We're Your Voice

Hello Guys,

It was a busy weekend for Mercyhurst Student Government  as we had our annual fall retreat. On Friday we had the privilege of doing leadership yoga with our on campus yoga instructor Betty! I had never done yoga before but it was a fun experience that definitely helped us all relax after a busy few weeks.

On Saturday we had a consultant from the Collegiate Empowerment Company come in and spend the day with the MSG senate and also with the programmers from SAC. Jack Gotleib has consulted with many student governments from across the nation. His expertise and experience helped us to assess weaknesses and strengths within MSG! Our 22 MSG senators were a crucial part of the retreat with all the input and opinions they were able to provide. One of the major problems identified was an issue with communication. We were able to identify this as one of our weaknesses and have already taken steps to improve it in the coming weeks and months.

One point that was raised, was the unwillingness of students to come to voice their concerns and complaints to Mercyhurst  Student Government. This is something that saddens me greatly, as after all that’s what MSG is- the voice of the student body. MSG has representation on every single level of the university structure through a variety of different committees and councils that we sit on. These are times where we have the opportunity to voice the issues and concerns of the student body to the administration and faculty.

Unfortunately,  in the past perhaps students have been under represented by student government. However, this year we have such a strong group of diverse student leaders in our team that students at Mercyhurst need to know that they can come talk to us! Together we can work to make a difference on campus, but this requires there to be an open line of communication from students to MSG. Students should not feel as though they cannot approach MSG  with their problems (WE ARE A VERY APPROCHABLE BUNCH. We provide the perfect opportunity to express your opinions at our weekly meetings in the MSG chambers at 8.30pm every Monday.

I would love to see more students take advantage of this opportunity as it is something that not a lot of students do attend. I find this surprising, as many students complain about many different things on campus. How can we as a student government help when students won’t come to us with their problems. I hope this is something we can change drastically with our time remaining in office.

Additionally, our new offices  located in the laker inn are always a gathering place for MSG team team, someone is always available for students to come talk to. I ask the students of Mercyhurst to show a more proactive approach to getting involved with student government. Come voice your concerns to us and I assure you MSG will work hard to do whatever we can to rectify the issue.

We’re Your Voice,

Richard Molloy!

Email: msgpres@mercyhurst.edu

Board Of Trustees

Howdy,

Last week was probably one of the busiest weeks of my entire life! Last week was midterms week it also was the first board of trustees meeting of the 2012-1013 school year! As MSG president I have have a voting seat on the board of trustees. I think this says a lot about the Mercyhurst University as an institution and how much it cares about the voices and concerns of its students!

The bylaws of Mercyhurst College require that the number of college trustees be no fewer than 30, no more than 40; and that at least five of the trustees be members of the religious congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. (Section 3.04). Currently, the active roster includes 33 trustees. Thirty-two voting and one non-voting, the non-voting trustee is the president of the college. One other trustee is on leave of absence, and five others are Trustee Emeriti (non-voting). Six of the board members serve by virtue of office.

The new center for academic engagement,
 which houses the new board of trustees board room.

Term trustees are elected for an initial four-year period that is renewable upon the recommendation of the Committee on Trustees to the Executive Committee/Nominating Committee, and then voted by the full board of trustees.

Elections and renewals usually take place once a year at the annual May meeting

The board of trustee meetings take place over a 2 day span. Typically, on Friday all the committees have their meetings. I have the pleasure of sitting on the buildings and grounds committee, the student life committee, the mission committee and the governance committee. Each committee meeting lasts about an hour and a half, we discuss various issues about the university. 

On Saturday, the actual board of trustee meeting takes place, this is where we hear a variety of presentations from the executive board of the board of trustees, including Dr. Gamble and board chair Marlene Mosco. It is at this time that the committees present on all the matters they discussed the previous day.

One of the big agendas this week was the strategic plan for the next 10 years. This plan is comprised of a series of goals and initiatives that plan to make Mercyhurst a better place within the next ten years. I was included on the strategic plan inn many different stages throughout its drafting and publishing. The plan be released to the wider Mercyhurst community in the coming days. Once it is made public I will be sure to do a blog post discussing it and it's implications for the student body.

Peace Out,
Richard Molloy!

CALL US MAYBE?????

Hello Everyone,

I hope by this time everyone has settled back into school! I can't believe that fall break is only one week away, although, I am definitely relived! It's been a jam packed couple of months since I have last been on here. School has started and welcome week has come and gone, along with Fall Ball. Hurst Fest, Spirit Week, The Upperclassman BBQ and of course the first of our distinguished speaker series speakers Andrew Jenks. These events have been a huge success and we were delighted with the turn out at the majority.

I know all this in a month you say? Well yup it happened!! Thanks to our wonderful senate and E-Board. This year so far I feel your MSG senate has worked so much harder than any other senate in the past. They have been very hands on and eager to help it's been great! They all deserve a huge pat on the back! A special shout out goes to Zane Taylor and Alexa Bradley our August and September MSG senator of the month!


We have been working very hard to get our names out there to increase our presence across campus! We have put magnets on every single door on campus, we have supplied students with popcorn as a welcome back gift encouraging them to POP into our new office (GET IT)! Then of course we had our call me maybe video that was recorded this fall by our MSG senate and a few friends from around campus! The marketing and PR Dept at Mercyhurst University has been tracking the clicks and views and it has been viewed by almost 9000 times. This was a bigger success than we ever dreamed of and it was a lot a lot of fun to film! Please check it out and I apologize in advance for my horrible dancing skills! I wont quit the day job don't worry! 

Peace Out,

Richard Molloy!

msgpres@mercyhurst.edu

IT'S ABOUT U

Its about U!!

Howdy All!

