Upon first glance, Joselin Padron-Rasines seems quiet and reserved.
But that is not how UF’s Student Body President is looking to work during her 12 months in office.
Padron-Rasines, 21, took office on April 22 and is already making the most of her first semester as President.
During her first three months in office, Padron-Rasines, along with her Diversity Affairs Secretary, Kalyani Hawaldar, has worked with administration members to implement gender-neutral single-stall bathrooms in Cypress Hall, a residence hall, which is set to open in Fall.
Padron-Rasines said she hopes to have signage change for three single-stall bathrooms in Peabody Hall as well as signage change at the Institute of Black Culture and the Institute of Hispanic-Latino Culture by the end of the Fall semester.
“I think we were both pleasantly surprised with how responsive the university has been toward this issue,” Padron-Rasines said.
When approved, the change will only affect single-stall bathrooms on campus, Hawaldar said.
Summer was the perfect time to make the proposal, Padron-Rasines said, because there are less students on campus and administration members she had to work with — including members from the Housing Department, Department of Student Affairs, Department of Business Affairs and the Physical Plant Department, among others — are still planning for the upcoming Fall and Spring semesters.
“I was like, ‘We have to have this done as early as possible’ because if it’s Fall, they’re going to be bogged down with other projects that need to happen,” she said.
Padron-Rasines and Hawaldar led a 10-student committee to get the task done.
The committee met once a week compiling research and reaching out to other colleges that already have gender-neutral bathrooms (including Florida International University and the University of North Florida) to find out what it took for them to implement gender-neutral bathrooms on campus, Hawaldar said.
“We did a lot of research as to how it affects all students,” Hawaldar said.
And as she prepares for her first Fall semester, Padron-Rasines will be staying busy. In addition to continuing the push to implement more gender-neutral bathrooms on campus, Padron-Rasines has already sent out a transportation survey to students on Friday to find out how the university can improve campus safety, a project she will continue in the Fall.
The survey asks students about current transportation services offered — SNAP, RTS, Later Gator, Walk Safe, Gotcha Rides and Uber. Padron-Rasines said the survey will be used to help gauge whether to enhance current options or see if the university needs to implement other options.
In addition, she is working on President Kent Fuchs’ goal-setting task force and starting to work on a bike-sharing task force, which she said is more of a long-term project.
Padron-Rasines also plans to start a biweekly coffee get-together called “Java with Jos” to give students an opportunity to meet with her outside of the normal office setting.
Ultimately, Padron-Rasines knows her goal is to serve the students, and she wants the students to know she is there for them.
“I really want to make my presidency an interactive one where students feel comfortable and know their Student Body president is someone they can talk with,” Padron-Rasines said. “I don’t want to be out of touch.”
[A version of this story ran on page 17 on 8/5/15]
