USG Election Guide 2017: Prince Ghosh

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Name: Prince Ghosh

Year: Second-year

Major: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Running for: Vice President of Academic Affairs

Relevant experience: Served as Vice President of Academic Affairs this past year, served as a College of Engineering Representative before that.

 

What are your plans for the position?

My biggest plans for the position are to tackle the issues of: tuition prices being too high, increasing diversity within teaching practices, focusing on increasing academic retention at Case Western Reserve University, and making sure the university is up to date on modern learning pedagogies.

 

What is one initiative that you want to complete in your first semester?

Within my first semester, I want to complete an initiative that’s been in the works for a while but is close to being completed: the creation of a peer mentorship program. Advising and mentoring has always been a point of concern from CWRU students, and I believe this is an issue that can be tackled in more than one way. Not all advising questions need a tenure track professor to be answered, and in fact, the argument can be made that advice on academics, school, and the work life balance would be better delivered from an experienced upperclassmen.

 

How will you work to make sure that the opinions of students are voiced in the Commission on Undergraduate Experience?

As I have this past year, I will always fight for the student perspective on the various committees I sit on, including the Commission on the Undergraduate Experience. The strongest way to make sure that opinions of students are voiced is through collecting and then delivering relevant data which I plan to continue on doing.

 

How will you work with faculty and the administration to increase support for non-STEM programs?

I intend on working with faculty and administration to increase support for non-STEM program in a few different ways including: pushing to improve relationships with non-STEM institutions in the vicinity, encouraging better faculty-student interactions to help students in the humanities and social sciences find opportunities and develop connections, and argue for more funding to be directed to those departments with the intent of increased programming, guest speakers, etc., to help students feel more engaged with their area of discipline.

 

With the VP of Academic Affairs sitting on the Faculty Senate, how do you plan on communicating student needs to faculty and administration? Do you think that student concerns are currently being heard by the Faculty Senate?

I think student concerns very much are currently being heard by the Faculty Senate and as VP of AA, I plan on using a strong, steady voice, backed with data and evidence, to ensure the Faculty Senate take student concerns seriously.

 

How will your work to ensure transparency after the recent admissions policy change that allows a potential student’s family income to be used as a factor in admission?

The resolution requiring the administration to review this policy next year is a good start. Undergraduate Student Government must keep putting pressure and holding this’s decision results accountable to the university. I think the idea of trying to cultivate a certain subset of student income groups is a silly initiative, but it’s the card we’ve been dealt. The stated goal of including more low-income students is admirable, but bringing in more high-income students to do so excludes many in the middle. I think we need to focus more on making the process affordable for those already here, because giving someone the opportunity to attend school is not as altruistic if they leave piled in debt.