June 7, 2013

To the Board of Trustees,

Over the course of the 2012-2013 school year, many concerns and ideas have arisen from the student body in terms of where donor money goes. The conversation began when the community found out about the plaza and fountain being built. While we are excited about having the road between Founders and Milner removed, many members of the community expressed frustration with not knowing where the money came from and not having any voice in determining where the money goes.

While we recognize that these are not always student decisions to make and that alumni may have specific wishes for how their money should be used on campus, students are not always included in the institutional conversations about funding priorities, and sometimes are not told the rationale for why money got spent where it did. Based on community discussions, a group of students has come together to draft this proposal expressing our desire to create a “Student Advisory Committee” made up of both traditional and CCE students. This advisory committee would work to keep open communication with the full campus community to figure out what is most needed and wanted on campus in terms of repairs, additions or renovations.

With the help of the Office of Advancement, Alumni Office, and Student Affairs Committee, the Student Advisory Committee would generate ideas for donors large and small and help give a sense of where donations are most needed. This committee could help create a closer bond between alumni and current students, which is a priority. Several students met with the Alumni Board in April and received their full support for the idea of this committee. A representative will also sit on the Alumni Board in order to foster relations and methods of communication.

This past semester, The Guilfordian surveyed students, faculty and staff to determine the community’s highest priorities. The survey results in full are attached to this proposal (Appendix B), but the most popular suggestions were accessibility, renovating student housing and faculty salaries. The job of the Student Advisory Committee would be to conduct surveys similar to this and distill the results into usable information with feedback from all parts of the community, including both Student Government Associations, WQFS, The Guilfordian, CAB, etc. This also opens the potential for two-way communication: the proposed committee can be responsible for taking ideas and listening to concerns from donors and alumni and communicating them to the student body through their direct access to student organizations. The overall goal is to allow all voices to be heard and to help facilitate the Quaker business process that guides decision-making at Guilford. A broken down summary of the committee with proposed projects and ways to organize is attached (Appendix A).

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Appendix A: Student Advisory Committee

Mission

The Student Advisory Committee will be established in 2013 to increase student involvement and institutional memory of philanthropic efforts for the College. The Committee will give students a sense of efficacy through education and collaboration with administration, Trustees, fundraisers, and donors in order to meet the College’s ever-changing needs as they are identified by the current and past student body, faculty, and staff.

Members

Students, both CCE and traditional, would apply to the existing members of the Student Affairs Committee for a position on the committee. The first group of students would be selected by a special ad-hoc committee formed specifically for that purpose. This first group would be charged to create a constitution that will ensure institutional memory by stipulating that committee members should come from multiple groups on campus and membership will not have a 100 percent turnover every year.

Collaborators

– Student Affairs

– Alumni Board

– Administrators and Board of Trustees

– Office of Advancement

Goal

The goal of this committee is to increase awareness and knowledge among the community about how donations work and where the money goes, as well as increased knowledge among the Board and donors about what the community needs.

Possible Projects and Collaborations

Serving as a liaison between the Alumni Board, Board of Trustees and students, faculty and staff concerning philanthropic activity and donations

Holding regular committee meetings and enrichment

Partnering with Alumni Relations, Office of Advancement and Student Affairs to communicate the expressed needs of the students, faculty and staff as well as hearing their ideas, concerns and hopes for the future

Appendix B: Survey Results

Financial aid

– Provide disability resources

– Money towards faculty and staff pay

– Merit and service-based scholarships

– Help supplement financial aid for students who cannot afford Guilford – first-generation college students, low-income families…

– Aid for books and supplies

– Give money to humanities and arts departments for scholarships

– Give more scholarships

Improvements to departments/facilities

–Dana/music department

– Upgrades to observatory

– Buy more books

– Add more academic departments

– Money for smaller departments (art, music, etc)

Residence Halls

–Remove all black mold from residence buildings

–Improve quality of dorms

–Repair heating/air conditioning

–Fix plumbing

Food

– Improve food quality

– Find healthier options

– Utilize the farm more

Miscellaneous

– One-on-one time between staff and students

– Livestock

– Solar energy

– ESL teacher

– The internet service

Recreation/aesthetics

– Pool

– Track

– Clean the lake

– Gazebo/more outdoor seating