VP of Academic Affairs Candidate

Hey Seawolves! My name is Joe Bisiani, and I am running to be the Vice-President of Academic Affairs. I feel that I would be a great candidate for this position because I am very active on campus, and have prior experience in USG that I feel helps make me qualified for this position. To start, I am a junior here at Stony Brook in the Honors College, and I am a physics major on the pre-medicine track. A few of my hobbies include playing soccer, watching baseball (big Yankees fan), working out, and riding motorcycles.

I also work at a few different jobs across campus. I have been working at the Campus Recreation Center for almost three years. I am also a second-year RA at Chávez Hall. Being an RA has taught me many life skills and lessons, and I have made many great friends through the job. Lastly, I am a Senator in USG, being elected last year to represent the student body!

As a Senator, I have been a member of a lot of different committees. I was in the Budget Grant Committee, where I helped allocate grants for different clubs and organizations, such as for club tournaments, or novel events to help get them created. I also am currently in the Probationary Budget Committee, where I help fund smaller clubs that aren’t yet on a line budget, so they can have a budget too! Lastly, I am also a member of the Student-Health Advisory Board Committee, where I meet monthly with administration to discuss health-related issues on campus, as a representative for you all: the students.

Some initiatives and issues I have put my attention towards as a Senator have all been to benefit the student population. For example, last fall, me and a few other senators collaborated with SEA for the 2nd annual “Hot-Cocoa-Social” Event, where we had free stuff-a-plush, hot chocolate, gingerbread houses, a showing of The Polar Express, and mug decorating. It was a very chill event that helped students destress during finals week, and we had a turnout of almost 170 students! It was a lot of fun and I’d love to do it again!

I want to use these skills that I have learned as a USG Senator, along with experiences from other areas of campus I am actively working in, to help combat certain issues pertinent on campus. That is why I want to become the VP of Academic Affairs. I will be a transparent leader who speaks on behalf of you all and what you want to see changed and accomplished. Moreover, there is currently legislation we passed this year in the Senate to change the name of VP of “Academic Affairs” to VP of “University Affairs”, so this position can advocate for issues related to any part of the University - not just academics. If the title is changed, I will do just that. I am all open ears. If there is something that you think is great, or something that isn’t so great, I am willing to listen. If elected, I will put my best foot forward for every single student here on campus, and stand up for the Undergraduate student body.

Thank you for taking the time to consider me for this position, and no matter who you vote for, just remember to vote, speak what’s on your mind, and stand up for what you believe in, because that’s all any of us can do :)

Sincerely,

Joe Bisiani

VP of Academic Affairs Candidate

Fellow Seawolves, my name is Daniel Canavin (Daniel, Dan, Danny, or whatever you fancy), and I would be honored and humbled to be chosen as the USG Vice President of Academic/University Affairs for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year.

Facts about Dan:

-Non-traditional undergraduate commuter student

-Biology major with Anthropology and Marine Sciences minors

-Pre-Med/Pre-PA track, so as to be useful during the Zombie Apocalypse

-Transferred from SCCC, where I was a Senator in student government and President of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

-Currently, serving as USG’s CSA Senator

-Musician/Vocalist at heart

Having a passion for service, I chose to dive right in during my first semester at Stony Brook, having been a member of the Academic Affairs Committee, and working on several initiatives, including an event promoting Mental Health (Imposter Syndrome), involvement in scrutiny and clarification of the current MAPS Parking Proposal, and creation of the “Campus Beautification Project “

As your Vice President of Academic/University Affairs, my main focus will be on two concepts: TRANSPARENCY and SYNERGY:

TRANSPARENCY:

-I want to promote a level of Trust between faculty, administrators, and students. I believe increasing the level of openness and communication with the various departments and the student body will help to ensure students’ confidence that faculty and staff are true advocates for our futures.

-I intend to provide undergraduate students with a voice, in order to more effectively raise legitimate concerns, through Town Hall style forums, panel discussions, and interviews that address student concerns to faculty and administration, and provide for real SOLUTIONS

-I will seek to increase the Dissemination of Information to students, both in frequency and accuracy, so that matters such as the Parking Proposal and CulinArt Investigation are brought to the students’ attention in a timely and straightforward manner

SYNERGY:

-I plan on continuing and bringing to fruition the Campus Beautification Project, which seeks to bring together many departments and student groups in a show of artistic and aesthetic expression, in order to increase our school’s effectiveness in promoting a healthy and vibrant community, proud of how we present ourselves to the world, as well as bridging the divide between the East and West campuses

I intend on addressing issues regarding Advising and DegreeWorks, providing a more streamlined and comprehensive process for students, in order to maximize their instructional time here at Stony Brook University

-I want to have an effective ‘Open Door Policy’ for students and faculty/administration alike to bring to the table anything and everything they feel may benefit the University community as a whole

In addition to these, I also plan to continue the work of my predecessor, current VP of Academic Affairs, Harrison Feig, in his Fireside Chat interview series with prominent faculty and administration, including President McInnis, and the Community at UNITI open mic style artistic outlet.

We have serious concerns to address, and I would relish the opportunity to be the person to tackle these issues. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or comments regarding any and all campus affairs at Daniel.canavin@stonybrook.edu.

YOU are the VOICE; I will be your MEGAPHONE.