UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

2009 END OF YEAR REPORT

The Administration ofPresident Cason Michael Kirby

Empowering Students

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STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION231 Ferguson Center

Box 870292Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0292

205-348-2742Fax 205-348-0755

sga.ua.edu

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Letter from the President 4

Executive Council 5

Senate 6

Student Judicial Board 8

First Year Council 9

Advisors 11

FY07 Budget 12

FAC Allocations to Date 13

President Report 15

Chief of Staff’s Report 22

Executive Advisor to the President’s Report 26

Executive Vice President’s Report 28

Vice President for Financial Affairs and Treasurer’s Report 32

Vice President for Student Affairs’ Report 34

Vice President for Academic Affairs’ Report 45

Vice President for External Affairs’ Report 50

Executive Secretary’s Report 54

Director of Communication’s Report 56

Director of Administration’s Report 58

Deputy Chief of Staff’s Report 59

Director for Intercollegiate Athletics’ Report 60

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CASON KIRBYPresident

April 7, 2009Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Dear Friends:

It is my pleasure to present to you our 2009 End of the Year Report. As I ’m sure you will soon come to see, this has indeed been a very busy and beneficial year for the 27,052 students that serve as the lifeblood of our state’s flagship university.

In the face of difficult economic times, our student government has worked tirelessly to provide the support our students need to do their jobs both inside the classroom and out. We are certainly proud of our headline achievements; however, we equally understand that often times the small services are those which make the truly fundamental impact on the everyday lives of our students.

Our government has been driven by the empowerment of this student body and a sense of responsibility for all of our fellow students who do and will call the Capstone home. For one short year, we have been entrusted to lead and to represent what I know is the world’s greatest student body. The thoughtful and diligent team that has comprised this government have dedicated themselves to leaving our storied institution stronger than ever before for the next generation of student leaders.

Roll Tide,

Cason M. KirbyPresident (2008-2009)

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EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

2008-2009CASON M. KIRBY

President

RICHARD E. BYRD

Chief of Staff

STEVEN A. OLIVER

Executive Advisor to the President

JESSE L. WOODS

Executive Advisor Emeritus

ALLEN L. ROSS

Executive Vice President

PHILIP D. MAHONEY

Vice President for Financial Affairs

LOUISE C. CROW

Vice President for Student Affairs

BRANDON D. CLARK

Vice President for Academic Affairs

MICHAEL R. DODSON

Vice President for External Affairs

BLAIR E. DARNELL

Executive Secretary

EMERALD GREYWOODE

Chief Justice of the Student Judicial Board

CHRIS VINSON

Treasurer

PATTY ANN GREEN

Director of Communications

KIRK MATTEI

Deputy Chief of Staff

ADAM DIAMOND

Director of Administration

ALLISON CRAWFORD

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Attorney General

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SENATE

2008-2009

PRESIDENT OF THE SENATEAllen Ross

PARLIAMENTARIANScott Greer

ARTS & SCIENCES SENATORSJamie Burke

Nicole BohannonStephen Swinson

Miriam FryFrank Gleason

Sara Beth HensonTrey Johnson

Matt MayAllison PaceTyler Reed

Cooper Trent Chambers Waller

Meg McCrummen (Secretary of the Senate)

BUSINESS SENATORSDiana AndrewsSamuel BoneKristin Boyle

Richmond CollinsworthBryan Flick

James Fowler (President Pro Tempore)Daniel HintonEdward PattonAmy Moultrie

William Haig Wright

COMMUNICATION SENATORSCaitlin Chalk

Corderrol HarrisAbbie RusenkoTyler Valeska

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EDUCATION SENATORSChris BrandtLaura Jones

Molly McAllister

ENGINEERING SENATORSMarcie Atchley

Ben BaxterMeredith GrayGregory Poole

GRADUATE SCHOOL SENATORSRob Dixon

Rebecca Rose Lutonsky

HUMAN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES SENATORSMcLean Bramlett

Ginger LumJody WatsonEmily Wilson

NURSING SENATORSJennie Hackett

Caroline PhillipsKatie Taylor

SOCIAL WORK SENATORSClaire Roth

Kathryn Ellers

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STUDENT JUDICIAL BOARD

2008-2009

CHIEF JUSTICE

Emerald Greywoode

JUSTICES

Amira Al-deeb

Michael Bailey

Emily Bell

Ben Burch

Brittany Burgess

Aubrey Coleman

Steve Donaldson

Jessica Garcia

Jesse Heifner

Grace Herbert

Patrick Howell

Daniel McBrayer

L.J. Moore

Tyler Mosley

Julia Simcoe

Mike Stedman

Hayley Strong

Charlie White

Meg Williamson

CLERKS

Brandon Ford

Tyler Sagan

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Morgan Sellers FIRST YEAR COUNCIL

2008-2009

Blount: Claire WoodringEvan WardLucie Enns

Bryant Hall: Doug Randall

Burke East: Kristi Wood

Byrd: Benton Hodges

Friedman: Jordan Thompson

Harris Hall: John Seats

Lakeside: Jeff DavisAdalene WoodroofCadeAnn SmithJohn HeflinMalcolm WoodMegan St. JohnTaylor SmithJacob ForehandMatthew RileySprat Nabors

New Hall: Anne Hart Atchison

Off Campus: Leah Laird

Parham: Samantha Mollica

Parker Adams: Zach HardinWilliam Cobb

Paty: Garret Sullivan

Ridgecrest: Jonathan BraymanBoris ShilkrotLisa Elizondo

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Rachel BeverlyGrant Cochran

Riverside: Austin SeizEli HareJessica SmithMatthew MazerNick Grabowski

Rose Towers: Clayton WilliamsDevon MorrisetteJake GrayJellisa AxsonMark David KennedyMark HusstedTom GrayWillie Williamson

Tutwiler: Amelia GwaltneyHannah HuddlestonHeather WhiteKatherine CageKatherine FontanaKatie MiliganMallie WoodfinMary Claire DorsettMary Cooke WileyNorma BoydSavannah Harvard

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ADVISORS

2008-2009

SGA ADVISOR

Dr. Kathleen P. CramerSenior Associate Vice President for Student Affairs

EXECUTIVE ADVISORS

Dr. Tim S. HebsonDean of Students

LEGISLATIVE AND HOMECOMING ADVISOR

Mr. Chad ClarkCoordinator of Late Night Programming and Special Events

JUDICIAL ADVISORS

Mr. Mark FosterAssistant Director of Judicial Affairs

Mr. Todd BorstAssociate Director of Judicial Affairs

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BUDGET

FISCAL YEAR 2009

FY 2009 Budget

Executive 40000Salaries 25300Academic Affairs 500AL/AU Better Relations Day 1500Awards Banquet 7000SGA Fundraising 0Capstone Market 2000Communications/Telephone 12500Elections 4000External Affairs 500Financial Affairs 500Homecoming 11000Legal Services 20000Legislative Contingency/Senate 5000Marketing 2000Graduate Research & Travel 30000Student Affairs 500Student Court/Judicial Board 500Executive Contingency 4200FAC Expenses 1000

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FINANCIAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ALLOCATIONS

TO DATE

Student Organization 10/13/08 11/17/08 01/12/08 02/16/08

Ad Team (Student Advertising Team) 2,380.00

African American Gospel Choir 220.00 2,115.00

African American Graduate Student Association

1,200.00

Alabama Environmental Council 1,600.00 Alabama International Relations Club

1,600.00 Alpha Phi Alpha

1,423.00 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronomy

547.23

American Institute of Chemical Engineers 1,600.00

American Society of Civil Engineers 1,500.00

Anthropology Club 1,850.00

APWONJO 1,993.35

33.49 68.04 1,418.00

Association Building & Contractors State Chapter

1,674.31

Association of Child Life 1,600.00 AVS Student Chapter 230.00 715.00 Black Student Union

2,000.00 200.00 600.00

Black Warrior Review 1,600.00

Capstone Association of Nursing Students 500.00 Capstone Music Therapy

1,600.00 Chi Alpha Campus Ministry (Christian Fellowship)

1,600.00

Circle K 1,774.50 Club - Alabama Crew

3,400.00 Club - Alabama Cycling Club

1,490.00 1,200.00

Club - Alabama Men's Volleyball Club 2,180.00

920.00

Club - Alabama Water Ski Team 1,600.00

Club - Alabama Women's Volleyball 3,100.00

Club - Crimson Tennis 3,300.00

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Club - Men's Lacrosse 3,100.00

Club - Men's Wheelchair Basketball 2,750.00

Club - Women's (Lady Tide) Soccer 3,100.00 Club - Women's Wheelchair Basketball

2,750.00 Colleges Against Cancer 455.37 Collegiate Politicians 500.00 Creative Campus (Assembly) 400.00 Crimson Gamers Institute

1,000.00 Delta Sigma Theta

1,640.00 Engineering Students Without Borders

2,100.00 Eta Kappa Nu

1,600.00 French Club

1,800.00 Freshman Forum 135.79 Gamma Beta Phi 1,600.00 Graduate History Association 600.00 Graduate Student Association 119.40 2,500.00 Indian Association of Tuscaloosa (IAT)

1,000.00 Institute of Electric and Electrical Engineers 1,307.00 International Student Assocation 30.00 350.00 1,000.00 Lambda Alpha Anthropology Honor Society

1,600.00 MAPS (Minority Association of Pre-Health Students)

1,300.00

1,525.00

McNair Scholars Student Association 241.85 Miss University of Alabama

2,000.00 NAACP

1,200.00 National Council of Negro Women 780.60 National Pan-Hellenic Council 650.00 National Society of Black Engineers

1,600.00 National Student Speech Language Hearing Assoc.

