Student Council heard a presentation from Nicole Hall, senior associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, during Tuesday’s general body meeting. Hall shared her journey to the University and her goals to foster a community of mentorship among students. Representatives additionally discussed ways to address the lack of 24-hour study spaces for College students and the competitive culture when applying to Contracted Independent Organizations.
Hall shared with Student Council her path to becoming a dean of students, highlighting her commitment to strengthening mentorship and career development opportunities for students. She emphasized her priority to connect academic, social and professional development efforts across Grounds in order to ensure every student has support and connections to thrive.
According to Hall, she devotes her time to hearing from students directly, holding one-on-one meetings and informal conversations over lunch with first-year and transfer students within student spaces. Hall explained that she hopes to serve as a liaison between students and University leadership and does so through these informal outreach efforts.
“The only way that I can have an impact that’s going to make a difference is having conversations, listening [and] learning about what’s important, “ Hall said. “I need to understand what the issues are, what’s working well, [and] what are the concerns, so I can amplify those.”
Following her presentation, there was a period for Student Council representatives to ask Hall questions. During this period, Hall was asked about the current culture of executive overreach, including the Trump administration’s Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education and its potential influence on the future of University policy.
Hall acknowledged civil rights guidance has changed under the current Trump administration, specifically through the external compliance review the University is currently undergoing. However, she noted that through conversations she has had with senior University leadership, she is sure the University will hold true to its values, and she said something the University does best is valuing its “people.”
“It’s obviously a significant change from where we’ve been,” Hall said. “Part of what we were going to need to be committed to is our values as an institution while making sure that we are operating within the confines of the law and the current [legal] guidance.”
Following Hall’s presentation and after a successful piloting period, Student Council unanimously approved the launch of the new online “Hoos Concerned” forum — an online space where community members can post and discuss University issues.
Lily Dorathy, Student Council director of coalition engagement and fourth-year Batten and College student, and Ian Travis, Student Council chair of community of concerns and third-year College representative, announced during the general body meeting Oct. 7 that this forum was being piloted. The forum was developed with the purpose of Student Council administrators being able to directly respond to and keep track of issues posted by the student body.
The resolution passed Tuesday established the forum — now that the piloting period is over — and all community members have access to post their concerns via the website.
Student Council also discussed ongoing concerns surrounding the lack of 24-hour study spaces for College students following the University’s decision to end round-the-clock access to Clemons Library. Currently, College students do not have access to school-specific buildings, such as those for Commerce, Architecture or Nursing, during evenings and weekends. College students are therefore restricted to Nau Hall during overnight hours, which Student Council has said is a challenge for students who live further from Central Grounds.
Representatives explored alternative locations for late-night study options, including the Student Health and Wellness Center and Newcomb Hall, which offer spaces for students who live closer to North Grounds. The possibility of a mapped guide of available spaces for students seeking late-night study areas was also proposed. The issue remains under discussion as representatives are continuing to work toward a solution that will expand access to these spaces.
During representative reports, second-year College representative Hayden Matay presented statistical data regarding the inequities in club recruitment and growing competition among students applying to CIOs. Matay described how this climate has limited opportunities for involvement and inclusion, emphasizing the widespread perception of toxicity.
“It seems there’s at least a lot of people [that think] U.Va club culture is extremely competitive,” Matay said. “And for a lot of people, it seems extremely toxic … Over 50 percent of students think that club involvement is more about who you know than what you bring to the table.”
Based on a survey Matay sent out to his classmates, he found that out-of-state and transfer students are disproportionately affected by this feeling of competition within CIOs because they often lack the same network as their in-state peers upon arriving at the University. Matay said he is looking to grow the number of responses he had to his survey and is considering sending it to the entire University student body. He noted he is looking into developing a long-term solution to address this problem but that he currently does not know what that will look like.
Michael Mitchell, Student Council vice president for organizations and third-year Commerce student, was in support of working with Matay to find a solution and applauded his work with the survey.
“With the [Commerce] clubs, it's insane that they have a two percent acceptance rate,” Mitchell said. “You're a first year and you're already struggling [with figuring] out college — how you have to deal with [club acceptance] has a direct impact on your well-being.”
Clay Dickerson, Student Council president and fourth-year College student, also provided updates to representatives during Tuesday’s meeting. He highlighted the recent loss of McLeod Hall as a venue for student performances and arts groups. Dickerson stated that the reason is unclear, but that there is a need for these spaces.
He is thinking about alternative options for these groups, including bringing portable stage lighting to other large lecture halls or expanding access for performance venues to academic spaces. He also said he is looking to collect testimonials from student leaders to support efforts and identify solutions with the dean of students and the provost’s office.
Saehee Pérez, Student Council chief of cabinet and third-year College student, provided an update that the Cavalier Advantage Grant form is now open to all University students, and that these are five-dollar micro-grants available to applicants. Students can redeem up to four CavGrants per academic year to cover expenses such as laundry and printing through their Cavalier Advantage account.
Pérez said these grants “died off” last year and that she is excited the Cabinet has been able to reintroduce them.
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