CSG Brief: Dr. Phillips meets with student government

Executive Vice President Aidan Bobik ’25 explained the responsibilities of the executive board: increasing visibility, outreach and engagement on campus. Each class also discussed their class projects and the values they aim to fulfill with them.
- Class of 2024 President Sophia Boyle discussed that their class project will improve sustainability and inequity on campus. They are organizing a location where students can leave behind toasters, pots or pans for others to use when moving out of their dorms or apartments.
- Class of 2025 President Maggie Vargo shared that the collage project is finished, and it will be installed in Café Rachel soon.
- Class of 2026 President Morgan Rapsky explained that their project will improve food sustainability and waste on campus. They are creating a system where students can be notified about free food from campus events.
- Class 2027 President Dominic Randall said that they are currently undecided about their class project. They hope to increase visibility in Chatham by promoting more media and involvement in activities on campus or enriching culture and diversity on campus.
President Rhonda Phillips reported that she plans to pursue a new two-year Strategic Plan titled “Chatham Renewed.” Her administration has plans to improve three main areas: furthering academic excellence and student success, enhancing campus experience and improving fiscal and operational efficiency.
- Furthering Academic Excellence: Under this topic, Dr. Phillips will conduct an academic review to reevaluate and strengthen programs. She discussed avenues to improve the programs that we currently have including creating a new School of Business. The school would join majors from different disciplines including sustainable business management, healthcare business management and sports business management. Additionally, she said that no programs would be getting cut. 
- Enhancing Campus Experience: Under this heading, Dr. Phillips discussed the launch of the “Adopt-a-Building” program to encourage alumni to donate and fundraise to improve spaces on the Shadyside campus. She also mentioned the desire to maintain the Chatham Arboretum and potentially hire an arborist to take care of the physical space. 
- Improving Fiscal and Operational Efficiencies: Dr. Phillips did not speak in detail about this heading, because of time constraints.
These are the following questions asked by CSG members to Dr. Phillips:
- Class 2024 Representative Melissa Redding asked why the archivist position was removed and how Dr. Phillips’ administration will ensure Chatham’s history is preserved without it.
  - Dr. Phillips responded that the archivist was part of a list of staff to be let go prepared before her arrival. She reported that archives will not be removed or touched without proper care from a qualified official. Dr. Phillips mentioned that now that the library has been integrated into IT and Communications, she hopes that they will have more resources to work with. She also expressed interest in reactivating the Historic Preservation Committee to promote student, alumni and donor engagement. 
- Class 2025 President Maggie Vargo asked if the University has any plans to improve health services on campus to reflect other academic institutions of Chatham’s size. She also enquired more specifically about having a nurse practitioner on campus who could prescribe antibiotics.
  - Dr. Phillips discussed that there are plans to improve counseling services, and was unsure if there are plans to hire a nurse practitioner.
- Class 2027 Secretary LJ Varley asked if student bus passes will be removed since faculty and staff passes will be cut in January.
  - Dr. Phillips explained that when looking at the cost of the University, the main cost was the bus passes from faculty and staff. After taking a survey, they found that only 20% were using them, which meant the University was still paying for passes that faculty and staff were not using. Dr. Phillips explained that they are looking at giving faculty/staff the option of a bus pass or a way to use pre-tax dollars. They are not looking at removing students’ bus passes because first-year students need them to travel and learn about Pittsburgh, said Dr. Phillips
- Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Madison Stokes ’26 asked if there can be improvements to communication with facilities concerning housing issues, like Dilworth’s lack of hot water.
  - Stokes explained that Dilworth Hall was out of hot water, and students were not aware until they used the water. Dean of Students and Chris Purcell admitted that student affairs were at fault for their occurrence. He explained that the Star Rez app directly messages students during times like this.
- Vargo asked if the University could be more transparent on administration’s pay amidst the budget crisis.
  - Dr. Phillips answered that all nonprofits are required to submit an I-90 form. Those forms list the top ten highest-paid positions and are available to the public after two years. Additionally, she reported that her administration is trying to increase transparency by hosting workshops for leaders and department chairs to ensure their knowledge of the financial crisis and how to manage it. They are also working on creating a dashboard to demonstrate how the University is managing its finances. She stated that the overall goal, and third bullet point of Chatham Renewed, is to raise university-wide awareness of budgetary issues and increase fiscal management practices.
- Vice President of Student Finances Gabrielle Slovikosky ‘26 asked how Dr. Phillips planned to increase her own visibility around campus.
  - Though she has yet to have many chances to get out on campus, Dr. Phillips hopes to be able to eat in Anderson Dining Hall or Café Rachel more frequently. She plans to spend Wednesdays at Eden Hall and Thursday afternoons at Chatham Eastside to ensure she can meet people at all locations rather than just on the Shadyside campus. She also formed a student liaison group to stay in touch with students on campus and hopes to be able to attend more events in the future.
- Bobik asked about the reasoning for Dr. Phillips to talk with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in a previous article, and how this action aligned with Chatham’s values.
  - Dr. Phillips explained that she was unaware of the strike against the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at the time of the interview. She said that she wanted to share information with the larger community when taking her new position as president.
- Rapsky asked about the reasoning for upper-class students in the honors program being held to newly implemented standards. Rapsky explained that there are changes to the GPA, hour, and class credit requirements that impact obtaining the scholarship.
  - Dr. Phillips explained that students are given a choice about using the standards they were assigned or adopting the new standards. She said that she would reach out to Dr. Lisa Lambert, the vice president of student affairs, regarding this issue.
- Vargo asked if Dr. Phillips supports the reinstitution of Pennsy the Seal as Chatham’s mascot.
  - Dr. Phillips said that she would like to hear more student feedback. She would be open to reinstating Pennsy if it is something that the majority of the student body supports. She also suggested the potential of having two mascots instead of one.

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