1,600.00

Peer Mentors 631.25 Pi Sigma Epsilon

1,600.00 Platform Online Magazine 400.00 PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America)

335.00

Resonance Show Choir 64.35 Sigma Delta Tau

1,600.00

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Sigma Gamma Rho 1,145.00

Southern Historian 882.00 Student Bar Association

9,000.00 Student Labor Action Movement 573.50 Students for a Democratic Society 1,402.30 Students for Sustainability

1,800.00 Sustained Dialogue 800.00 The Bama SOS Brigade 900.00 Theta Tau 369.36 Touchdown Alabama Magazine

1,750.00 Turkish Student Association 801.11 Tuscaloosa Chinese Christian Church 1,600.00 Tuscaloosa Chinese Christian Fellowship

1,510.00 University Drum Circle 2,500.00 University of Alabama for Obama 100.00 University of Alabama Hillel 1,800.00          

$45,377.98

$22,807.84

$20,630.04

$35,914.94

Total $124,730.80

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CASON M. KIRBYPresident

As President, I am responsible for the oversight of all SGA business and ensuring that the goals of the SGA are accomplished. I serve as head of the Executive Council and as the official student liaison to university administrators and the Board of Trustees. It is also my responsibility to listen to the student voice and to establish a theme or philosophy for the student government. I set the overall vision for the Student Government Association.

Maximizing the Academic Experience

24 Hour Library Programo Instituted a 24 hour library pilot program in Rogers Science and

Engineering Library to provide UA students with a safe and convenient study and research location, regardless of the hour.

o Partnered with Pepsi and the Office of Auxiliary Services to provide needed funding during the current economic environment.

o Partnered with Executive Vice President and Provost Judy Bonner, the Division of Academic Affairs, and University Libraries to provide permanent funding for this overwhelmingly successful new student service.

Academic Advisingo Conducted a thorough review of each college’s academic advising

policies to ensure students receive the mentoring and advice they need in an efficient and effective manor.

o Partnered with the Divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs to bring the DegreeWorks academic audit program to UA students, beginning in the fall of 2009.

o Degree Works is a simple and student oriented program that will allow students to plan their coursework for an entire academic career, making it simpler for students to meet their graduation goals, while simultaneously allowing University administrators the ability to schedule specific classes to meet the requirements of students across disciplines and departments.

Academic Honor Councils

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o Partnered with the Division of Academic Affairs to empower all students with the responsibilities of academic integrity in each of the Universities colleges and schools.

Free Test Bookletso Offered SGA test booklets free of charge to all UA students, often

times at exam sites.

University Textbook Committeeo Partnered with Provost Judy Bonner to institute a Section II University

standing committee to review the significant financial burden placed upon students by the costs of textbooks and to explore and implement programs and policies to relieve students of this huge cost addition to their educations.

o Appointed Vice President for Academic Affairs Brandon Clark to serve as co-chair of this standing committee along with Dr. Melondie Carter of the Faculty Senate.

Textbook Rental Programo Proposed a textbook rental program that will offer many textbooks for

students to rent for a small percentage of the textbook’s retail price.o Partnered with the University Supply Store to implement this

textbook rental program beginning in the fall of 2009.o Partnered with the Faculty Senate, with the specific help of Faculty

Senator Melondie Carter and the Committee on Student Affairs, to successfully encourage voluntary faculty adoption of textbook rental requirements.

Enhancing Student Services

Emergency Student Loan Programo Continued the partnership with The University of Alabama Alumni

Association to serve students through the interest-free SGA Emergency Student Loan Program.

o Significantly increased the budget of the emergency student loan fund from 10,000 dollars to over 200,000 dollars to assist students and their families in this especially difficult economic time in a more

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comprehensive way, through a partnership with the Divisions of Financial and Student Affairs.

o Signed this administration’s fourth executive order, which significantly increased the maximum single loan amount to 500 dollars, interest free for an entire month.

o Created a simplified emergency student loan application, accessible online through students’ myBama portal with the help of the Office of Information Technology, that cuts through the red tape of loan applications and enables students to receive their cash loans in a more efficient and timely manner.

Bama Dining Efficiencyo Worked with Bama Dining Director A.J. DeFalco to implement a “tray-

less dining” policy on campus to decrease the amount of water required by Bama Dining, thereby significantly decreasing the University’s impact on the environment and also cutting the dining costs passed on to students.

o Partnered with Bama Dining to increase the hours of operation of Bama Dining facilities to serve student dining needs in the later hours.

o Partnered with Bama Dining to tailor hours of operation of several dining locations to the needs of students, allowing Bama Dining to minimize operational costs passed along to students after suffering from budget cuts and increasing prices.

Ferguson Laptop Rental Programo Partnered with Provost Judy Bonner to fund and implement a free

laptop checkout program for students inside the Ferguson Center.

On-Campus Job Placemento Partnered with the Division of Financial Affairs to create a simple

website for students to view available options for on-campus employment and create an online profile making application for one or multiple positions simple and efficient for students.

Organic Garden Initiativeo Partnered with New College to create a University-wide community

garden through the UA Organic Garden Initiative.

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o Provided 10,000 dollars in funding to finance the organic garden’s irrigation needs.

Student Legal Clinico Provided an even level of complete funding for the Student Legal

Clinic, despite budget cuts, enabling our students to continue receiving free legal advice through the our partnership with the School of Law.

Notary Public Serviceo Provided free and convenient notary services for students for the first

time through the SGA office with the help and cooperation of SGA office manager Carolyn Fulmer.

Restructuring of services for student organizationso Partnered with the Division of Student Affairs to restructure the

services available for student organizations and create The Source, a center devoted to the success of student organizations.

Ferguson Center Renovationso Worked with the Ferguson Student Union and the Division of Student

Affairs to prioritize a renovation of the Ferguson Center to create a more welcoming and student-friendly space that will serve a central component of campus life and provide essential services to all students and student organizations.

Senate Vacancy Appointment Processo Authored an amendment to the SGA Constitution, which was

approved by the affirmative votes of 11,691 students (85 percent of ballots cast), to simplify the process through which vacancies in the Student Senate are filled, ensuring that all University students have the most active and responsive representation in the Student Senate.

Increased Accountability of SGA through Separation of Powerso Authored Executive Order I, which outlined the requirements for

serving in the Executive Branch of government and restricted those from simultaneous service in the Judiciary or Student Senate.

Magnifying Our Voice

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University Standing Committeeso Appointed the first student in the University’s history to co-chair a

university standing committee, the Committee on Campus Life.o Increased student representation and attendance at all university

standing committee meetings to provide a powerful voice representing student needs in this influential branch of the University’s advisory structure.

Government Relationso Worked diligently with members of the Alabama Legislature to ensure

passage of House Bill 1, authored by Representative Jamie Ison of Mobile, legislation that protects University students from the dangers of sexual predators.

o Partnered with the City of Tuscaloosa to support legislation that would bring new restaurants and entertainment venues to Tuscaloosa, thereby improving the local economy and offering more social and entertainment opportunities for students.

o Continued SGA support of legislation that would ease the costs of textbooks of students of Alabama’s colleges and Universities and require those institutions to develop and implement further cost-saving policies.

Tuition Policyo Partnered with President Robert Witt and Vice President for Financial

Affairs Lynda Gilbert to explore budget cuts and other avenues to keep tuition increases as manageable for our students as possible after significant budget cuts imposed by the State of Alabama.

o Partnered with President Witt and Dr. Gilbert to explore tuition policy alternatives, such as graduated tuition increases for currently-enrolled students.

SGA Office Moveo Secured an agreement between the Division of Student Affairs,

Ferguson Student Union and student government to move the SGA office from the third floor to the main level of the Ferguson Center, thereby increasing SGA’s accessibility, efficiency, and accountability to UA students.

Student Leaders Council

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o Represented student government on this board of campus leaders and worked to plan the Capstone Creed Week celebration.

The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabamao Represented the interests of all 27,052 UA students on the governing

board of The University of Alabama System.

President’s Cabineto Represented UA students on The University of Alabama President’s

Cabinet, a group of distinguished alumni and friends of the University who serve as an advisory body to President Robert Witt.

Student Affairs Leadership Councilo Updated members of the Student Affairs Leadership Council on the

programs, initiatives, and agenda of our student government at numerous functions in Tuscaloosa and around the state.

Vice President for Student Affairs Nationwide Searcho Represented the interests of the 27,052 students of the Capstone in

our University’s search for its newest Vice President for Student Affairs and Vice Provost and our selection of the University’s own Dr. Mark Nelson for that position.

SEC Exchangeo Represented The University of Alabama, along with Chief of Staff

Richard Byrd and Executive Advisor to the President Steven Oliver, at the SEC Exchange in Lexington at the University of Kentucky, the annual meeting of student body presidents of the Southeastern Conference.

Student Representation in the National Alumni Associationo Appointed the first student representative to the National Alumni

Association Executive Committee.

Tuscaloosa Amphitheater Projecto Provided student representation to the City of Tuscaloosa for

development and implementation of the city’s amphitheater project.

Tuscaloosa Arts Council

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o Appointed the first student representative to serve on the Tuscaloosa Arts Council to promote student interests and involvement in the arts in the greater Tuscaloosa community.

Fourth Annual Hip Hop Summito Co-sponsored the University’s 4th Annual Hip Hop Summit, which saw

sell-out crowds of well over 2,000 students and showcased UA students and other local performers.

Unity Dayo Planned the first UA-hosted Unity Day, an event that brings together

students from The University of Alabama, Stillman College, and Shelton State Community College for an afternoon cookout with musical performances and other entertainment.

Supporting a Tradition of Athletic Excellence

Student Football Ticket Commissiono Created, through Executive Order, the Student Football Ticket

Commission, chaired by Chief of Staff Richard Byrd, to explore and propose changes to the process through which the Athletic Department sells student football ticket packages and the policies regarding the use of those student tickets.

o The Commission created a report, which was ratified by the University Administration and Athletic Department that implemented many reforms to student ticket policies, make football season packages more accessible to our student fans dedicated to Crimson Tide Football.

Fair Oversight of Complimentary Student Football Ticketso Authored Executive Order II, which prohibited any student who

receives complimentary or automatic student football tickets packages (certain SGA officials, student athletes, members of the Million Dollar Band, Capstone Men & Women, etc.) from also purchasing a second regular student package during ticket sales conducted by the Athletic Department.

Expansion of Bryant-Denny Stadium

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o Partnered with President Witt and Athletic Director Mal Moore to propose a stadium expansion that would enlarge the student section to allow for a much needed increase in the amount of tickets available to our expanding student body.

o Worked with University administrators to ensure construction work on the stadium is scheduled in a way that causes the least impact on current student seating for the 2009 football season and created a plan to address all seating needs of students if expansion does impact the student section during a part of the actual football season.

