Message from Scot Goins
NYU Law SBA President
April 13, 2011
Greetings law school community!
Thank you so much for electing me as your SBA President. I am really excited to work with the rest of the new Board of Governors to implement many great changes for our school. We had our new leadership transition meeting yesterday evening, and I have to say how very impressed I was with the energy, ideas, and passion that the new Board brings to the table. I sincerely believe that you are going to see a lot of great changes in the very near future.
In fact, the process of change has already began, and I wanted to make you aware of some plans and ideas that are in the process of being implemented.
First, in an effort to become more streamlined, efficient, and to increase the speed of our response to student concerns, we are shaking up some things in terms of committees. We are going to be creating several new ad hoc committees and chair positions, including the following: Communications, Admissions, Academic Affairs, Diversity, Journals, and Community Outreach. It is our hope that by creating these committees, we will be able to better serve all students, bringing together information, resources, and people in order to address all student concerns. The administration will work directly with these committees, which will not only enhance response, but will also increase accountability and transparency.
Second, we have created a "Projects" list, which will in essence serve as a "to do" list for the SBA. This will help us focus on getting specific things accomplished, keep us on target, and help ensure that you see how the SBA servers you. Further, this will also help us allocate resources and people, which should increase our ability to both accomplish goals, but also to plan accordingly for the future. This list will be available shortly for all to see.
Third, we are in the process of updating the SBA website, which should hopefully lead to easier interactions amongst students, student groups, and the SBA. Our focus points include updating all officer biographies and student webpages, ensuring that all student groups have constitutions and by-laws on file, and assisting students (current and potential) in learning more about all of the great things that student organizations accomplish and have to offer here at NYU Law. We also have plans to include helpful articles such as "How to Start a Student Group", "What is family funding and how do I get it", etc. This should help all students and organizations increase their awareness of how the student government works, and make life easier for everyone.
There are many more ideas on the table, but I thought that these were the three most important for you to see immediately. Although the SBA is known for its terrific Thursday night events, the organization does much, much more, and it is your new SBA's hope that by increasing understanding, transparency, visibility, and accountability, that we can help you realize what a force for positive change we are within the community.
On behalf of myself, and the rest of the Student Bar Association, we are very excited to be working with each and every one of you over the next year. We believe great things are in store for NYU Law, and are happy to be a part of the process for making this a better place.
~Scot Goins