For the first time in years, the Fairfield University Student Association is hosting a State of the University Address to update students on the progress of FUSA and to welcome questions and feedback. The event will take place on Nov. 29 in the Oak Room and is set to become a biannual FUSA event, according to FUSA President Zoë Ferranti ’17.

According to Ferranti, “A part of the FUSA president’s role is to give presentations to the board of trustees, administration and staff on how FUSA is working, how we are progressing and what we are struggling with. By adding an address to the students, we could better educate the people we most directly represent.”

FUSA will update the student body on their progress in matters of the campus climate as well as updates from the different boards and branches of FUSA, said Ferranti.

The idea was developed last year when the Constitutional Convention Committee, a group of FUSA members, including all the directors of FUSA boards, one additional member of each respective board, one representative from each senate class and chaired by the previous FUSA President Anif McDonald ‘16, which included Ferranti, was in the process of drafting a new constitution for FUSA, according to Ferranti.

“[We] felt that a responsibility of the president would be to update the students each semester on the progress of FUSA over that time,” said Ferranti.

“We feel as if this event will serve as an amazing way to connect the students with the administration and sponsor transparency throughout the University and its organizations,” stated the FUSA Director of Marketing and Public Relations Nina Poosikian ’17.

The address, which was scheduled since August, will include updates from all of FUSA’s boards and branches, according to Ferranti. These branches include the Senate, the Programing Board, the Council of Student Clubs and Organizations, the Diversity and Inclusion Board, the Marketing and PR Board, the FUSA Court and the Treasury. Along with the directors of each branch, all members of FUSA are expected to attend. Ferranti and Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., the current University president, will both be speaking as well, according to Poosikian.

This address is mainly for our student body to learn and ask questions about how we serve them,” added Ferranti. “But ultimately, everyone and anyone that wants to come and learn and give feedback to how we operate is welcome.”

After each branch presentation, there will be time for questions and answers.

“We are hopefully expecting a turnout of students that are interested in learning more about the work that FUSA does and are willing to provide us with helpful feedback and suggestions as we move into the spring 2017 semester,” said Ferranti.

Ferranti believes that feedback will be beneficial to FUSA as the spring semester approaches.

The current semester’s campus climate will also be addressed, as well as how FUSA is helping to improve the environment of the campus, according to Ferranti.

Additionally, at the conclusion of the address, an award will be presented to an “Honorary FUSA member.” The person, according to Ferranti, is “a member of the Fairfield University community that embodies the mission, passion and dedication of FUSA to serve the students.”

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