Block Seating Reformo Worked with Vice President for Student Affairs Louise Crow to

completely redesign the block seating application process, creating a more fair, open, and objective system that rewards organization with traditions of scholarship, campus involvement, and community service.

Football Game Waitlisto Worked with ACTion Card Services and Vice President for Student

Affairs Louise Crow to develop a waitlist system in which students could be notified via e-mail and admitted to fill unfilled at the end of a football game’s first quarter.

o Formed a plan with the Athletic Department to have a physical line outside Bryant-Denny Stadium for waitlisted students to gain immediate entry into football games to fill unfilled seats.

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RICHARD BYRDChief of Staff

The Chief of Staff is the chief administrative officer of the SGA serving all branches and departments of student government as accountability officer and chief administrative coordinator of all SGA business. I feel that I successfully performed this role over the past year. By managing the resources of the SGA, I was able to help our outstanding Vice Presidents and Directors overwhelmingly achieve their, what some called, “over-ambitious” platforms. I was honored to interact with these people on a daily basis, and they most assuredly made my job fun. I directly assisted the president on all policy advising, project implementation, and organizational communication. Beyond that, I tried to focus on serving the everyday needs of the average student. I feel that the year has been an overall success because of the tangible improvements we have brought to the students who elected us into office.

While I have been fortunate to be involved with a seemingly endless number of activities, initiatives, and roles this past year, I would like to highlight several of them:

Student Football Tickets

Throughout the past year, I continuously served students by representing their voice regarding student football tickets to administrators, athletics, and the general public. The culmination of this was serving as Chairman of the Student Football Ticket Commission. This commission presented an all encompassing set of recommendations to the Athletic Department regarding student football ticket policies. Our commission consisted of a broad cross-section of the student body that was focused on making decisions that benefited the entire student body, as opposed to their self-serving interest. The recommendations made were accepted in their entirety by Athletics; this speaks volumes of the thought, debate, and consideration that took place during the weekly meetings.

During the 2008 Football season, I worked with Vice President of Student Affairs Louise Crow, and a small group of students to improve the number of tickets being donated to the student ticket pool. Due to the number of unused tickets we saw at the beginning of the football season, we formed this group to increase the ticket usage. We recognized how important it is that every student football ticket be used every week. Using as many communication avenues as we could, we encouraged students who were not going to the game to donate or transfer their ticket to another student.

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Furthermore, we worked with administration to formulate ways the maximize the number of students in the stadium. We were successful in improving the numbers. We look forward to seeing further improvement with the maturation and acceptance of the new paperless system.

I worked with SGA President Cason Kirby, and high ranking UA officials to ensure that student interests are not only protected, but enhanced with the new expansion of the south end-zone.

Most recently I have worked with Louise Crow to improve the communication about how the 2009 purchasing process will be conducted. While the process will remain largely the same, we want to ensure that all students are aware of the most minute details including dates, times, technological information, prices, and secondary options. We have worked with athletics to create written information with screenshots, along with a video explaining this information for students. We want students to be completely prepared when buying football tickets for the 2009 season.

Under Louise Crow, I served on the planning committee for an away game tailgating party. While we were unfortunately never able to secure a final date and have the tailgate, much progress was made. The hours of logistical planning and lobbying administration has laid the groundwork for making this event possible in the future.

Producing Tangible Results

I worked with university Auxiliary Services, the City of Tuscaloosa, and other members within the SGA to secure funding, and policies for the Entertainment Bus pilot program. This was a late night bus route that ran from downtown Tuscaloosa through many of the student resident areas. The bus offered a convenient, safe, and affordable transportation for students who did not have access to a car or were not able to drive.

After we had spent hours in discussion and brainstorming, combined with determination from the SGA President and a student oriented administrator, we were able to secure the funding for the 24 hour library through a partnership with Buffalo Rock Pepsi. While this was not the final step in accomplishing this platform item, it was the biggest obstacle in our way.

Several times throughout the past year, I went to Montgomery along with other SGA representatives to advocate student interests to state legislators. The focus was on bills regarding student safety, university funding, which directly effects the tuition students will pay, and taxes on university textbooks.

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I served as an ex officio member of the university standing committee on Parking and Traffic. I voiced student concerns and represented the interests of students on the committee which sometimes can forget about the impact their decisions have on each of us. While many times I was in the minority, the voice of the students was heard.

Shortly after being inaugurated, then SGA Executive Advisor Jesse Woods, SGA president Cason Kirby, and myself were successful in implementing a laptop rental program in the Ferguson Center. The Ferguson Center is the most heavily trafficked building by students, and we felt that a laptop rental program would be appropriate.

I allocated addition resources in order to ensure that the Ideas to Action and Date Auction planning committee had all the necessary resources to complete the date auction. The auction was a huge success providing a large amount of scholarships to students that attended, while also securing money to be disbursed at a later date.

Increasing Involvement

It was one of the goals of this administration to increase the involvement of the general student population within this administration. I oversaw all applications for both director and general positions within the SGA. Thanks to the help of Director of administration, Adam Diamond, and Deputy Chief of Staff, Kirk Mattei, we were able to offer over 500 positions to students.

This past year we founded an unprecedented Office of International Involvement. This office served to represent the needs of the underrepresented international students, and also to encourage them to become involved with their SGA. The office reported directly to the SGA president and myself. Under director Will Thomas, the office hosted the first annual Week of International Involvement in which the SGA partnered with other campus organizations in activities such as forums, games, and informational events. The office was able to bring a new face to the SGA, and I look forward to watching its potential growth in the future.

I represented the SGA in a public capacity speaking at events both on campus and off. I encouraged all students to become active within their SGA, and mentioned some of the many opportunities that are available. I also fielded any questions or ideas others may have.

Everyday Duties

My core duties largely revolved around making sure that the entire SGA was working towards the goals set forth by the SGA President. This

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involved frequent strategic planning with key SGA members, administrators, key players within our community.

As Chief of Staff I held all SGA Executive Council members accountable. This is obviously a full-time task. I planned and lead the executive officers meetings, meet with Vice Presidents on a regular basis, and instituted a system of director accountability for office hours. I continually asked officers where they were on completing their platform and in what areas they were experiencing problems. Having a productive group of executive officers made this part my job a pleasure.

It was my job to facilitate communication and streamline resources across the SGA. The SGA is a large organization and always has many things going on. I served to minimize the repetition of processes and make certain that resources were being used in an effective manner

It was my job as incoming Chief of Staff to guarantee that our administration had a smooth transition. I did this by clarifying expectations to all SGA members in the weeks leading up to our inauguration. This took a great deal of learning and commitment on everyone’s part.

I regularly served on various other committees and attended meetings in place of the SGA President. These committees included the Media Planning Board, and Campus Violence Task Force among others.

I was in charge of the planning for the 2009 SGA banquet. It would not have been possible without the hard work of Office Manager Carolyn Fulmer and First Year Councilor Christy Boardman, who handled this process.

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STEVEN OLIVERExecutive Advisor

The Executive Advisor serves as the personal aide and advisor to the president. They act as the president’s official agent and advise the president on all internal and external decisions in student government.

Accomplishments:

Town Hall Meetings: Scheduled the first ever SGA Town Hall Meeting to get the student body to communicate with the SGA on any questions or concerns they have. Each meeting that was held had a different topic, for example, Tuition, Student Football Tickets, etc. The meeting takes place once a month. An administrator who specializes in the topic is present at each meeting in order to answer questions, as well as, all of the SGA Executive Council is present to answer any relevant questions they have regarding their respective programs. This program is meant to be open floor discussion and involve all students who want to voice their opinions.

Textbook Library Checkout: The textbook library check-out program is designed to place classroom textbooks on file in libraries on campus. This program will place textbooks from the most heavily enrolled classes, many required classes for various majors, and also very expensive textbooks, i.e. nursing textbooks. They will be located in the libraries and put on reserve to allow students to check them out for a few hours or even overnight. Instead of a student purchasing a book that they may not use all the time or they would only use for problem solving strategies they could check the book out of the library in a very cost effective manner.

Voting and Ballot Reform: How the university conducts its campus wide elections is arguably out-dated. Due to this inquiry, every Southeastern Conference school was contacted in order to see how their elections were conducted. After the results were reached, all of the information was compiled into a chart in order to review and recommend some possible ideas for our current voting system. This involved communicating with the Office of Information Technology in order to review the best strategy to follow. The needs of our students were the number one priority in deciding which system to follow. We moved to an online voting system for the spring elections, and the results were a drastic increase in voter turnout.

Corolla Advisory Board: The Corolla Advisory Board was created to decide the fate of the Corolla yearbook. This board was made up of administrators, local news reporters, student representatives as well as a representative from the Alumni Association. At each meeting a different aspect of the Corolla was discussed and possible ways to make it more

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successful were looked at. This includes anything from cost, to content, and also to advertising. A decision was made by the board and recommended to the Vice President of Student Affairs and Media Planning Board in order to preserve the Corolla.

Dear Mr. President: An event co-sponsored with Black Student Union and the Ferguson Center. The purpose of this event is to allow members of the university to express their opinions about issues relating to our new president, Barack Obama. The event will create a comfortable atmosphere that will generate healthy and constructive dialogue amongst students, faculty and staff about our new President and issues he will face upon taking office. The planning of this event included going to various meetings to discuss the layout of the event. We are hoping to hold this event later in the spring semester.

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ALLEN ROSSExecutive Vice President

As Executive Vice President of the Student Government Association, I have numerous responsibilities to fulfill. Serving as the President of the SGA Student Senate, it is my responsibility to oversee the 50 elected Senators that represent each individual college on campus. I appoint every Senator to a Senate Committee to discuss and make recommendations for pending legislation. Furthermore, it is my responsibility to provide Senators with the tools and resources necessary to write effective legislation in the form of resolutions and bills.

Accomplished Goals

A Senate Chairperson for each individual college was appointed for the first time. The Chairperson is charged with the responsibility of establishing contact with their colleges faculty, better connecting students to their college, and organizing meetings for the specific Senate college delegations.

