide underrepresented students with the structural support they need. I was also largely motivated and inspired by upper-class students in leadership positions. While certain language and cultural barriers that I had encountered during my first year initially discouraged me from pursuing a leadership position (I had never been to the US before college, English was not my first language, I didn’t even really know the difference between Baseball and American Football), seeing other minority and Middle Eastern students thrive in student leadership inspired me to follow in their footsteps.
Ultimately, the experiences of serving as President of the International Student Association, a member of the SGA Executive Board, Honor Council and various SGA committees allowed me to gain insight into many facets of college functioning. The knowledge, experience, and skills I had acquired in these positions allowed me to identify areas where I perceived room (or need) for improvement, and my interest to engage in such improvement motivated me to run for the position of SGA President.
TCV: What are some initiatives that you are spearheading?
This semester, I am spearheading the resurrection of the Commission on Shared Governance; a committee meant to evaluate the practice of shared governance throughout the different sectors of the college. Every year, the covenant is signed by the President of the College, the Student Government Association President, the Chair of the Faculty Steering and Conference Committee (FCSS), and the Chair of Staff Council. The commission has not always met regularly in the past few years, but this year we have decided to make it a priority to fully bring it into play. I serve as the Chair of the Commission, and it is currently working on a number of projects to evaluate and enhance the practice of shared governance at Conn: since committee work is at the heart of shared governance at our institution, we have decided to put together a guiding document that outlines strategies to assure that committees are functioning effectively. The commission is also devising a structure in which feedback and criticism of certain aspects of committee functioning can be taken into account in order to better address some of the structural barriers to effective shared governance.
Other initiatives I have been involved in this year include a project that I myself and SGA Vice President Cheikh Gaye are pursuing: having recognized certain loops of payments in which students and student groups are caught — frequently being charged for things the college already owns — we are working on identifying those cycles with the aim of eliminating the unnecessary bureaucracy and the barriers which come along with them.
This Weekend At Conn — a full weekend of social events held last semester for the first time — was initiated by our Executive Board, and we collaborated with SAC to encourage students to experience vibrant social life on campus by attending events on campus. The aim was to combat the urge or necessity to go off campus to have a good time.
Financial Aid has been a main priority of our Executive Board this year. It is clear that several students at Connecticut College have struggled with issues of financial aid. There is a need to increase the financial aid budget, and we have had several honest conversations with the Board of Trustees in which we were able to share student experiences with financial aid, highlighting the structural issue at hand. The Executive Board is also in conversation with the president of the college regarding the details of the guidelines according to which financial aid is allocated to students at Conn.
Other initiatives we engaged in last semester include the campaign to vote in midterm elections, which included several art installations and the spreading of information on transportation, details of voting, and more.
We have also experimented with different strategies to increase student engagement in SGA making transparency and quick response a priority. Our board has recognized the need for the SGA Executive Board to be proactive in garnering student input and involvement, putting a face to SGA. This inspired us to employ strategies such as tabling at the library and to actively reach out to students directly to encourage their input on SGA work and the student experience.
We have been working with the administration to communicate student concerns regarding safety and security on campus. We engaged in conversations about cameras, blue lights, deadbolt locks for housing located across the street, etc. and remained in close communication with Campus Safety regarding protocol, staffing, etc.
TCV: How has your views on SGA and its role in the campus community evolved since you have joined SGA?
Since I joined SGA, it has become increasingly clear to me that SGA must be identified not only as a body of communication between students and the administration but also as a body that facilitates the active involvement and change-making of students. Being on the same page about this topic can be challenging. Additionally, the importance of strong communication has become increasingly clear to me. We need the proactive engagement of SGA members and of the entire student body for SGA to function effectively.
TCV: What do you think is the most pressing issue facing Conn, and how has SGA been working to address it?
The main issue facing Conn concerns structural support for students throughout their four years at Conn. This involves issues of financial aid as well as other areas of support for underprivileged and underrepresented students. Efforts to increase the diversity of the student body have to come with long-term systemic and organizational support. This has become quite clear to me through my experience as a member of the Muslim community on campus. More resources have to be invested in fostering environments in which every student can feel fully supported and can thrive.
TCV: We recently learned that SGA formed two new committees. Can you tell me a little more about why they were formed and outline what powers they hold?
Yes! The first newly established committee is looking at employment policies across campus. The aim is to make sure that all student workers are presented with clear job descriptions, expectations, and disciplinary procedures at the start of their employment. The committee is also looking at how these procedures are enforced in order to ensure that it is done in an equitable way.
The second committee is looking at the relationship between REAL-staff and students to address any issues of mistrust and ensure a healthy relationship based on trust, allowing students to feel comfortable to reach out to REAL.
These committees were formed in light of student concerns that were brought to SGA during the beginning of the spring semester regarding student employment policies. Additionally, Sean Soucy — who was our Chair of Residential Affairs last semester — was planning to establish the committee enhancing REAL-student relations; an initiative he was very passionate about. The executive board has decided to further continue his work.
TCV: What is a week in the life as President like? What does your day look like in terms of people and committees you meet with?
Mondays at 11 am, I meet with Dean Norbert, the SGA advisor (and occasionally Dean Arcelus as well) to go over issues and student concerns that came up the previous week and to discuss initiatives I am working on. Tuesdays at 4:15 pm, I meet with the Priorities Planning and Budget Committee (PPBC) and we discuss long-term structural plans for the college. Wednesdays, I double check that everything is ready for the general assembly meeting on Thursday, meaning I send out emails about Open Forum, coordinate with the guest who will be attending on what they should cover, etc. On Thursdays is the SGA general assembly meeting at 7:15 pm. On Fridays, I catch up on emails and meet with students, administrators, staff, or faculty depending on what I am working on during that particular time period. Sunday at 7:30 pm is our Executive Board meeting in which we discuss projects/issues on which each member is working, sharing the latest progress, or we debate issues/concerns that have come up.
TCV: Students may not always be aware of the specific powers SGA holds, as compared to the administration, in creating policy. Can you tell us a little more about the structure of SGA and about your collaboration with the administration?
The assembly is able to pass general resolutions that act as recommendations to the Administration. Each house senator on the general assembly represents the residents of their house and gathers their feedback, voting as the house representative. Any student is able to submit resolutions to be voted on. When it comes to creating policy, a lot of that is done in committee work. For example, Sam Simonds, the chair of Academic Affairs, has been working since the start of fall semester with deans and faculty on legislation that addresses grades received during study abroad, and this issue is going to be voted on.
We also have created our own committees with administrators, such as the committee working on ensuring constant student representation on the Dean’s Grievance Committee. Earlier this semester, as soon as the Executive Board identified this issue as a policy issue that needs to be addressed, we began talks with Dean Cardwell that ultimately lead to the formation of a committee to amend policy in that area.
TCV: Are there any announcements or messages that you want to deliver to the student body?
Elections for the new Executive Board of next year are now open. If you are passionate about enhancing the Connecticut College experience or any aspect of its functioning, you should consider running!!