I can't believe there is only less than a month to go until school kicks off gain! That being said I am very excited to see all my friends and class mates return to the Hurst! Its safe to say we have a lot of things planned for the return of the student body! The theme that MSG chose for the 2012-2013 school year is "It's all about U", this of course incorporates the fact that MSG is always there for the student body as we strive to meet the needs and wants of you the students. 

This theme also incorporates the transition into a university as MSG looks to grow and adapt to insure we have a continued active role in the University and that we the students are continued to be heard by the university at every level! This is a theme that we will incorporate into our speaker series throughout the year. The speaker series saw MSG bring The Buried Life to campus last year and this year we are aiming big too and will have some very exciting news in the fall when everyone return!

Shirts about to hit the fan........

When Brian and I decided to run for MSG President and Vice President one of our major tasks for our year in office was to work on increasing school spirit! While this is not an easy task, MSG has decided to start the annual release of a school spirit shirt. The idea behind the shirt is that it will become a hugely popular piece of clothing among all Lakers! Of course MSG will be giving away shirts throughout the year and they will also be available for sale in Mercyhurst University Bookstore! The Idea for this came to us from a student (Adrianne Legruth!!) who suggested that this would be a good initiative for MSG to support as we look to increase Laker pride and spirit. I think this also demonstrates that MSG does listen to students and that we are always open to new ideas and suggestions, so keep them coming in! 

Watch out for the shirt this fall, it looks pretty awesome thanks to our wonderful Event Coordinator who worked very hard on designing the shirt!

In other spirit news, MSG will be hosting our first ever spirit week this fall! We are currently in the planning process but watch this space for more information!

Change Is A Comin!!

End of an Era: The old location of the
Student Government Offices

Howdy!!

 Firstly, thanks for taking the time to stop and read my blog! I hope everyone is enjoying the summer months, as we all know too well this time of year tends to fly by way too fast! I'm staying on campus for the summer where I will be working in the Student Union and I look forward to being able to start some MSG projects and getting a good start on the year.

 It's a busy time for both MSG and the Student Union; this summer MSG's offices will be relocating to the downstairs of the student union in the Laker Inn. This is a move that MSG is very excited for!! Let's be honest for a second, the majority of the student body may be completely unaware that MSG even has an office space on campus, but we do, they were historically located on the  third floor of the student union. A location that MSG feels currently removes MSG from the student body. It is hoped by relocating to the Laker Inn, that MSG will be more visible to the students; after all WE ARE YOUR VOICE!!

Exciting Times: The space that will be the new location
of the Student Government Offices.

The student Union Great room will also be undergoing some major renovations as the combined efforts of MSG and the senior gift of the class of 2012 will start construction this month. Currently, I like to think as the student union great room as a space that is similar to my grandmothers living room. A perfectly fine space but not somewhere where you would want to spend a lot of time (Sorry Nana!) The renovation will see the student union bought up to date with the needs of the student body and changes will take place that will  modernize the space completely. 

Adios Amigos,

Richard Molloy
MSG-President

msgpres@mercyhurst.edu

Who We Are and What We Do

Hello,

My name is Richard Molloy, the current Student Government President at Mercyhurst University!  I am currently a senior (kinda scary!!) and I am majoring in Business Competitive Intelligence a program that I love and that has presented me with many great opportunities throughout my three years here as a student!

 I am involved in a variety of different clubs and organizations on campus including, Student Ambassadors, Senior Yearbook, Leadership Certification Program, Student Chair of Summer Orientation and last but by no means least Mercyhurst Student Government. 

I got involved in MSG as a sophomore when a spot opened up due to a senator leaving their position, and this has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Since my short two years of involvement through MSG I was fortunate enough to be chosen by the student body to act as President for my final year at the Hurst. MSG has a lot of exciting things planned for the coming year and I honestly think that it will be one of the best years in the history of MSG!

What exactly does MSG do I hear you ask? MSG is a direct liaison between students and administrators. We are here to serve the students of Mercyhurst University in matters that affect students in any way!! We would love for students to realize that they each do have a voice – and a voice that is represented on every level of the University. Students are represented through their “Class” Senators as well as their “Academic School” Senator. The MSG also has a very unique opportunity to sit on the board of trustees with a an active vote; ensuring the students voices are heard at every level of the University Framework.

The MSG is made up of:

The MSG Executive Board at our Spring 2012 Retreat

1. 3 elected Executive Board members:
1. President-Richard Molloy
2. Vice President- Brian Lomabardo
3. Treasurer-William Page
2. 3 appointed Executive Board members:
1. Public Relations Coordinator-Jeremy Dickey
2. Events Coordinator-Jenna Dascanio
3. Student Activities Chair-Adam Borgman
3. 12 Class Senators that represent the 4 different classes (3 from each class),
4. 10 Academic Senators who represent the 5 different academic schools (2 from every school)
   
   Together our group makes up the MSG senate and throughout the year we work on various projects to improve the life of students. Projects that include:



EMTA-Shuttle Service

• The EMTA shuttle Service that all Mercyhurst University Students can use for free with their student ID'S.
• The free DVD rental Program in the Hammer-mill Library, which MSG updates regularly to ensure students have the best DVD choices to choose from.
• A wide variety of of charity and Philanthropy work for non profit organizations.
• The Installation of game consoles in all freshman residents hall- Everyone needs a break from studying :-).



MSG also hosts a lot of events for students including; Senior Week. Spring Fest, Hurst Fest and the 12 days of Christmas (PLUS MANY MANY MORE).

I'm excited to start this blog and share the going ons of MSG with everyone, I hope this will help to increase student awareness and interest in MSG as an organization!


Till the Next Post,




Richard Molloy

MSG-President

MsgPres@lakers.mercyhurst.edu