SGA Bureau Chief Ria Vasishtha covered Barnard College’s Student Government Association (SGA) Meeting on Monday.

As the year comes to an end, Barnard’s SGA gathered on Monday to share about ongoing projects and give insight into representative-led initiatives. While the focus of the meeting was to recap the Desserts After Dark Survey, the beginning of the meeting included reminders about upcoming events. 

In the coming weeks, over 30 Barnard and Columbia departments will collect for Earth Day. There will be sustainable freebies, green-themed activities, and information about our evolving Earth. Representatives also encouraged students and faculty to make use of the new QR codes in campus bathrooms. Students can report their issues directly to facilities via the QR codes, including missing menstrual products or toiletries. 

The latter half of the meeting was spent discussing the DAD survey released in early March. The anonymous survey informs SGA’s projects and policies for upcoming semesters. Topics on the survey varied, from asking about the academic experience to discussing campus culture.

With just under 900 respondents, the survey captured 28 percent of the student body.

In the academic-oriented part of the survey, students showed varied opinions about course reviews, access to syllabi, and their use of on-campus tools like Beyond Barnard. Responses trended more positive the higher the class year. This same pattern was reflected in the questions about having trusted adults, both academic and non-academic, on campus. As students gain seniority, the “no”s drop.

An overwhelming majority of students strongly disagreed with the survey’s questions about feeling supported by the school. This trend was also seen with questions about whether students felt their voice was valued by administrators. Breaking down the responses by demographic, queer students and students of color disagreed with these statements at higher rates. Across the board, students are unhappy with the campus culture.

The SGA hopes to continue its efforts in making progress on campus. If students are interested in joining, the SGA has extended the process, pushing back the Intent to Run Form and the Candidates’ Debate. 

Image via Bwog Archives