On Sept. 1, the Spanish department issued a moratorium on the Spanish minor, citing that "minors compete for courses with majors who need the courses to graduate." Throughout the semester, that decision has spurred a large degree of community discussion about what impact such a move has on the student body.
It is highly encouraging that a portion of this discussion has moved onto Student Council's Speak Up UVA Web site, an online forum for students to publicly voice and vote on their concerns about the University. The fact that students are increasingly turning toward Council to address important community concerns is perhaps indicative of the greater confidence students have in their leaders to bring about meaningful changes at the University.
This week, fliers have appeared across Grounds asking students to support reinstating the minor. The signs read "Bring back the Spanish minor," and direct students to a Speak Up UVA link advocating that position and further calling it to Council's attention.
To the knowledge of Council Chief Technology Officer William Reynolds and President John Nelson, the fliers were placed by students or an organization not affiliated with Council. If this was in fact the case, it demonstrates that the online forum has taken root in the community and is becoming a recognized means for raising awareness about the issues that concern students most. Past editorials have commented on the significance and value of this technology compared to traditional forms of outreach. Because Speak Up UVA creates a continuous cycle of feedback and dialogue between students and Council, students are more likely to keep participating in the discussion and to contribute more ideas. Furthermore, as Council accomplishes more projects and posts that information to the site, the University community will take note of Council's responsiveness and willingness to take on multiple concerns at a time.
The challenge of any such technology is ensuring its place in an organization's institutional memory. Speak Up UVA was introduced as part of Reynolds' campaign for Council president, and it seems fair to say he probably has the most familiarity with the platform and how it works. When he and his class graduate, it is imperative that Council not let the site's management slip through the cracks or let the forum become obsolete. Managing the site's technical aspects should not be too cumbersome a task, but it probably will require some degree of training or demonstration to the next generation of Council leaders. In addition to maintenance, future Council executive members should also strive to maintain Speak Up UVA's high caliber of interactivity and experiment further to see what new features could be added.
The fact that Speak Up UVA has regularly appeared in this editorial space is a testament to its success and influence. Council leaders should both ensure its future with the organization and explore comparable ideas to enhance communication with the student body.
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