Fellow students,

The Student Government Association is working diligently to better the academic experience at Missouri State, and we are well on our way to the implementation of key initiatives that will allow for improved publishing of academic information to students. Similarly, SGA continues to increase the methods of communication between it and the student body in hopes of obtaining greater student input on an array of issues. I hope that the realization of these two goals ultimately fosters better relationships between students and their student government, faculty, and administration.

SGA realizes the importance of remaining transparent and accountable to the student body by providing convenient and easy-to-use means of communication between SGA and students; additionally, we are constantly seeking student opinion on a variety of issues around campus and encourage students to provide input whenever possible. In an effort to meet these goals, we have reconstructed our website to allow for a better sharing of information and instituted the weekly Public Opinion Poll.

Within our website, students will be able to view published data such as the SGA budget and expenditures. Seeing as SGA is funded by the student body through a one-dollar student fee, it is appropriate and necessary that students have the ability to account for every dollar spent by SGA. Also on our website are minutes and podcasts of Senate meetings which allow you to keep track of the business conducted during Senate.

Perhaps the most important initiative thus far has been the creation of the weekly Public Opinion Poll. Each week, a new poll will be released on our website and run for a two-week period. These polls allow you to give SGA input on a variety of topics ranging from the tobacco policy of Missouri State to the naming of the Student Section in JQH Arena. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity to weigh in on issues that directly affect you.

SGA also understands that when registering for classes, students may not have the most useful information available to them. We are currently working with the Faculty Senate to revise the iGrade system which allows students to view grade distributions for a class or professor. Such a revision will include the addition of new, more useful questions to end-of-the-semester evaluations; these questions will allow students to better understand the demands of the course and expectations of the professor before registering.

I hope that you find these projects useful as a student, and I continue to encourage you to use your voice and promote the betterment of student life at Missouri State.

Christopher W. Polley and Kristen E. Sanocki

Student Body President and Vice President

Missouri State University