The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate last week released its fall semester survey gauging student opinion on a variety of Senate projects.
The Senate had received 926 responses to the survey as of yesterday, according to TCU Historian Tomas Garcia, a junior who is also the chair of the Senate's Student Outreach Committee, and TCU Parliamentarian Dan Pasternack.
The number already marks an increase from the spring's survey, which elicited 898 responses in total, Pasternack, a senior, said. This semester's survey, as in the past, has no built−in mechanism for preventing one person from submitting multiple responses, although senators do inspect technical information associated with submissions for questionable patterns, he said.
The survey will end the first week of December but could conclude earlier if responses reach a target of approximately 1,000 to 1,500, Pasternack said.
Results will be made available on request a few days after it comes to a close. They will also be made public on a new Senate website set to launch next semester, according to Pasternack.
Pasternack said positive responses aid the Senate's efforts to lobby the administration and negative responses tell the body which projects to avoid.
"More or less, it's to try to gather some type of extra backing for some projects," Pasternack said.
The Student Outreach Committee authored the survey, Pasternack said. Its members solicited questions from the chairs of Senate committees, to whom individual senators submitted questions, he said.
Four questions ask for student opinion on the idea of creating an Africana studies department. The Senate passed a resolution on Nov. 7 supporting the establishment of such a department.
One question asked how strongly students agreed with the statement that they would benefit from "Tufts hiring more Black faculty."
Two questions relate to the project by Trustee Representative Alix Boulud, a senior, to build an on−campus kitchen facility, intended for use by student groups as well as classes. The Senate last night passed a resolution supporting such a project.
Several questions ask students if they are aware of Tufts' resources and judicial process related to sexual assault. One question asks whether students would make use of a free and confidential HIV testing service.
Some questions, such as those involving sexual assault, were featured in previous Senate surveys, TCU Associate Treasurer Matthew Schuman, a junior, said. Other reappearing questions address general student approval for the Senate as a whole.
The Senate is tracking long−term trends in responses to these questions, Schuman said.
Two questions focus on student opinion regarding the Group of Six, the group of culture−related centers at Tufts. One asks about student participation in Group of Six events. Another question asks whether students think that the centers meet their communities' needs.
The Senate will give out four $25 prizes as incentive for students to participate, according to Schuman.
The Senate on Wednesday sent an e−mail to the student body with a link to the survey. The body will send a reminder e−mail after students return from Thanksgiving, Garcia said.
Senators will promote the survey door−to−door in on−campus dorms after the Thanksgiving break, he said.
Some students complained that there was no opportunity for students to write their own comments on this semester's survey, according to Pasternack.
Pasternack said senators are seeking students' direct input, including via e−mail at TCUSenate@tufts.edu.
"While the comments really do tend to be helpful, it sometimes goes unnoticed just because of manpower and time restrictions," he said. "Whereas a person going and knocking door−to−door is more personal."
Garcia encouraged students to take the opportunity to weigh in on the Senate's current and upcoming projects.
"It's their opportunity to have their voice directly heard by the Senate on a variety of projects which Senate is currently considering and pursuing," he said.
Garcia said the Student Outreach Committee is coordinating further efforts to gauge student opinion following Thanksgiving break. In addition, WMFO Tufts Freeform Radio will air Senate public service announcements beginning next semester, he said.
