By RAEGAN NEUFELD
Tiger Media Network
Melissa Dixon, director of the Hays Convention & Visitors Bureau, spoke at the Student Government Association meeting Thursday about the different partnerships the CVB has with Fort Hays State University.
The first is the Town and Gown Committee, which Dixon co-chairs. It consists of representatives from multiple campus departments and organizations, Grow Hays, the Hays Police Department, the Hays Chamber, the City of Hays and Downtown Hays. The committee works on events like the John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days and considers potential initiatives, like a bike share program between the city and university.
“We just want to keep those lines of communication open and those relationships positive,” Dixon said.
According to Dixon, the Town and Gown Committee is responsible for the CVB’s participation in the Back to School Picnic, Tiger Days and orientation events at FHSU. They typically hand out welcome bags, restaurant coupons and shirts. Their involvement was the result of a survey where students said they didn’t feel welcome or connected to the community.
“That’s a great way that the relationships and positive conversations have helped us help the students,” Dixon said.
The CVB also works closely with FHSU’s Tourism and Hospitality Management Program to provide internships that give students real-world experience.
Dixon emphasized the CVB’s role in “selling” Hays. Not only do they market attractions and events to visitors, but they also market to people living in Hays — including the students.
“I would love your suggestions,” she told the senators. “I would love to do the work to get to the students because I know that’s part of that retainment equation, is students getting plugged into the community and being happy. I want you to stay, and my really long game is I want you to fall in love with Hays and move here and stay here forever. So I welcome your suggestions.”
In SGA business, Legislative Affairs Director Grace McCord gave an update on Resolution 24/F/101, which was passed earlier this semester. It recommends students be excused from missing class to vote outside of Hays, with the expectation that students notify instructors and make arrangements to make up their work. McCord is working to get the resolution adopted by Faculty Senate.
“They on Faculty Senate don’t particularly like the excused absence verbiage,” she said. “So I’m going to be working with them over the next couple of months to get that more suited to the wording that we use for the career readiness resolution that they passed last year.”
The resolution McCord referred to states, “FHSU must ensure that students are not penalized for class absences due to attending programs that provide preparation for success in school, in work, and in life.” It recommends “career readiness events” be added to the list of officially approved group activities a sponsor can inform instructors about.
McCord also said she sent out reminders about the upcoming fee review next semester. She and the Legislative and Political Action Committee will meet with entities that receive money from student fees to determine if the amount the entity receives should increase, decrease or remain the same.
Similarly, Treasurer Jackson Sinsel asked senators to remind student organizations to have the proper information on TigerLink for Allocations.
“Please encourage them to have their president and their treasurer listed on TigerLink,” he said. “A lot of groups don’t have anyone listed and they aren’t getting the emails, so we are probably missing groups. Probably quite a few, because I can’t individually figure out what, out of a hundred and some organizations, each individual email. I used the mass email sender from TigerLink, so that has to be correct.”
Two Allocations workshops will take place next semester. The final deadline for groups to submit a request is 4:30 p.m. Feb. 14. The Allocations Committee will then determine how much money each student organization will receive, and senators will vote on the bill in the spring.
The next SGA meeting will be the last of the semester. It is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 5 in the Black and Gold Room. Location is subject to change.
You must be logged in to post a comment.