Widespread student participation in Student Government is the major theme for the Progress Party’s platform this fall.
Party President Dave Schneider said some of the biggest problems with SG are systemic, and that mass student participation is discouraged.
“It’s a convenient way for people to claim a mass mandate for students without actually having it,” he said.
Progress candidates want to increase SG’s use of insourcing, which favors students over outside contractors for major programs. The SG-funded Bike Repair is an example of the practice.
Schneider said that using in-house resources will provide students more ways to interact with SG.
“It’s a form of political participation,” he said.
According to the platform, Progress candidates want to address campus sustainability issues by adding more recycling bins to Gator Dining facilities, redesigning the campus sprinkler system and giving resident hall students the option to stop receiving paper advertisements in their mailboxes.
The party also announced its intention to help create a committee, made up of students and faculty, to work with the UF Foundation to ensure that university investments are sustainable.
Schneider said the UF Foundation should make public its investment practices so that students can have input.
“We see that information as important in the fight for sustainability,” he said.
The Progress Party is also touting its candidates’ support for graduate students and graduate assistants. They plan to focus on increased funding for the Baby Gator program and fee deferments for graduate assistants.
Schneider noted the desire for a campus review board of the University Police Department as an important issue for the party.
During summer, student senators from all affiliations passed a resolution calling for the creation of such a board.
