AUCA Student Senate: Bermet Ismailova

September 15, 2014

 
1.      What is your role regarding the Student Senate?
 
I am the student coordinator. So my job is to coordinate all the students in their extracurricular life, which also includes the student Senate. I am basically the advisor for the students involved in the Senate, as well as students in general for extracurricular activities.
 
2.      How much oversight does the administration have over the Student Senate,what is their relationship?
 
So the student Senate’s role is to be the link between the administration and the students. So if they have any questions, academic or non-academic, they serve as the link. Usually they have one meeting per month with the Vice-President for Academic Affairs; this is most regular meeting. This is where they discuss academic questions, for example if someone comes to the Senate or me with questions regarding academics, we then raise them with the administration. We also can have a meeting with any representative of the administration to address and resolve the problem or situation.
 
3.      Is there a lot of interest in student government?
 
Well there are 9 positions, and there were about 20 candidates overall so at least two persons for each position. Sometimes students complain about the Senate, like they aren’t working or they aren’t doing enough. They don’t really understand that it is only a little part of the school; they can only do what they can. Big problems like tuition fees or wi-fi connectivity cannot be solved by the student Senate. Of course sometimes candidates during elections have big promises, like fixing everything with the university, but of course then later students are asked what they did and there are some issues about complaints and unfulfilled promises. I think that students before running for an office should read the code, so they know what they can do in the Senate and not make promises they cannot keep.
 
4.      In campaigning, what are they allowed to do in terms of public promotion?
 
Well the campaign starts and posters and everything are put up, and a day before the election everything must come down. No negative advertising is allowed, about other candidates.
 
5.      How does the Senate get money for their activities/events?
 
A majority of funding is from the university. This is the only university in Kyrgyzstan where the student government actually has money. We also have a special budget, which is dedicated to a scholarship for students in need who participates very actively in extra-curricular activities. But the money we get from the university is used mainly to hold events; in the next two months we will hold two events including a sports tournament. We do have some fundraising activities, like selling tickets for the “Stream” musical competition later this year. This is extra money that usually goes to grants for students and such, often during the “Brain Ring” event and competition. For the initial budget for money from the university, we always produce receipts for money spent in order to justify the use of the money.
 
6.      Students sometime complain about how they don’t know what the Senate isdoing and how they are using money; so what does the Senate do to remaintransparent and let students know what is going on?
 
So we usually have an article in the student newspaper “New Star” about the problems that we are trying to solve and what we will try to do. But always if someone wants to know what we are doing with money, about events and so on, they can always come to my office, 104, and ask me any questions. Like I said before, we produce receipts for money given to us from the university.
 
7.      So with elections and campaigning coming up, why should students beinterested in running for Senate? Besides resume building of course.
 
It is very good opportunity for students to get experience in organizing events, which takes time and is a big part of student government. Also another benefit are the communication skills; because the Senate often talks with the administration. Often for example, students complain about administration, but on the Senate they are able to directly address university representatives openly and tell them their problems and ideas. These are some of the benefits of being part of student government.

<< go to news list