Accountability tracker for Temple Student Government
Written By Jocelyn Hockaday, Fallon Roth, and Micah Zimmerman | Edits and Contributions by The Temple News Staff
The Temple News has decided to track TSG’s progress on their initiatives. Here is what we found.
Now halfway through its term, RenewTU, the executive branch of Temple Student Government, is working towards completing its campaign promises made in April, including reform to university academic affairs, increased sexual assault awareness, university operations and student affairs, The Temple News reported.
Last year’s TSG administration, BloomTU, created an accountability tracker to monitor the progress of its campaign promises. RenewTU has not created a similar accountability tracker where students can check if TSG has completed, made progress or failed to act on initiatives from their campaign trail.
“The [BloomTU] tracker helped ensure putting money where your mouth essentially is and not making empty promises,” said Phillip Smith, director of student activities.
Each month TSG puts out an online newsletter updating the progress of new projects they are developing.
The Temple News has summarized these reports to show RenewTU’s progress toward completing its campaign goals, which were organized by the campaign into three pillars: transform, amplify and overcome.
President Bradley Smutek and TSG Chief of Staff Billy Boyer declined to comment on the progress of TSG’s initiatives.
Transform
Mental Health
During their campaign, RenewTU advocated for additional wellness days during their campaign, despite some concerns from administration about not having enough academic days in the calendar to maintain accreditation, The Temple News reported.
TSG had no update on these wellness days in any of their monthly reports.
RenewTU also campaigned on increasing student awareness of campus mental health services and resources.
TSG hosted Suicide Prevention Week from Sept. 13 to Sept. 24 and will be holding Mental Health Awareness Week from Oct. 18 to Oct. 24, according to the July report.
Lastly, during their campaign, RenewTU advocated for introducing an LGTQ specialist at Tuttleman Counseling Services and working with organizations to give students an opportunity to “decompress” on campus.
TSG had no update on advocating for an LGBTQ specialist at Tuttleman Counseling or working with organizations for student decompression in any of their reports.
Sexual assault awareness and prevention
During their campaign, RenewTU promised to work with university and government officials to expand Title IX resources on campus and to promote sexual assault awareness and prevention in student activities, The Temple News reported.
RenewTU also promised to reinforce their commitment to the “It’s on Us” campaign, xxx, by reaching out to students, according to their campaign platform.
TSG presented a “sexual assault prevention” week according to the September TSG report. No details about the week were in the report but it consisted of a town hall, sexual assault prevention workshop and sexual education bingo, according to the TSG Instagram.
RenewTU also advocated for continuing BloomTU’s initiative that encourages bars and restaurants surrounding campus to be safe bar certified, according to their campaign platform.
The platform also details plans to work with programs, like Green Dot, a xxx, to certify students in sexual assault prevention and awareness techniques, according to their campaign platform.
TSG had no updates on either initiative in any of their reports.
Food, Housing and Financial Insecurity
During their campaign, TSG promised to open a “Cherry Wardrobe” where students could donate and purchase clothes at discounted prices with proceeds going to the Cherry Pantry, a program giving emergency food supplies to students in need, The Temple News reported.
TSG announced in their September report that Anna Ogar, their basic needs director, was preparing to launch a digital “Cherry and White Wardrobe”, where students can either donate or receive clothing.
TSG did not provide an update about when the Cherry and White Wardrobe will open and xxx. TSG also did not say if the proceeds will go to the Cherry Pantry.
RenewTU also proposed expanding access to perishable and non-perishable items at the Cherry Pantry, according to their campaign platform.
TSG hasn’t documented any updates in expanding Cherry Pantry access in any of their reports.
The platform also details plans to work with Philly Fridges, a xxx, in an effort to curb food waste and to create a taskforce to investigate the extent and food and housing insecurity on campus.
Zoe Karukas, health and wellbeing director, is planning a menstrual product drive for the month of October, according to the report.
TSG did not provide an update on their expansion of university Title IX resources in their monthly reports so far.
Student life
During their campaign, RenewTU promised to work with the Temple University Police Department to improve procedures and practices for dealing with mental health-related calls with the student body, The Temple News reported.
TSG had no update on this promise in any of their monthly reports.
During their campaign, RenewTU promised an initiative for all on-campus organizations to have an accessibility officer, who will ensure the organization provides information to interested students, The Temple News reported.
On July 21, TSG recommended to student organizations they create or designate an "Accessibility Officer" within their organizations, according to the July report. This officer would ensure that the organization's events and content was accessible, despite any disability, according to the report.
Student government
TSG intended to bring back Owls on the Hill, an initiative for Temple students to travel to Harrisburg and discuss student body issues with legislators, The Temple News reported.
Gianni Quattrocchi, government affairs director, led an effort for TSG to go to Harrisburg in October to lobby legislators against measures that would Increase tuition, according to the September report.
TSG announced on Oct. 5 that Owls on the Hill will be happening on Oct. 26, according to the TSG Instagram.
TSG also advocated for doubling the pell grant, a subsidy the federal government pays to students for college, in an effort to help advocate for student body issues, according to the September report.
During their campaign, RenewTU discussed partnering with other school’s student governments to make their voices heard to lawmakers and other school administrators, The Temple News reported.
TSG attended the American Student Government Association National Conference where they learned how to better represent the student body, according to the July report.
TSG had no additional updates on partnerships with other student governments in any of their monthly reports.
University Operations
During their campaign, TSG proposed a plan for the university to reach carbon neutrality date in 2035 and made plans to work with the office of sustainability to achieve this goal, The Temple News reported. The university’s current Climate Action Plan has a goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.
Smutek announced that he, along with other student body presidents across the country, pledged to reduce the climate crisis by adopting carbon dividends, according to the July report.
TSG had no additional updates on their work with the office of sustainability or climate change plans in any of their monthly reports.
Community relations
RenewTU campaigned on an idea to create a “North Philadelphia Advisory Board”, which the campaign hoped would allow North Philadelphia residents to give advice on different issues that arise in the neighborhood, The Temple News reported.
TSG external services started creating a “community advisory board'', according to their September report, but have not provided details on these improvements since the report. External services is also planning an expansive food drive to begin in November and an anti-littering campaign for the community to begin in December, according to the August report.
TSG shared small and Black-owned businesses in Philadelphia on their social media, according to the June report.
The TSG campaign proposed to invite North Central residents to give tours of the neighborhood at orientation, The Temple News reported.
TSG had no updates on these tours in any of their monthly reports.
This story is unpublished through The Temple News.
