Members of UCSU say they are hoping to end an era of student apathy toward CU’s student government with the launch of a new Web site.
“The new Web site has been like a step away from being put in place for the better part of the year because of some technical slash bureaucratic issues,” said Daniel Oxenhandler, the communications director for UCSU and a sophomore international affairs major. “We are nearing resolution on those issues and with any luck the Web site will be going up in the next week or two, despite similar claims for months. At least before spring break.”
The Web site will feature video testimonials from students about higher education as well as weekly and bi-weekly video updates, according to Oxenhandler. There will also be links to news and articles as a one-stop portal for current events, a general broader events calendar, easily accessible information to Legislative Council meetings and a re-vamped club database.
Members of the student government say they hope to make students more aware of what the student union does.
Oxenhandler said the site will provide students a place they can visit in order to access all kinds of information.
“It will really be a much more cohesive online entity, in terms of like, I can go on the UCSU Web site and find out what’s going on on campus,” Oxenhandler said. “We’re really trying to make it a hub for students to go to, and it will hopefully, it will just expand from there.”
Piecing together an online presence for UCSU is a main priority for the student union, according to Ryan Biehle, UCSU tri-executive and senior political science major.
“We are collecting video testimonials from students about higher education, but overall utilizing the Web to reach out to students through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, our Web site and other venues,” Biehle said.
Biehle noted how UCSU has sponsored a booth at the UMC where students could film videos telling their stories about how the price of higher education has affected their lives.
While most students are served by UCSU every day, many say they are unaware of what exactly UCSU is.
“I see their signs, but I don’t really know what’s going on,” said Michael Pham, a freshman biochemistry major.
Biehle said UCSU tries to reach out to students through student groups, the UCSU cost centers and events on campus.
“Students every day use UCSU but they don’t know for sure that it’s UCSU,” Biehle said. “We’re working hard to brand that.”
The UCSU cost centers include the UMC, Wardenburg Health Center and the Rec Center. All centers are funded through student fees and are controlled by UCSU.
“It’s a matter of once you’re aware that UCSU exists and that it’s your student government you start noticing things about it,” Oxenhandler said. “We’re hoping that with this online presence students will be more aware that we exist.”
Senior sociology major Katie Meyer knew what UCSU was, but said that the impending Web site needs to be advertised more once it launches because she knows a lot of students don’t know what UCSU is.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sara Kassabian at Sara.kassabian@colorado.edu.
