As the next SLS President, Albert Lin promises to improve service delivery and long-term student benefits. His vision includes creating a comprehensive career advisory directory, establishing a Communications Officer, and ensuring more student consultation before policy changes take place.
“We’ve made headway already,” says Lin in reference to setting up a career learning plan for students interested in public interest work. “The grant was approved last week.” The plan is part of Lin’s larger idea of compiling a career directory of alumni profiles that list their field of work and contact information so that students can approach past grads with career questions.
Lin also hopes to improve communication between administration and students. The role of the Communications Officer would be to act as a liaison between the SLS, student concerns, and administration. “It’s not about singling out responses between one member and another. It’s about tracking a metric,” says Lin. “There would be a time stamp on when a question comes in and when the response comes out.”
According to Lin, there needs to be more open communication and broader discussion with the student body in general. For example, although the proposal to spend the SLS surplus was approved at last week’s referendum, Lin says that there needs to be further student consultation before any binding changes are made.
Lin recognizes that his task as president next year will be challenging. “We’re pushing for much more student provision.” He says that on the side of academic reform, a major issue will be to address the proposed changes over administrative law in the 1L curriculum. Meanwhile, next year will also be a period of transition to prepare students for moving in response to the new building.
“It’s a collective effort. At the end of the day, it’s about having a broad vision and having the vision filter through the whole institution,” says Lin. “But it also requires my ability to motivate and bring on board the expertise, skills and passion to enact this whole vision.”
