The Council of Commonwealth Student Governments should not be overlooked as a driving force behind change at our university. Too often CCSG is forgotten about by the students at University Park.
We see this student government as negligable because we have our own student government: University Park Undergraduate Association.
But, CCSG is not an entity to be forgotten about. And they shouldn’t be. Their iniatives — specifically one that could change WebMail for Penn State students — affects the community.
Students complain about WebMail as an outdated means of email communication.
It’s an everyday problem that students deal with as they try and organize their schoolwork, emails from their professors and notifications for clubs.
It’s an encouraging step that CCSG is taking by recognizing there is a need for an upgrade and doing something about it.
They are consistently advocating for students and for the betterment of the university, as a whole, not just a specific campus. CCSG represents a significant amount of students at our university.
Penn State is not defined by University Park.
We are 20 undergraduate campuses. And CCSG has done a great job of ensuring that their policies are for the good of the university, as a whole.
From smaller initiatives, like discussing the conversion of the university email to something more navigable, to larger initiatives like a policy that allows those who have been assaulted to report an incident without consequences from the university if they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
CCSG finds relevant and relatable topics to the student body and brings them to light.
But, CCSG continues to push for change.
There have also been iniatives passed with choosing foreign language classes, which allows students who took a language in high school to enter lower level courses for college, if they choose.
And this is just another example of how CCSG takes these complaints into account and brings the everyday nusances to light.
At a time when Penn State is under the microscope from the outside world, student leaders voted in favor of Penn State opening up more of its records under the state’s Right To Know Law.
This legislation is not only an effective use of power and leadership, but it’s also a timely endeavor, that could have a significant impact on our school. The leaders in CCSG cater toward better student understanding.
And this piece of legislation, as well as others like the potential WebMail change, shows that there are still little, day-to-day aspects of Penn State that can be improved upon.
It may technically be seen as a commonwealth-centered government, but the work that CCSG undertakes reaches far beyond.