The first Senate Journal was implemented, published, and made available on the SGA Website. The Senate Journal is a detailed record of Senate business including summaries of all resolutions and bills, committee recommendations, and Senators voting records.

Every Senator was paired to a First Year Councilor to better connect the two legislative bodies. Senators served as mentors to the First Year Councilors and assisted them writing legislation and familiarized them with Parliamentary procedure.

Senators completed assigned office hours which were posted on the SGA Website so that constituents know when their specific Senator would be in the SGA office to hear their concerns.

The Senate web page included every Senator’s name, picture, contact information, and college affiliation, along with the Senate Journal and every piece of legislation that each specific Senator authored or sponsored.

The Senate and First Year Council held two joint sessions. The Senate and First Year Council passed joint resolutions and received the State of the University Speech.

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The Senators and First Year Council competed in the annual Beat Auburn Beat Hunger Competition. Combined, the two bodies collected over 2,400 pounds of food for the West Alabama Food Bank.

Immediately after inauguration, two training sessions were conducted for Senators. The purposes of these sessions were to familiarize Senators with Robert’s Rules of Order and to educate Senators how to write legislation according to the SGA Code of Laws.

The SGA Senate went on a retreat to outline goals for the year. Senators used the time away from campus for extensive committee and college meetings and team building exercises.

Senators hosted a “Meet Your Senator Day” in October 2008. Senators were available outside the SGA office to inform constituents about SGA services. The C&BA Senators hosted their event in the Bidgood Bistro in Bidgood Hall. In addition to providing general SGA information to business students, the C&BA Senators distributed scholarship information and encouraged students to apply for the available C&BA scholarships.

Significant Passed Legislation The Senate passed numerous resolutions recommending that

crosswalks be placed in certain areas of campus to improve student safety.

A resolution created a committee of Senators to assist the SGA Vice President for Student Affairs with conducting a study of poorly lit areas on campus. The committee spent an evening on campus searching for these areas and presented their findings to the University.

A resolution recommended that more maps and effective signage indicating bus routes be placed at Crimson Ride stops. The Office of Auxiliary Services later placed bus route information at the stops.

The Senate passed a resolution thanking those that made the 24-hour library pilot program a success and recommended that students and faculty participate in the program.

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The Senate hosted the third annual Landlords, Leases, and Legalities event in Morgan Auditorium. Crimson Choice, local property law attorneys, and rental agencies spoke to over 350 students and informed them of their rights and safety about living off campus.

A resolution recommended that the University of Alabama handle all construction at a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) level, which is a green building rating system for high performance buildings.

A committee of Senators created an absentee voting information packet available in the SGA office. These packets were also placed at the SGA voter registration tables in the Ferguson Centers before the Presidential election.

A resolution thanked the National Alumni Association for their continued support of the SGA Emergency Loan Program and for the $10,000 donation last year.

The Senate passed a bill that clarified the way Student Justice and Clerk vacancies are filled to the SGA Judicial Board. The student body confirmed this amendment to the SGA Constitution during the Homecoming Election.

The Senate passed a resolution thanking Parking and Transportation Services for allowing off campus students to park in the Student Recreation Parking Lot for free on Gamedays.

A Senate resolution created the “Ideas to Action” program. “Ideas to Action” is coordinated in conjunction with the Crimson White and allows students to submit their ideas to the SGA electronically

Senate passed a bill that changed the way FAC allocations are approved. The Office of the Vice President for Financial Affairs now submits a detailed record of the allocation before Senate will approve the allocations.

A resolution supporting the University to transition from Bama Mail to Google Mail email system was passed.

The Senate passed a resolution supporting an annual “UA Canformation” encouraging students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the Tuscaloosa community to donate canned food or money to the annual Beat Auburn Beat Hunger Food Drive.

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A resolution thanking the University for adding more women’s self-defense classes was passed.

Senate passed a resolution supporting the Academic Honor Council for promoting academic integrity by posting the Capstone Creed in academic buildings and residence halls on campus.

A resolution passed implemented an SGA calculator rental program in University Libraries.

A Senate resolution created the Senate Council on Academic Advising (SCAA). The SCAA examines the issues of the academic advising process, and its members serve as liaisons to their respective colleges.

The Senate passed a bill that codifies the process vacant Senate seats are filled and will allow for better representation in the SGA Senate. The bill was approved by the student body in the Spring SGA Elections and amended the SGA Constitution.

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Office for Financial Affairs

PHILIP MAHONEYVice President for Financial Affairs

CHRIS VINSONTreasurer

The office of the Vice President for Financial Affairs is responsible for proposing policies of the SGA in all areas of financial management. It is my job to oversee all financial transactions of the SGA, collect and disburse funds of the SGA, and keep a record of all transactions available for any student. My job also entails working for every student’s financial needs through scholarships and loans.

The second role of the Vice President for Financial Affairs is to serve as Chairman of the Financial Affairs Committee (FAC). In this role, I work alongside the Treasurer to plan, run, assist, and advise the FAC in their meetings and allocations. The treasurer’s job is to serve as Vice-Chairman of the FAC and to communicate, coordinate meetings, and collect necessary paperwork from student organizations. It is his job to make sure the funds that are allocated are disbursed to the student organizations.

Accomplished Goals

The budget was planned for the fiscal year 2009 and the fiscal year 2008 budget was successfully closed by transferring funds from accounts within the SGA.

During the 2008 fiscal year, the FAC allocated the entire $120,000 budget for the first time in the organization’s history. This money helps cover expenses for student organizations on campus. Theses allocations were confirmed by the SGA senate.

Prior to the fiscal year 2009, the precedents used by the FAC were changed to more efficiently allocate funds and to prevent the erosion caused by increase prices in travel. The most significant changes were increasing the travel precedent from $1,200 to $1,600 and removing the advertising, copying, postage, and office supply precedents while replacing them with a $500 general supply precedent.

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The FAC forms were updated accordingly removing obsolete information and updating them with the new precedents and new Coordinating Council for Student Organization guidelines. These forms were then posted on the SGA website and in the SGA office in order to ensure easier access to all students.

The SGA student loan program was continued with over 700 loans given totaling over $241,000. This program provides students with interest free loans for thirty days and helps students in tight circumstances with utility bills, rent, car trouble, etc… This program was expanded in January by increasing the loan amount to $500 and will be launched online during April. By increasing the amount, almost any student’s rent can now fully be covered. Furthermore, placing the program online allows for easier access and less hassle for students needing a loan.

The NSBE and SGA combined to host a date auction February 12, 2009 raising over $13,000 for student scholarships. Thirteen $500 scholarships were disbursed that evening with the remaining funds disbursed through NSBE or the SGA Scholarship Committee for the fall 2009 term.

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LOUISE CROWVice President for Student Affairs

This has been an incredibly successful year for the SGA Student Affairs Team. This division is responsible for all social policies, recreation and entertainment, athletic events, safety issues, Homecoming, spirit events, other special campus events, and any other issue regarding student needs. Each Student Affairs project, initiative, event and service would not have been possible without such a strong leadership team of directors I worked with each and every day.

Our Capstone community offers endless opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. The University allows students to stay involved in campus activities, meet lifelong friends, gain leadership and service experience, and even support fellow peers in athletics and creative events. Every aspect of this campus should seek to improve student life and unify our Capstone community. As Vice President for Student Affairs, we provided collaborative and unique student life initiatives creating a home away from home for all of us. The SGA Division of Student Affairs provided a unified and safe campus atmosphere encouraging every opportunity for student growth. It has been an honor to serve in this position and I look forward to seeing great things from the incoming administration.

STUDENT SAFETY

Chambers Waller, Diana Andrews, Daniel Odrezin, Karen Bybee and Andy Liles

One of my number one priorities as Vice President for Student Affairs was making SGA safety initiatives proactive not reactive. The Capstone is our home and each student should feel safe and continually have new and empowering learning opportunities.

Safe @ UA:Working with UAPD and the Office of Academic Affairs, Richard Byrd and I served as the hosts and teachers of the “Freshen Safety Video”. This was filmed throughout the spring and summer months and included health and safety tips from a variety of topics. Students can access this video to learn more about preventative safety measures they can take on our campus. It has been used at Freshmen Transition Workshops to help UAPD relate to students more effectively.

Freshmen 42:

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After two armed robberies on campus in a two week span, we provided a new type of safety campaign targeted towards freshmen. This promoted safe and healthy habits to adopt during their transition to college life. Each day there was a new safety message delivered through a unique communication vehicle. We worked with media relations, UAPD, Parent Programs staff and other UA staff.

Spring Break Safety Campaign: With the dangers and pressures surrounding the week of Spring Break, I partnered with Media Relations, the Health Promotion and Wellness Center , UAPD and the Parent Programs to launch a spring safety campaign. The campaign used many mediums to promote student health and each day had a new safety message which was communicated to students in a unique way. That way, students are hearing, seeing, learning and finding ways to be more mentally, physically and emotionally healthy, and make better choices. These served as little reminders on how to make better life choices both on and off campus.

New Section of the Self Defense Class:With the large demand to register for the Women’s Self Defense course, many students were unable to take advantage of this proactive course. Senator Chambers Waller served as my liaison between kinesiology professor Matthew Curtner-Smith and Provost Judy Bonner to open a new section of the course.

SGA Student Affairs Lighting Committee:The University of Alabama Office of Facilities hired an outside lighting consulting firm to complete a study of the campus. The purpose of the study is to resurvey the core of campus to find poorly lit areas and to install or improve current lighting structures. The Student Senate created a committee of five senators appointed by the Executive Vice President to help with upcoming lighting projects.

On Campus Lighting Initiative: A UA lighting consulting engineer and our committee spent several evenings targeting frequent routes that students choose to take. My chairperson, Diana Andrews, helped organize recommendations of these student nightly travel routes. By pointing out these areas to the lighting consultant, we were able to improve lighting fixtures throughout the core campus area.

Campus Security and Safety Committee:I serve as a representative to the Campus Security and Safety Standing Committee. This committee has spent the year addressing student and faculty concerns including crosswalks, lighting and the campus master plan.

