SGA town hall meeting discusses student survey results
0Written By Travis Stamper
The University of Pikeville Student Government Association (SGA) held its pilot Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, Sept. 20. The meeting was held to address issues surrounding campus life. A survey was conducted by SGA of the UPIKE undergraduate student body which surveyed 130 students: 35 Freshmen, 39 Sophomores, 30 Juniors, and 26 Seniors. Results were shared and discussed at the town hall. A discussion about housing led the meeting. Housing scored an overall average of 5.17 out of 10 with larger issues mentioned including A/C in the halls, bugs/pests, timeliness of work order completion, slow Wi-Fi, and uncomfortable furniture. Freshmen had complaints of extremely dirty bathrooms that rarely get cleaned. The academic schedule was brought up next with an overall average on the survey of 4.31 out of 10. Specific complaints were that finals week had changed from having a study day to having four straight days of finals as well as having classes on Labor Day and Hillbilly Days. Activities and programs came out with an overall average of 7.06 out of 10 on the survey with the only issue brought up being the lack of a 24-hour athletic facility. The academic experience scored an overall 8.19 out of 10 on the survey, and issues brought up were that some professors seemed uninterested in their content and didn’t always respond to e-mails. Advisors don’t all advise because some simply make a schedule and send students on their way. Finally, food service was talked about and had an overall average of 5.68 out of 10 on the survey. Food service covered City View Café, Einstein’s, Chick-Fil-A and POD. The big issues cited were dirty dishes, lack of to-go containers/straws, poor hours, lack of options on weekends, and excessive prices at campus restaurants. Dr. Justin Tyler Owens, dean of student affairs, was in attendance for the meeting and spoke with the students and other faculty about potential fixes for these issue. “Nothing was hidden, and we were very transparent,” he said. Check UPIKE’s events app to keep up with upcoming meetings and town halls.