Editorial 1: S.U.R.E. needs to survey less and act more
Less than a month after making the results of the first Undergraduate Students Association Council survey public, David Dahle and the Students United for Reform and Equality general representatives are compiling a second one.
The S.U.R.E. slate ran on a platform last spring emphasizing the importance of gauging student interests through surveying, but there was an expectation it would actually lead to action. Instead, it seems its main purpose is to inform council members about the opinions they should have. For example, Adam Harmetz, a S.U.R.E general representative, said he would have voted differently on the Iraq resolution if he had known the results of the survey. This is somewhat disheartening. Though keeping in touch with student opinion is important, council members should also have their own opinions. Students elect people, not computers.
Instead of having expensive, massive, non-scientific surveys quarterly, the president’s office should consider contracting another party to conduct fewer, scientific surveys. Another option is establishing an independent commission dedicated solely to measuring student opinion. It might be more expensive, but the time it saves the president and the general representatives to focus their offices on working on issues that concern students – as indicated by the first survey – rather than continuously trying to assess what they are, is worth it. By the time the second survey’s results are made public, the quarter will be in its final stages and council attention will be focused on the spring elections.
Keep in touch with students, but get something done.
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