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PARKING/TRANSPORTATION

Brittnie Mabry, Stephen Story, Gina Johnson, James Fowler, Shirley Darr, Ronnie Robertson, Chris D'Esposito and Ralph Clayton

Parking and transportation concerns received incredible attention from the SGA Department of Student Affairs. SGA Student Services Director Brittnie Mabry provided communication initiatives helping students understand everything from where they could park to the bus route schedule.

Crimson Ride Kickoff Event:In August, we planned the Crimson Ride Kickoff event allowing freshmen and transfer students an opportunity to become familiar with their new transportation system. A Crimson Ride bus was parked at the Ferguson Center Plaza, and students were allowed to tour it. Also, parking staff was on-hand to answer any questions. In addition, Pepsi helped supply cups and t-shirts to give away.

Route Signs at Hubs:After several months of planning, metal route signs were finally placed at the most frequented Crimson Ride stops making it easier to plan the most efficient route for a student totake. Our feedback showed many students who had not taken the Crimson Ride route were more comfortable trying out the transportation system.

Established Parking Study Group:We recruited several students with diverse parking needs to form a parking study group. This group met several times each semester to voice concerns their peers had about parking. These concerns were then analyzed and presented to Ronnie Robertson and the transportation department.

Parking Maps on Decals:Students are constantly complaining about not knowing the parking lots specifically available to their decal. We worked with the department of parking to ensure that campus maps highlighting their decal’s specific parking spots were placed on the back each decal. This new feature has significantly cut back on ticket complaints regarding parking lot confusion.

Crimson Ride Bus Shelters :

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Unfortunate weather circumstances like rain have kept students from waiting on the Crimson Ride and caused tardiness to class. The SGA Department of Student Affairs worked with administration to ensure that shelters were built at several bus stops, preventing students from waiting in the rain.

Trans Loc Monitors:TransLoc, short for TransLocation, allows students to see where the Crimson Ride buses are located in real time. Before this year, there were only a couple of these monitors avalaible around campus. Our parking director and student services director have provided more monitors including buildings such as the Gorgas Library, Recreation Center and the Transit Hub.

Free Commuter Parking on Gameday:The study group brought to light the fact that students who had bought commuter parking passes were still being charged $10 to park in the Rec Center parking lot on gamedays. After bringing this problem to the parking department, the fee was eliminated for those who had purchased a commuter parking pass.

15-Minute Parking Spots Changed to 30-Minute Parking Spots at Osband Hall:The study group realized this issue and brought and presented the proposal for thirty minute parking to the director. We followed through to ensure this change was made possible.

ATHLETIC SERVICES

Aubrey McConnell, Stanley Williams, April Lowery, Taylor Bryant

With football tickets selling out in less than two hours, students were angry and shocked at the lack of communication between athletics and the university. Thousands of students were left without football tickets and had zero options for sharing tickets. It became apparent that the students needed a database to trade and donate their tickets. My SGA Ticket Team and Jeanine Brooks worked throughout the summer to provide solutions and prevent this problem from occurring again.

My Ticket:The new online "My Football Ticket" tab became available in the fall from the Action Card website. This nationally recognized award winning program not only cut back on tickets being sold for outrageous prices, but provided more opportunities to trade tickets. Students could either transfer their ticket to a

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friend or donate it to a waiting list of students. The website averaged 16,000 hits each week and thousands of students received their ticket using the system.

Transition to Paperless Tickets: For the first season ever, student football tickets were accessed through our ACTion cards The new paperless system for 2008 student football tickets was designed to make access to the stadium a quicker, more efficient process, and helped ensure that as many students as possible can attend a game. The My Ticket tab (above) allowed students to view their football ticket account balance for the upcoming home football game starting the Sunday prior to a home game. Overall, the transition was well received and experienced only minor issues.

Ticket Donation Incentive Program:To increase the amount of student donated tickets, we worked with programs throughout campus to provide incentives. To promote the system, the University provided prizes for students who donate the tickets, including five $100 scholarships and bowl game tickets

Block Seating Application: Director of Block Seating, Louis Vihtelic, and I spent three months creating a fair and objective application. We modified several drafts and sought advice from administrators and statistics professors. The new application accounted for academics, community service, and several campus involvement criteria. The result allowed for a much easier selection process and provided the committee with tangible scales.

SUPE STORE

Brittnie Mabry, Adam Sutherland, Teresa Shreve

The SUPe Store has been very student friendly throughout the past year. Our two directors and I have strived to improve the process of buying and selling textbooks through several new initiatives. Many of these improvements include more convenient options for buying supplies.

SUPe Store Vending Machine:The two campus supply stores are located on the far north and south ends of campus. The SUPe Vendor purpose is to provide school supplies in more central campus buildings during late study hours. After locating a used vending machine, Buffalo Rock spent several weeks working on the mechanical aspects of the machine so that it would distribute school supplies as efficiently as possible. The machine was placed in a high-traffic area of Bidgood Hall in the fall. While the

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response to the SUPe Vendor was promising, the current machine had several mechanical problems. The SGA is currently researching other machines designed to distribute school supplies.

Making Textbook Tags More Student-Friendly, Easier to Understand, Shelf Tags:While the SUPe store had done an adequate job of making shelf-tags easy to understand, students continued to overlook important information, especially regarding binder-ready books. We worked to make the tags more student-friendly with graphics and bright colors so that students knew exactly what they were purchasing.

Online SUPe Store Improvements: At the SGA Department for Student Affair’s request, the SUPe store improved their website to enable students to check textbook availability and buy-back prices online.

Environmental Bags:At SGA’s request, the SUPe store began selling environmental bags to decrease pollution throughout campus.

Aided in Deciding Buy Back Locations :We worked closely with the SUPe store to place temporary buy-back locations in the most accessible areas for students.

Business Cards with Number to Check Book Availability and Location:At our request, the SUPe store distributed business cards with a phone number that students could call to check textbook availability, thus preventing unnecessary trips to the SUPe store.

Freshmen Orientation Information:A student’s first trip to the SUPe store can be intimidating if they are unfamiliar with the store’s design. During Bama Bound sessions, students will now have the option of taking a tour of the SUPe store so that they will have a better purchasing experience.

Ring Week:Assisted Balfour in publicizing information about class rings and made sure students knew when Balfour representatives were on campus. This initiative, led by Brittnie Mabry, included a massive PR and advertising campaign utilizing several social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, email and Web sites.

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ACTION CARD

Brittnie Mabry, Jeanine Brooks and Molly Lawrence

ACTion Card has gone above and beyond to ensure the new football paperless ticket system would be as student friendly as possible. Brittnie and I worked around the clock with these supportive and innovative administrators to provided a strong and reliable trading system for football tickets. Stream-lined process for organizations requesting ACTion card readers:Partnering with Auxiliary Services, we made the process of requesting ACTion card readers more efficient for student organizations. We also developed more specific requirements, in order to keep costs at a minimum. This provided more student organizations with the opportunity to accept Bama Cash for their philanthropic and fundraising events.

My Football Tickets: Throughout the summer, we worked to ensure that the system and site were as student friendly as possible. This included testing the site to workout any problems and distributing information about the system so that students were familiar with how it worked (more below).

Pepsi Vending Transition:When campus vending transitioned to Pepsi products, the SGA Department for Student Affairs made sure students understood their new options. ACTion card, Auxillary Services and SGA constantly communicated about student needs and concerns regarding the switch from Coca Cola products. Our new vending sponsor provides sponsored banners, drinks and other initiatives for our student organizations.

DIVERSITY

Kandice Harris, Caroline James, Ronnie Harris and Crossroads Community Center

We are UA Day:This year, Director Caroline James created the first annual We Are UA Day that took place on March 2. The purpose of this collaborative event was to bring together unique student organizations and allow them to work together and bridge our diversity gap. The celebration included tables representing various student groups on campus as well as organizations in the Tuscaloosa community

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which displayed unique cultural items including dances, music and ethnic food. Some of the groups who participated included the local Murphy African American Museum, Saudi Student Association, Rip Tide, fraternities and sororities and PRSSA. Mayor Walt Maddox even formally announced March 2 as Tuscaloosa’s “We are UA Day”.

African American Read In :The SGA Department of Student Affairs partnered with Crossroads and the Women’s Resource Center to provide this unique event during African American Heritage Month. We asked students to read their favorite poem, song, play, or book excerpt by a female African American writer. Some SGA members also read during this event.

BAMA DINING:

AJ Defalco, Brittnie Mabry and Gina Johnson

This was an innovative year for Bama Dining as we provided students with several new dining perks, including the renovation of Julia’s, published nutritional information and a meal plan wizard. AJ and his staff took action on every SGA suggestion we proposed. We are continually assisting them in providing the ultimate dining experience for students.

Extended hours of Bidgood Bistro:Working with AJ Defalco, we changed Bidgood Bistro’s closing time to 8 p.m. so that students with later classes could still have access to its services.

Representatives at monthly food committee meetings:Each month, SGA representatives attended the Bama Dining food committee meetings where they voiced student opinions on Bama Dining issues. These representatives were able to participate in Bama Dining’s Market Match Survey, which gave our dining staff 360 degree feedback on student opinion.

Established Bama Dining study group:Recruited a diverse group of students to gather student suggestions regarding Bama Dining. These suggestions were then compiled and presented to our dining administration.

HOMECOMING

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Kendall McGiffert, Chad Clark, Dr. Kathleen Cramer, Ann Evans Andrews, Sarah Beth Henson, Adam Diamond, Mary Cypress Howell, Ronald Evans, Kristin Matthews, Garrett Galloway, Jill Morgan, Leah Gates, Chris Peterson, Melissa Gruver, Brody Summerall, Ashley Harrod and Ensley Whidby

A Tide Nation: Unified with Crimson Pride:Kendall McGiffert and her executive board made incredible strides for the organization and implementation effort of Homecoming week. We made it a priority to diversify the registration of student organizations through a massive recruitment strategy. With these new initiatives, several new academic and social organizations participated making every student truly feel connected to our Homecoming. This year’s theme was “A Tide Nation: Unified With Crimson Pride”. Some of the highlights included the 20th Annual Roll Tide Run, Paint the Town Red, banner competition, urban comedy show, bowling tournament, basketball tournament, dodgeball, choreography contest, step show, lawn decoration competition, pep rally, bonfire and parade. Besides the games and fun competitions, Homecoming week also helped a greater cause, The Rise School. Organizations collected 1,782 books for this program.

