Student senate survey results released

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate is making headway on projects culled from a Fall 2003 survey.

The survey asked students' opinions on a variety of campus issues, such as a Universal JumboFOB system and e-mail stations at Brown and Brew. The questions enabled TCU senators to consolidate general student opinion regarding their projects.

One question the survey asked was whether students are in favor of having a JumboFOB system which would anyone with a FOB access to every single dorm on campus. Currently students with FOBs only have access to the dorm in which they live.

80.9 percent of survey respondents supported the idea of universal FOB access.

Another question on the survey referred to Freshman Senator Simon Sassenberg's project for the year: the installation of new e-mail stations across campus. "My original idea was [to place] e-mail stations in the dining halls," Sassenberg said. "We were all gung-ho about it, but I changed my project based on student reactions to the survey."

Survey answers help senators fulfill their leadership duties. "Even though [the dining hall e-mail stations] was my idea, with the survey I can better represent the student body. It's my responsibility to get basic services that everyone would need," Sassenberg said.

53.1 percent of surveyed students showed interest in setting up e-mail stations in Brown and Brew rather than in the dining halls (32.6 percent) or the Dowling Hall common area (14.3 percent).

A computer for Brown& Brew will be installed sometime in the coming week.

Projects that did not receive much student support were also adjusted. Freshman senator Zachary Landau suggested that the bookstore did not carry enough apparel with Tufts colors and proposed what is known as the Brown and Blue initiative. Based on the survey, students are not overwhelmingly upset with the lack of selection in the bookstore. Only 22.8 percent of those polled thought that the bookstore does not provide enough Tufts apparel in brown or blue. "It has taken a back seat because other issues have come up," Landau said.

In addition, the survey expedited the course of several projects. Andrea's Pizza and Pasta Pisa will be added to Merchants on Points (MOPS) after receiving positive responses on the surveys. Additionally, the survey resulted in the purchase of new equipment for the Lunden Fitness Center in Gantcher with donated money.

The TCU plans to release a second set of surveys to the student population sometime next week, according to junior senator Baumwoll. "The next survey is a continuation of projects as they've developed," he said.

Following this second batch of surveys, a third set are will come out near the end of the semester. "The surveys have worked the way we've intended. A lot of the data we received was really helpful in allowing us to be more efficient," Baumwoll said.

This survey polled 1655 students overall. While all classes were fairly represented, the sophomore class represented 31.8 percent of the survey respondents.