On Tuesday, Jan. 28 the Student Government Association (SGA) convened for its weekly meeting. The meeting involved a presentation surveying student opinion on the new general education requirements for freshmen, the introduction of a potential SGA mentorship program and a review of plans for a February Speed Dating event.
The meeting opened with a discussion of SGA expectations and Student Involvement Fair tabling. It then transitioned to a presentation by Freshman Class Senator Kevin Xu on Foundational Abilities (FA), the general education program for current freshmen and incoming students. The survey found that 93% of the interviewed freshmen believe that FA restricts interest exploration and 91% believe that it negatively affects course and career planning.
“We were promised the [former] distribution requirements, which were on the website until the summer,” Xu said. “Most people, only like 10–14%, said they knew about the FA before they applied, or when they applied.”
Upperclassmen SGA members offered various insights on FA and its implementation. Most, including Sophomore Class Senator Tarini Basireddy, suggested that the University administration would be unresponsive to efforts to revert back to original distribution requirements, but that it may be more likely to consider proposals allowing students to double count FA credits. As it stands, Basireddy added, double majoring in two STEM majors is almost impossible for freshmen in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS).
The members then transitioned to a presentation by KSAS Senator Tanisha Taneja and Whiting School of Engineering Senator Amy Xu about a new SGA mentorship program designed to smooth the transition to student government for newly elected officials. The meeting concluded with a first reading of the Speed Dating Bill, presented by Chair Tim Huang. The bill outlines a plan for a Speed Dating event for Hopkins students, which will be hosted on Feb. 21 at 7pm in the Great Hall. The bill was referred to the finance committee.