Homecoming Week Self Defense Seminar:Ashkan Bayatpour, Amanda Floyd and Erica Floyd worked with different programs on campus to provide a short and educational self defense seminar during the week of Homecoming. Those that participated were instructed by a leading defense specialist and gained valuable skills to empower their safety.

RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES

Christin Blackburn, Jereme Gray

Crimson Karma Move-In Event:Two years ago I created a new program called “Crimson Karma-the good you do comes back to you”. Crimson Karma is a student-led initiative to inspire positive action that results in helping others, taking pride in our campus and contributing to the community in which we learn, live and grow. Under the leadership of Christin and Jereme, we have been encouraging students to take ownership of their personal and external environments. Our second annual move in event was held this August, where we organized hundreds of volunteers to help the new freshmen class move in their residence halls. Whether it was grabbing a bag,

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passing out cold bottles of water or just being there to answer questions in all the residence halls, the Karma volunteers catered to the needs of these new students.

ENTERTAINMENT

Zachary Coppens, James Fowler

Ideas to Action:Ideas to Action is a new program started through the SGA Department of Student Affairs under the leadership of Senator James Fowler and Entertainment Director Zachary Coppens. Ideas to Action gives students the opportunity to impact their university with new initiatives and ideas through a user friendly submission process. After a committee goes through the submitted ideas, they select one and give the student who suggested it the resources to complete the goal. The program involves the cooperation of the SGA, Auxiliary Services and The Crimson White. So far the most sucessful event produced has been the Scholarship Date Auction.

CANformation: Zachary Coppens and the SGA Department of Student Affairs designed a creative competition for greater student involvement during Beat Auburn Beat Hunger. His unique project was called CANformation and took place during the month of November. Theta Tau, Freshman Forum, UA Creative Campus, AIAA and the Riverside Navy all created can based sculptures for the event. Students of these different organizations were sponsored by local businesses and judged by UA faculty. Nearly 5,000 pounds of cans were purchased for the event and $2,695 was raised from local businesses.

STUDENT HEALTH

Kristen McManus, Jill Spratlin, Delynne Wilcox, Margaret Garner

Rising Tide Student Tailgate:Students who took the AlcoholEdu course were given the opportunity to engage and share in focus groups and express their opinions on social climates at the University. Students indicated that they are interested in getting involved in a student tailgate. SGA and other programs on campus hosted two “Rising Tide Tailgates”. The SGA designed T-shirts for the event and included free food, live music and giveaways. More than 500 students attended the two events. This

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allowed a safe and alcohol free place students could cheer on their team and enjoy the tailgating atmosphere.

Alcohol Poisoning Safety Cards: Health Promotion and Wellness and the SGA partnered to provide alcohol poisoning cards with late night emergency phone numbers. These cards were passed out throughout the year for students to place in their cars and wallets. These were a proactive step in preventing emergencies related to alcohol.

Safety Posters in Tuscaloosa Bars:Alcohol safety and date rape drug posters were placed throughout bars in the Tuscaloosa area. The SGA targeted popular student hangouts and hung the posters in visual areas. Business cards with safety and taxi numbers were given to bar bouncers for at risk students.

Student Health Fair Partnership:Students have constant physical, emotional and mental health needs. Project Health held its second annual health fair with the SGA as one of its sponsors. Over 30 vendors from around campus and the community were present during the student health fair. Some highlights included live music, games, crafts and snacks.

Drunk-Driving Simulator:The “Save-a-Life Tour” brought a drunk-driving simulator to campus for its fourth year .Many organizations campus wide, including the Student Health Center, SGA, UA Police Department and others provided volunteers and publicity for students. This SGA project was aimed at alcohol abuse prevention, especially among University students.

WIRELESS AND TECHNOLOGY

Tyler Mosley, Aubrey Coleman

Expanded Cell Phone Service: SGA conducted an extensive online survey through UA Student News to determine where students were not receiving cell phone service. It was evident that cell phone service problems were greatest at the Ferguson Center. We worked with Auxiliary Services to provide better reception although this is a continuous struggle.

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Computers at Residential Housing:Public use computers were installed in the lobbies of several residential dorms to provide students with a quick way to access online information. Residential Housing also installed printers for the computers. These have been extremely popular and convenient for residential students and more are in the process of installation.

FIRST YEAR COUNCIL

Amanda Barnes, Taylor Ashee

Members of the First Year Council serve as the official SGA voice and representative body of the freshmen class. These incredible group of emerging leaders passed specific legislation aimed to improve the campus life of their peers.

Senate Buddies:Senate buddies were provided as mentors for each First Year Council member. The two groups worked together throughout the year to help represent the student body. The Senate and First Year Council held two joint sessions where they passed joint resolutions and received the State of the School Address. Residential Hall Branch Labeling:SGA’s First Year Council worked hard to provide branch labeling for residential communities like Ridgecrest, Lakeside and Riverside. The new dormitories are very similar in appearance and cause confusion for visitors finding their designated location. These building labels have contributed to an increase in convenience and efficiency for locating specific residential halls.

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BRANDON CLARKVice President for Academic Affairs

The SGA Department for Academic Affairs advocates and serves the Student Body in all matters related to each student achieving his or her academic goals while at the University of Alabama. The work of the Department for Academic Affairs can generally be divided into two categories: Policy, which includes lobbying administrators and stakeholders to influence University policy; and Programming, which is the production of events and resources by the SGA for the benefit of the Student Body.

This year saw a dramatic restructuring of the SGA Department for Academic Affairs into eight balanced offices: Office for Academic Value, Curriculum and Advising; Office for Academic Resources; Office for Academic Programs; Office for Academic Integrity; Office for Libraries; Office for Student Recruitment; Office for Student Academic Advocacy; and Office for Standing Committees and Appointments. Each Office is lead by a Director, with a staff of 10-20 students for each office. Office Directors work directly with the Vice President for Academic Affairs

Beyond the restructuring, the Department for Academic Affairs refocused this year on the emerging issues of rising secondary academic costs of attendance and the shifting value of the postsecondary degree. The Department for Academic Affairs specifically addressed these issues by examining textbook costs, campus printing, academic advising, academic integrity and admission standards.

Office Directors:Tim Miller, Assistant Vice President for Academic AffairsJames Fowler, Director for Academic ResourcesMeg McCrummen, Director for Academic Value, Curriculum and AdvisingBenton Atchison, Director for Academic ProgramsAllison Pace, Director for Academic IntegrityRob Cecil, Director for LibrariesCollin Taylor, Director for Student RecruitmentParrish Nordan, Director for Student Academic AdvocacyClint Wilkes, Director for Standing Committees and Appointments

Goals Accomplished

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The Department for Academic Affairs was restructured from 14 Departments of varying significance to 8 departments of equal importance. An organizational chart was produced and lines of report were clarified across the Department. This has made it easier to manage the Department’s staff of dedicated students and achieve department goals.

The Department brought a textbook rental program to our campus which will have its first offerings this fall. Students will have the option to rent their textbooks in select classes for a fraction of the purchase price. Students will return rented textbooks to the University Supply Store after their final exam in the class for which the book was rented. Professor participation in the program is voluntary and the Department is fortunate to have so many instructors willing to participate in the program to help reduce the burden of textbook prices on students. (Office for Academic Resources)

The Department successfully lobbied University Libraries to begin 24-hour operation at Rodgers Library and helped implement and publicize the program. 24-hour operation now provides students a safe and functional place to study and complete assignments and provides UA students resources comparable with library services enjoyed by students at peer institutions. The successful Fall 2008 pilot program has been continued into the Spring 2009 semester and is currently under review for permanent adoption and expansion to other libraries. (Office for Libraries)

The Department collaborated with Executive Advisor Jesse Woods to bring about the replacement of the antiquated BamaMail campus email system with Gmail for students. The new email system will come online this spring and provide students with a rejuvenated interface and exponentially increase customization options and mailbox storage space. Every student will be get a Gmail account, which they are able to use while at the University and after graduation. (Office for Academic Resources)

The Vice President for Academic Affairs was appointed by Provost Judy Bonner to Co-chair a University Committee created to address rising Textbook Costs. The Director for Academic Resources also serves on the committee of faculty, students, administrators and staff. The committee reviews University textbook policy and makes recommendation to the Provost on ways to lower textbook and instructional material costs without encroaching on academic freedom and the value of instruction provided by the University of Alabama. (Office for Academic Resources)

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The Department compiled and authored a complete set of UA Textbook Adoption Policies and guidelines that have been endorsed by: University Administration, the Council of Assistant and Associate Deans, the Faculty Senate, the University Textbook Committee and the Student Senate. Discussion of the document garnered coverage in local and regional news. (Office for Academic Resources)

The Department advocated bringing DegreeWorks Advising Software to the University. The software will be available for use to students, administrators and advisors for the Fall 2009 semester. DegreeWorks shows students with 100% accuracy which classes they need to take to achieve their academic goals. DegreeWorks also provides advisors with a solution for recording each student’s advising sessions and provides administrators with useful data to help plan which sections of which classes need to offered to meet students demand. (Office for Academic Value, Curriculum and Advising)

The Department advocated the standardization of printing in all University Computer Labs and Libraries and centralized administration by University Printing utilizing UniPrint. UniPrint allows economies of scale in printing costs and the University is able to offer printing to students at rates that are less than half of what students pay to print off-campus amid a tightened institutional budget. The interface for printing stations is now consistent across campus and students are able to pay at all print stations using Bama Cash. (Office for Academic Resources)

The Department transferred operation of the SGA’s Calculator Rental program to University libraries. Students are now able to check out expensive Graphing Calculators free of charge 24-hours at Rodgers Library. Student usage of the calculators has increased dramatically with the increased access. (Office for Academic Programs)

The Department continued to provide students with Test Booklets free of charge with the help of University Printing, because the SGA believes that no student should have to pay to take a test. (Office for Academic Programs)

