With Tech receiving national news coverage after the events of the past few weeks, a timely response was needed from the Institute’s administration to address issues being brought up regarding the wellbeing of students.
This came in the form of an email sent out by President Peterson to the Georgia Tech community earlier in the week. It was revealed that four action teams will be formed to address four issues: campus culture, mental health, campus safety and LGBTQIA issues on campus.
The teams are to be formed within the week and will compile a report that will be made available to the public and offer recommendations by Nov. 1. The short time frame in which the teams will be working is appropriate. It allows decisions to be made quickly in order to ensure that the community does not grow apathetic. It is easy for teams and committees to get lost in politics and for no real change to come of it. What was not, however, yet revealed was what exactly such action teams would look like.
A concern may be raised in how the members of such teams will be selected, particularly the students. In order to be as effective as possible, it should to be ensured that the majority of the students being chosen are not the ones who already have an avenue to be heard and to introduce legislative change.
Otherwise, there will be little to differ such teams from existing committees and organizations, and little to expect outside conversations that have already
taken place.
Rather, students should be selected in a way, whether through application or nominations by members of the community, who may be considered influential and well-connected to campus community. We need to bring fresh faces to the discussion if we want to see substantial change.
The Consensus Opinion reflects the majority opinion of the Editorial Board of the Technique, but not necessarily the opinions of individual editors.