Contract is a maze. I’m currently an RA, charged with enforcing the rules and regulations of “the contract.” I’ve been trying to figure out all year what exactly this document is, and the only conclusion I’ve been able to come up with is that it is an infinite maze.
Upon applying, all students must sign the statement of agreement (found here) which I believe is generally considered “contract” which refers prospective students to the student handbook (found here) which is a 56 page document.
How many students are able to remember the contents of a 56 page document? Beyond that, these 56 pages are filled with items such as earthquake procedures, bomb threat procedures, fire escape plans (including the plan for the old Horton) &c.
All this trivial information detracts from the distinctives that Biola’s contract uses to set itself apart from other institutions (such as APU). As an RA, I am technically required to write an incident report on a resident for not carrying his ID card at all times just as much as I am required to report someone smoking during an orgy in their room during non open hours.
In order to increase the relevancy and opinion of the contract, I would advocate dramatic simplification of the document. Schools like Oral Roberts University are able to have a one-page contract (found here) yet still say more in that one page than in all 56 pages of Biola’s student handbook.
I’m not saying things like public safety aren’t important. Those things have their place, but if Biola’s contract is truly to be a true distinctive of the institution, then make those requirements distinct. Alex and I will lobby and hopefully collaborate with the administration to create a one-page contract that would be simple to understand, simple to remember, and simple to live by.
Simplification of contract in this manner would be yet another way in which the spirit of RECAPTURE will prevail.
THE ISSUES
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
THE SECOND DAY
I must admit, I am exhausted. These two days of campaigning have been the most tiring of the semester.
Thank you all to all those who attended the AS Q&A tonight! Both Alex and I were quite satisfied with the questions given to us and are very excited to be running alongside such great candidates.
Wednesday is the final day of Phase One of the RECAPTURE presidential campaign... look forward to Thursday for Phase Two!
Thank you all to all those who attended the AS Q&A tonight! Both Alex and I were quite satisfied with the questions given to us and are very excited to be running alongside such great candidates.
Wednesday is the final day of Phase One of the RECAPTURE presidential campaign... look forward to Thursday for Phase Two!
SYSTEMATIC EXCELLENCE
RECAPTURE—we’ve talked about what the vision is, what the goals are, and addressed the need for paradigm shift. Now, to discuss how the vision will carry down to the student body specifically. In order to fit in all the issues, I will first discuss each of these briefly and in the next several days Alex and I will expand upon them on this blog.
If students are to be pursuing world-changing goals, the level of services available at Biola must not restrict them. Therefore, one of our top priorities will be to serve and collaborate with the administration to improve the quality of such services as mail, food, and internet. In this way, Biolans will not only elevate the quality of their everyday life but will be more free to explore the possibilities they have to take action.
As Resident Assistants this year, both Alex and I were in close and constant contact with the Biola contract. This document, so popularly referenced yet so often vilified, is a 56 page maze. Other, more conservative institutions are able to say more with their contract yet keep the document to one page. Alex and I would be strong advocates for a vastly simplified—though not necessarily more liberal—contract.
Communication is one of the key responsibilities of the executive branch of AS. I have often heard and discussed with my friends that it is not generally clear what AS as a body actually does. It is a priority for Alex and I to create an ongoing initiative to promote the workings of AS—essentially, we plan to launch a campus wide PR campaign for AS.
Along similar lines, it can become difficult at times to communicate a purpose if the essence of an organization is unclear. Alex and I desire to establish an independent commission to examine the workings of AS under our own administration, examining processes and purpose of the organization as a whole. Upon hearing the recommendation of the commission, Alex and I will do whatever is necessary to streamline and restructure AS to make it capable to meet the challenges that the future will bring.
We truly desire to create an environment in which students can take action, impacting the world for the cause of Christ. To this end, we would like to establish forums between the various majors on campus in order to share the learning we have acquired at this institution. Furthermore, Alex and I strongly wish to create a network of Christians who excel in the public sectors, called the Isaiah Project. This program would serve as a lifetime launching board into practical ministry for both students and graduates alike.
On the campus wide level, Alex and I will work with the new school president to make Biola a more forward-thinking institution. Several issues which Alex and I both feel strongly about and will lobby the administration for include dramatically raising our endowment, adding more graduate programs, and moving our athletics into the more competitive and prestigious NCAA.
RECAPTURE is a vision, and these are some of the specifics that Alex and I have worked out. It is an ambitious road we set out on, and we understand that it may not be physically possible to accomplish all this in one year. Our goal is to be the cornerstone, the beginning of RECAPTURE, inspiring those that follow today, tomorrow, and in the years to come to take part in this dream.
In short, voting for the team of Bradley and Alex is voting for a liaison for change—we want to keep what works and collaborate with existing structures to RECAPTURE our vision—to make Biola an institution that consistently creates graduates capable of being powerful influences in a global panorama for the cause of Christ.
If students are to be pursuing world-changing goals, the level of services available at Biola must not restrict them. Therefore, one of our top priorities will be to serve and collaborate with the administration to improve the quality of such services as mail, food, and internet. In this way, Biolans will not only elevate the quality of their everyday life but will be more free to explore the possibilities they have to take action.
As Resident Assistants this year, both Alex and I were in close and constant contact with the Biola contract. This document, so popularly referenced yet so often vilified, is a 56 page maze. Other, more conservative institutions are able to say more with their contract yet keep the document to one page. Alex and I would be strong advocates for a vastly simplified—though not necessarily more liberal—contract.
Communication is one of the key responsibilities of the executive branch of AS. I have often heard and discussed with my friends that it is not generally clear what AS as a body actually does. It is a priority for Alex and I to create an ongoing initiative to promote the workings of AS—essentially, we plan to launch a campus wide PR campaign for AS.
Along similar lines, it can become difficult at times to communicate a purpose if the essence of an organization is unclear. Alex and I desire to establish an independent commission to examine the workings of AS under our own administration, examining processes and purpose of the organization as a whole. Upon hearing the recommendation of the commission, Alex and I will do whatever is necessary to streamline and restructure AS to make it capable to meet the challenges that the future will bring.
We truly desire to create an environment in which students can take action, impacting the world for the cause of Christ. To this end, we would like to establish forums between the various majors on campus in order to share the learning we have acquired at this institution. Furthermore, Alex and I strongly wish to create a network of Christians who excel in the public sectors, called the Isaiah Project. This program would serve as a lifetime launching board into practical ministry for both students and graduates alike.
On the campus wide level, Alex and I will work with the new school president to make Biola a more forward-thinking institution. Several issues which Alex and I both feel strongly about and will lobby the administration for include dramatically raising our endowment, adding more graduate programs, and moving our athletics into the more competitive and prestigious NCAA.
RECAPTURE is a vision, and these are some of the specifics that Alex and I have worked out. It is an ambitious road we set out on, and we understand that it may not be physically possible to accomplish all this in one year. Our goal is to be the cornerstone, the beginning of RECAPTURE, inspiring those that follow today, tomorrow, and in the years to come to take part in this dream.
In short, voting for the team of Bradley and Alex is voting for a liaison for change—we want to keep what works and collaborate with existing structures to RECAPTURE our vision—to make Biola an institution that consistently creates graduates capable of being powerful influences in a global panorama for the cause of Christ.
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