The Department brought about a subcommittee of the Undergraduate Programs and Services University Standing Committee to investigate the University’s admission standards and the effects of enrollment growth, which was chaired by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The

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Subcommittee discovered that admissions standards have produced a student body that statistically outperforms student bodies of peer institutions and that enrollment growth will be adequately accommodated with underutilized and new resources. Findings and recommendations are reported to Provost. (Office for Student Recruitment)

The Department partnered with Undergraduate Admissions to host a recruiting phone bank. Current students called hundreds of prospective students and answered general questions. (Office for Student Recruitment)

The Department requested and got student representation on the Academic Advisors Association, the group of professional and faculty advisors that addresses issues with academic advising. (Office for Academic Value, Curriculum and Advising)

The Department hosted the SGA’s annual leadership symposium in partnership with Alpha Kappa Psi. Notable public speaker, highly respected business leader and philanthropist spoke to students. (Office for Academic Programs)

The Department organized the University’s first-ever Academic Advising Awareness week to raise awareness among all members of the University Community of the importance of academic advising, concerns from both students and advisors, and the changes coming with the new DegreeWorks software. (Office for Academic Value, Curriculum and Advising)

The Department reorganized the Collegiate Readership Program to continue to offer free copies of USA Today and the New York Times to students across campus. Changes including modifying distribution and raising awareness among instructors to increase usage of the publications for academic purposes. (Office for Academic Programs)

The Department partnered with Honor Societies to provide study space and tutors during dead week for freshmen students to improve freshman academic performance in their first semester. (Office for Student Recruitment)

The Department held over 70 interviews and appointed 50 student representatives to University Standing Committees. University Standing Committees are the formal mechanism for involvement of students, faculty and staff in institutional decision making. Areas of

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involvement for committees range Intercollegiate Athletics to Campus Security and Safety. (Office for Standing Committees and Appointments)

The Department created positions for SGA representatives to the Faculty Senate and Council of Deans to increase interaction between the SGA and the two bodies, as well as provide them as a resource for reaching the SGA and insight from the student body. (Office for Student Academic Advocacy)

The Department co-sponsored Academic Integrity Week for Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 semesters. Members of the department participated in all events of the week, including hosting the kick-off event for the spring semester’s week on the Ferguson Center Plaza, which featured speeches from campus leaders and free Stadium Dogs from Bryant-Denny Stadium. (Office for Academic Integrity)

The Department produced an 86-page handbook for students creating college councils. College Councils are designed to be student associations for each college- a means for students in each academic division to build community bonds within their college and coordinate the actions of their college’s student organizations. (Office for Student Academic Advocacy)

The Department’s delegation to University Standing Committees showed unprecedented student attendance and involvement on Standing Committees due to increase communication and organization. (Office for Standing Committees and Appointments)

The Department developed a Senate Advising Caucus to deal with advising issues within each college and focus the SGA’s efforts with advising between the executive and legislative branches of the SGA. (Office for Academic Value, Curriculum and Advising)

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MICHAEL DODSONVice President for External Affairs

The Office of the Vice President for External Affairs is responsible for overseeing and organizing any and all operations outside of the physical campus. Therefore, the Vice President for External Affairs directs advocacy and programming efforts for the Student Government Association’s involvement with the City of Tuscaloosa, the State of Alabama, and any other areas that are off campus. Through the efforts of the entire External Affairs Department throughout the past year, multiple new initiatives and accomplishments have occurred that have fulfilled the expectations for this office.

Accomplished Goals:

The 2008 Unity Day was held on the campus of The University of Alabama in late Spring of 2008. The event centered on joining together students from Stillman College, the University, and Shelton State Community College in order to exchange ideas and share culture. Part of the Local Colleges division and the Exchange platform, with Johnjerica Hodge and Candace Portis as directors.

The Summer Give n’ Go program was a new program executed by External Affairs based on feedback from Dr. Samory Pruitt and the Original City Association. Each day of the week, Hannah Home did curbside pick-up of furniture and other items that students changing leases in early August did not want to keep. Part of the Community Outreach department and the Oneness platform.

Rush Voter Registration involved setting up a table on Sorority Row during one day during Sorority Rush Week. The drive succeeded in registering 109 individuals. Part of the Voter Registration and Education Department and the Membership platform.

The History of Tuscaloosa tour was an event held during the Week of Welcome in August which involved taking students around Tuscaloosa, free of charge, to various sites that define our cultural heritage. Part of the City Affairs Department and the History platform, with Lauren Lambuth as director.

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The training session for the External Affairs department was the first major milestone of the External Affairs department and added legitimacy and accountability to the department as a whole. The event was mediated and organized by Corrie Harris, Director of Student Involvement for the University, as part of the Oneness platform.

Crimson Watch signs, which were posted around the fringe districts, as well as the Crimson Watch meetings were the first of their kind for the Crimson Watch program, marking significant improvement from the year before. Part of the Crimson Watch Department and the Membership platform, with Josh Cirulnick as director.

Meet Tuscaloosa Day was one of the major campaign goals and involved bringing over 45 different businesses on the Quad in order to advertise their opportunities to students. Part of the Department of Membership and the defining goal of the Membership platform, with Alex Bruce as director, Claire Green as Assistant Director, Daniel Wood as Director of Local Business Relations, and Glen Achorn as Director of Event Logistics.

The newly created Voters’ Board successfully registered 899 voters through diligent efforts by the Board on the main floor of the Ferguson Center every Thursday and every day of Election Week. Part of the Voter Registration and Education Department and the Membership platform, with Jake Burchfield as director.

Haunted History Tours were organized around Halloween and were given to provide not only higher morale, but also a large amount of Tuscaloosa history. Profits of $700 were given to the Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society. Part of the City Affairs department and the History platform, with Lauren Lambuth as director and Glen Achorn as director of Event Logistics.

Better Relations Day was taken to an all new level this year by not only including numerous elements such as the University Club and the athletics show, but also by adding more interactive events, such as the group-wide forum. Involved coordinating and communicating with numerous on-campus departments. Defining event of the Department of Exchange and the Exchange platform, with Putnam Galt as director, Carolyn Manolakis as assistant director, and Glen Achorn as Director of Event Logistics.

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The Alabama Youth Summit invited nearly 100 promising high school students with at least a 3.0 GPA to campus in order to foster civic responsibility and interest in the University. Part of the Alabama Youth Summit Department and the Exchange platform, with Liz Laurie and Will Morris as co-directors and Glen Achorn as Director of Event Logistics

In response to suggestions from the Original City Association, the External Affairs Department spearheaded the distribution of ordinance sheets to all student housing within the historic district. Part of the Crimson Watch Department and the Membership platform, with Josh Cirulnick as director.

The Iron Bowl Challenge was a weeklong blood drive competition against Auburn and sponsored by LifeSouth. Alabama beat Auburn with a total of over 500 units of blood. Part of the Blood Drives Department and the Oneness platform, with Mary Hagerman as director.

The External Affairs Department performed community service by joining together in the Fall to spend time with the elderly at a local retirement home. Part of the Community Outreach department and the Oneness platform, with Will Callaway as director.

As a result of the 2008 Unity Day, the Council of Local Colleges was created in order to relocate the next Unity Day at Shelton and to discuss any other pertinent issues that may arise in our community. Part of the Local Colleges Department and the Exchange platform, with Johnjerica Hodge as director.

For Academic Premier Day, the Directors of STARS represented the University in a small town high school as they advocated higher education to discouraged and low-income high school students. Part of the STARS department and the Oneness platform, with Jane Claire Horton and Sara Adams as co-directors.

Due to a larger amount of work and possible need for policy discussion, Advisory Boards were created and convened for the Offices of Environmental Concerns, Governmental Relations, and Community Outreach, which in turn encouraged more participation and interaction. Part of the Exchange platform, with Carleton McGowin, Angela Odlum, and Will Callaway as directors.

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I communicated with two Senators in order to streamline the communication between the two branches as well as to expedite discussions that could lead to action. Part of the Exchange platform, with Tyler Valeska and Emily Wilson as Senate liaisons.

The University of Alabama joined with the other four-year public institutions on Higher Education Day in which we brought down nearly 100 students to advocate for more equality within the state appropriation for higher education. Part of the STARS department and the Membership platform, with Sara Adams and Jane Claire Horton as co-directors.

In order to enhance knowledge of the municipal government as well as the voting process, the Department of Governmental Relations created a Go Vote Brochure that stresses the importance of voting while detailing various important facts about the city of Tuscaloosa. Part of the Governmental Relations Department and the Membership platform, with Angela Odlum as director.

The SGA was represented at every city council meeting and numerous issues were discussed in that venue that advocated students’ needs and wants in the local community. Part of the Local Governmental Relations department and the Membership platform, with Mary Harmon Roundtree as director.

Preliminary discussions regarding a “Pick-a-Prop” website were held in planning for an interactive site where students could get feedback from other students about residences within the Tuscaloosa metropolitan area. Part of the Off-Campus Housing department and the Membership platform, with Paul Salter as director.

The External Affairs Department also successfully placed a student on the Tuscaloosa Citizen’s Police Academy where the student is learning valuable safety information that may be disseminated in the future to the student body. Part of the Crimson Watch department and the Membership platform, with David Marsh as the participant.

The STARS department was also responsible for multiple audio/visual presentations, including script-writing for the Higher Education Partnership’s Black Belt Initiative, organizing filming for the Partnership’s advocacy video, and being a part of a Partnership public service

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announcement. Part of the STARS department and the Membership platform, with Jane Claire Horton and Sara Adams as co-directors.

The External Affairs Department helped organize a Civil Rights Tour of Tuscaloosa with the Black Student Union for Black History Month, with proceeds benefiting the Black Student Union. Part of the City Affairs department and the History platform.

The External Affairs Department represented the University at the STARS Higher Education Retreat and the Troy University Leadership Conference, where numerous ideas were exchanged that were utilized throughout the year. Part of the Exchange platform.

I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the other members of my department not mentioned explicitly in the accomplishments section of this report but who have time and again proven to be dedicated to working for students within the Student Government Association. These individuals to whom I am extremely appreciative are: Josh Richey, Director of Student Internships and Employment, Will Evans, Director of the Lobby Board, Mary Avery Poole, Director of Communications, Bethany McAleer, Director of the Black Belt Initiative, and Sam Shuttlesworth, Assistant Vice President for External Affairs.

