Asbury Student Congress announces updates for different plans around campus as well as a new transportation proposal for international students.
While the meeting was centered on the transportation proposal, there were many important announcements from different branches of ASC.
The Executive Cabinet is currently working with the Provost’s office to seek and provide recommendations for ways to grow the academic experience at Asbury. If students have any experiences or know anyone with experiences that wishes to voice anything regarding academic advising, they can contact Zachary Fazio at zachary.fazio@asbury.edu or Brittany Worthen at brittany.worthen@asbury.edu.
Additionally, EC announced that ice machines for dorm halls are going to be purchased for two different residence halls and installed either toward the end of the year or over summer break.
For the Student Governance Association (SGA), the branch recently passed many proposals, including proposals to sound-dampen one of the McCreless practice rooms and add lighting to the back of the Bellevue Townhomes.
For future plans, SGA is currently working on finalizing a proposal to add additional hours open to Kinlaw Library as well as the Walt and Rowena Shaw Collaborative Learning Center (CLC).
The Student Intercultural Program (SIP) is designing an event to help students learn about local cultures, and the Appalachian Festival will be focused on culture, history, music, dancing, food and folk stories of Appalachia. The event will be held on Mar. 11 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Aside from future events, SIP also announced its transportation proposal for international students.
The proposal is aimed towards aiding students, more specifically international students, who do not have cars, resulting in an inability to get groceries or toiletry items needed for everyday living. This can be especially problematic during breaks when they do not have access to the cafeteria or peers who can offer them a ride.
This problem has been prevalent for many years, and with little success in finding an acceptable solution in the past, SIP is now proposing atransportation plan. It includes providing transportation to Walmart for students during the first few weeks of the semester and before every school break to ensure they have adequate food, school supplies and toiletries.
This pilot program would be paid for by SIP funds and is deemed a necessary expense by SIP leaders. For each trip, there would have to be at least 10 students in attendance in order to make the trip to Walmart. In combination with helping international students, the plan also provides another job opportunity for other students through the job as drivers.
The transportation proposal was passed, so the plan will be implemented in the fall of 2026. The specific timeframe and logistics for becoming a student driver are still being determined. Despite the necessity for transportation and the fact that the program needs to be renewed annually, if there is not enough student involvement, the transportation proposal will not last. However, if the proposal is a success, SIP hopes to include more than just international students on the trips. If students have questions regarding the transportation proposal, they can contact lydia.roy@asbury.edu. Students can also contact members of the Executive Cabinet through email or by visiting their offices in the STUCE basement for more information on proposals or if they have concerns.
