Townhall To Bring Dining, Housing Reps to Students

By Connect Mason Reporter Edwin Mora

UPDATED: List of potential questions included.

George Mason University’s student government will be hosting a town hall meeting in Eisenhower Hall this Monday at 7 p.m. to generate communication between Dining and Housing administrators and students.

• Scroll down to see a in-progress list of questions on the agenda.
• Read Student Body Vice President Ijeoma Nwatu's thoughts on this event.

Prior to the event, the officials will receive a list of questions, formulated by members of the 28th Student Senate, to be used as guidelines. The questions will tackle changes, suggestions for improvement and acknowledgment of satisfaction with dining and housing. After those questions are addressed there will be question and answer session to allow students to voice their own concerns.

“We realize that it can be difficult at times for students to go and voice their issues to the correct administrator,” said Lauren Spangler. “We are hoping that by providing the administrator, the students will open up to them with questions, concerns and encouragement.”

The following administrators plan to attend the meeting:

• Jana Hurley, executive director of Housing and Residence Life,
• Denice Ammaccapane, resident district manager of Dining Services,
• Michael Galvin, marketing and community affairs director of Dining Services
• Gregg Toney, executive director of Dining and Technology Services

“We are trying to get out that students don’t just have to sit out, they can voice their opinions,” said Spangler.

Student Government’s Advocacy and Outreach Committee organized the first of two town hall meetings this semester. The second meeting will take place on May 5, allowing students to speak to representatives of University Life and Parking Services.

“Students have the right to know what’s happening on campus,” says Spangler, “Some students will be directly affected by the decisions of administrators.”

The Advocacy and Outreach Committee is a group of senators that aim to come up with innovative ways to advocate and outreach to the Mason and Fairfax community.

For more information about the event you can visit the Facebook group here.

Town Hall Panel Questions: Subject to Change

Moderator: Brian Painter

Dining Services:

• How are you looking to improve the quality and diversity of the food that is offered?
• What new changes, if any, will there be to meal plan types in the upcoming years?
• What new venues will be coming to campus within the next years?
• What is the plan to cater to the needs of students having specific dietary needs (i.e. Vegetarian, Diabetic, etc).
• How will Dining Services work to communicate with students in regards to ideas about on-campus food?

Housing:

• What policy changes (rule changes) do you foresee regarding on-campus housing in the upcoming years?
• What new housing buildings or changes to current buildings can students expect to see on campus in the upcoming years?
• How are you working with students to ease transition to a new phase of on-campus housing?
• Will you be working to expand and provide more information about the Living and Learning Communities and how to draw more attention to them as exciting places to reside?
• Do you have an emergency evacuation plan for residence halls on campus?
• How do you plan on increasing and improving security for residence halls?

Comment with your own questions.