BLAIR DARNELLExecutive Secretary

As Executive Secretary my main duties focus on the administrative side of the SGA. It’s also my duty to provide students with access to information about the SGA. I utilize the webpage, which I manage with the Webmaster. In addition my position enables to me to expand my tasks and responsibilities in case of demand. I am very flexible and able to start new committees, task forces or initiatives as I see fit. Since, the position of Executive Secretary does not have its own budget it is very limited in its resources and dependent on the support of other members in the SGA. However, the position of executive secretary enables me to keep an eye on most of the things going on within the SGA. It’s an excellent position spanning over the SGA as a whole rather just one specific area of expertise.

Goals Accomplished

Recording the minutes of every Executive Council meeting and making them accessible to those interested.

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Installing the GIN System to serve as an inter-office means of communication.

Posting “Headlines,” or information regarding the University that pertains to student life, as well as various forms used by the SGA throughout the year and information regarding elections and positions within the SGA.

Working with Brittnie Mabry and the Office of Communications to create the SGA Brochure for the current administration.

Working with the webmaster to add various items to the website. The website, active August 2007, has provided a more professional format of information to students, faculty and staff.

Updating the website to include all Executive officers information, job description and goals for the year.

Updating the website to include all Senator’s information. In addition to their profiles, this year I added information pertaining to the resolutions each Senator authored or sponsored as well as uploading a Senate journal with every Senator linked to his or her page.

This year I also worked with the Department of Environmental Concerns to create the first Departmental webpage. I believe this is something that every department will eventually have.

The role of the Executive Secretary will continue to evolve as technology advances and information becomes more reliant on the Internet. Thus far, it has allowed the SGA to better connect with those the SGA strives to serve.

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PATTY ANN GREENDirector of Communications

The Office of Communications has now been in existence for two years. When I began the year, I strived to implement effective communication to benefit the entire University, including students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The Student Government Association provides a variety of programs, resources, and initiatives to benefit the entire UA Community, and the Office of Communications seeks to inform all members of the University of Alabama about these programs. The Communications Director is responsible for ensuring the entire campus is informed of all opportunities and programs of the Student Government Association at the University of Alabama.

Goals Accomplished Get On Board Day, held in August 2008 and January 2009, recruits

students to a variety of organizations. The SGA hosted three tables recruiting freshman and other students to become a member of the SGA during this all day event. T-shirts, cups, coozies, and door hangers were all distributed by members of the SGA. The membership drive received many qualified applicants, and this event was the beginning to an exciting year!

Each Friday before Alabama home football game days, the Crimson White releases a supplementary publication called Gameday. The Gameday publication highlights the upcoming football game in addition to events on campus. The Office of Communications coordinated various advertisements each week highlighting SGA initiatives, including the 24-hour library at Rodgers Library, the MyTicket football program, and the newly created E-Bus route.

When the SGA office relocated to the second floor of the Ferguson Center, the SGA gained a new bulletin board space viewable by people in the Ferguson Center. The Communications Department designed the materials posted on the SGA bulletin board, and upcoming events and news are updated as necessary.

Each year, the SGA produces a brochure to distribute for visitors to the office and students interested in becoming more involved. This year’s SGA Brochure highlighted the executive officers and various programs of the Student Government Association. Working with the SGA Executive Secretary, this brochure creatively displays the many resources available through the SGA.

The MyTicket Football Ticket Exchange Program is the student ticket purchase program created through a partnership with the Action Card

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office and the SGA. Working with the Vice President for Student Affairs office, the Office of Communications distributed flyers, handbills, and emails to inform and remind students about opportunities to purchase football tickets with ease. This program was largely successful, and will be a great program for the University to use for years to come.

The Communications Department publicized the partnership with the UA Civil Law Clinic and the SGA. Students were informed through CW announcements and on the MYBAMA homepage.

Town Hall meetings were created this year to inform students about hot topics on campus. The first meeting addressed recommended changes to the football ticket purchase system. A panel addressed questions from the audience, and guests from the football ticket office assisted SGA executives with the meeting. The meeting was very successful, and proved to be a great way to prompt students to voice their opinions on campus issues.

The Entertainment Bus Route, also referred to as the E-Bus, offered students transportation from downtown areas late at night. This route was a safe way for students to travel with ease and convenience after dark. The Communications Department worked with the Vice President for Student Affairs office to coordinate posters in local restaurants and nightlife areas. Also, flyers were distributed to residence halls while ads were in the paper highlighting this new service for students.

The 24-Hour Library program was created in the fall of 2008 to meet the needs of students studying late on campus. The Eric and Sarah Rodgers Library has offered this service, and the Communications Department has volunteered countless hours to advertise this new program. Handbills, flyers, posters, and CW articles have been released across campus. This service has been much appreciated, and the Communications Department members played a role in forming this success.

The Communications Department designed the advertisements, bulletin boards, and hand outs for students while assisting Bama Bound orientation during the summer. People were assigned to work shifts during each recruitment session to increase freshman interest.

Press releases are often released to the Crimson White and other local outlets for coverage. The Communications Department works with the other executive offices of the SGA to organize information for the CW to cover. Many headlining stories were featured this past year as press releases from the SGA frequently were used for print. Press release topics include the UA Civil Law Clinic, student loan increase information, Crimson Ride route changes, and other programs associated with the Student Government Association.

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ADAM DIAMONDDirector of Administration

The Director of Administration coordinates all appointed officials of the student government association executive branch and hold them all to account through administrative action and policy implementation.

Goals Accomplished As Director of Administration, I worked with Richard Byrd and Kirk Mattei

to organize and streamline the director and committee selections. This year we were able to give over 70 highly qualified students an opportunity to become directors within the SGA. This allowed the SGA to increase its visibility to the student body as well as allow students to gain experience in leading a group toward a goal. Along with getting the directors involved, the SGA allowed a large number of students to get involved by their participation in the many committees set up by the SGA. This helped solidify that the SGA is here to represent the students and their voice is always heard.

Along with organizing the selection of directors and committee members, I also fielded numerous questions from students that were not involved but were seeking to become involved with the SGA. I believe that the availability of a board member to field these questions shows that the SGA is always willing to help out someone that wants to become involved with the SGA and continue to improve student life at the University of Alabama.

I also monitored the office hours of all directors and First Year Council.

I assisted with several special projects as asked by other SGA executive officers.

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KIRK MATTEIDeputy Chief of Staff

The Office of Deputy Chief of Staff is responsible for maintaining an efficient and organized SGA. Working largely behind the scenes, I aided the President, Chief of Staff, and all Executive Officers in executing their goals and platforms.

While the position has few legislated responsibilities, the Deputy Chief of Staff has the unique ability to work without restraint to empower the students of Alabama’s flagship university. It has been a great honor to serve as the SGA Deputy Chief of Staff here at the Capstone.

Goals Accomplished

Governmental Affairs Worked to ensure that the safety and interests of UA students were

represented at all levels of government.

Student Awareness Organized a team to spread awareness of SGA programs by targeting large

student organizations and providing up-to-date information. Our group visited these organizations informing them of what actions their SGA was taking for them.

Student Representation

Represented the interests of students and the SGA on various boards and committees including the Media Planning Board and the Campus Violence Task Force.

SGA Reviews In order to maintain the efficiency and effectiveness of the SGA, I enacted a

inner-office “SGA Newsletter” to document the progress of Executive Officers.

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EDWARD PATTONDirector of Intercollegiate Athletics

As Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, I worked to make athletic events more enjoyable and easier to attend for students. As the University continues to grow, I worked closely to ensure that students would have tickets and seats to collegiate sporting events.

Goals Accomplished Helped with the successful implementation of the MyTicket program on

MyBama as well as the removal of paper tickets for the entrance to Home football games. Both of these systems have been a success.

We continued with previous policies regarding the allocation of Home and Away football tickets. Incoming new students still receive split packages to insure as many new students can gain admittance to Home games. The away game policy of allowing only one ticket per student based on the amount of hours earned at the University of Alabama was continued from the previous year. This is to increase the total number of students attending away games and to decrease the amount of tickets being scalped.

I served on both the SGA Ticket Team under VP of Student Affairs, Louise Crow and the SGA Ticket Commission under Chief of Staff, Richard Byrd.

While working with the Ticket Team we tried to improve immediate issues regarding the 2008 football season

We were able to gain incentives for students donating tickets to the unused ticket pool. These included $500 Scholarships, signed footballs from Coach Saban, Bowl Game Tickets, and Box Seats for the A-Day Game.

We worked with Jeanine Brooks to work on a system that would allow students that do not have a ticket to the game, to be on a waiting list outside the stadium and fill the unused tickets after the first quarter has passed. This initiative is still in the works and the goal is for it to be a reality for the 2009 Crimson Tide Season.

We worked on a plan to create a “tailgate” atmosphere at an on-campus location to be able to watch the Away/SEC Championship/Bowl Games in a student friendly environment that would provide food and beverages to those in attendance.

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As a member of the SGA Ticket Commission we tried to find ways that would make the purchase process, regular season policies, and post-season policies that will make the 2009 system even better than it already was.

I conducted research on other schools both in the Southeastern Conference and around the nation that were similar to the University. The reason for this was to get an understanding on how they handle their student tickets and combine those ideas to make our system at Alabama run as smoothly as possible.

We came up with these new ideas that we recommended to the University’s Athletic Department which they used:1. We reduced the security blocks that caused some students to “time out”

due to increased usage when multiple students were trying to buy tickets at the same time.

2. Measures were created to decrease the amount of unused tickets. For example, if you have more than 3 home game tickets that go unused, you will lose the right to purchase tickets for the following year.

3. In August Athletics will refund the purchaser and re-sell the tickets if it turns out that a student who bought a ticket has access to the games in other ways such as Capstone Men and Women, The Million Dollar Band, and NCAA Athletes.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time spent as Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. We had a remarkable football season which united the University in ways current students haven’t had the pleasure of being a part of. In all that we did there is no reason why the 2009 season shouldn’t be even better.

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