A+H Plans for Harris: Planning and Events
As we all know, a transition from virtual to in-person learning and events will be exciting, but also a bit odd. Aidan and Heather are here to make the transition as smooth and fun as possible! We aim to create a Harris culture that is representative of all students and perspectives at Harris. We will gather student voices — both returning and incoming — to understand how to best make Harris feel like home.
One area of focus is a return to in-person classes. We want to ensure that not only the in-person class time is a success, but also opportunities such as time with professors and TAs. Having both served on the academic committee, we know what areas have caused troubles for students in the past and what to thus be aware of in the future. We aim to collect student feedback immediately on what is working in their classes and what is not so that immediate action can be taken given the fast-paced nature of the quarter system. It is also important to us that we collect this feedback often to ensure a smooth transition and experience for students. We also want to increase collaboration and communication between professors. This creates a way to share best practices and improve the learning experience for all Harris students.
Opportunities to meet with professors through office hours in-person are absolutely essential to developing connections between students and professors. We also want to encourage professors to go beyond the typical office hours. In a virtual environment, professors have been creative by holding Happy Hours — something that could absolutely continue to an in-person environment. Dinners or lunches would also be a great way for students to get to connect with professors in a more informal environment. These types of interactions are essential given the challenging nature of connections virtually. TAs can also hold similar events and office hours to provide additional opportunities to support students academically but also socially.
We also want to reinvigorate student life. While Zoom fatigue is real and has made creating a community at Harris difficult, in-person events (and many of them) can help bring about the community we have missed out on. We want to continue past traditions of Harris such as Follies, but also introduce new ones. We would love to hold a welcome event at the Museum of Science and Industry — this would include all students at Harris and be a great opportunity for all students to connect (depending on the restrictions we may face in terms of how large a gathering may be). There would be lots of food and opportunities to explore the museum and meet new people — all things that will be refreshing when transitioning to an in-person environment. As Co-Presidents, we will also advocate for a boat cruise and other orientation activities that we missed out on — you can count on that!
Smaller, interactive events will also be essential in creating a community at Harris. We plan to work with the social committee to develop events that reflect what students want and need. A core aspect of our plan is to work diligently with HSOs to form supportive communities and facilitate interactions between students. Because of HSOs’ identity and issue-area focuses, they are prime ways to connect students with similar passions or experiences. After talking with HSO leaders, they have expressed that they would like to see increased collaboration between Student Government and HSOs — and that’s just what we will do. The unique nature of switching from a virtual to an in-person environment means that there are many opportunities for growth, and in supporting HSOs, we hope to grow these organizations and the connections they facilitate.
As undergrads at UChicago, Aidan and Heather were both part of the unique house culture. One thing that houses often did were house trips where we would explore the city of Chicago together. We would love to replicate these for Harris students. One goal of doing so is to encourage students to explore the city of Chicago and its many neighborhoods. We would organize these trips to go to different neighborhoods and explore them — whether that be getting food, going thrift-shopping, or exploring a cultural museum. These trips could also be centered around a specific activity — i.e., one of my favorites: Whirlyball! These trips can bring together Harris students to get to know one another better while exploring the wonderful city of Chicago!
We also want to take action on accessibility in moving back in-person. Accessibility is a key priority for the Coffey-Weller slate. Access needs and accommodations are different in a virtual environment, so when going back to in-person events, we want to guarantee that each and every event is accessible to every Harris student. This will involve learning about the accommodations students may need and ensuring those needs are met. This is the same for classes, office hours, and any other interaction with Harris. We will encourage students to always feel comfortable requesting accommodations for any circumstance, which also involves destigmatizing disability.
As a final point, we also want to acknowledge the possibility that not all students will be able to be in-person. In the situation that this is the case, Aidan and Heather will work with both students and administration to understand how to best create a community where students who are virtual do not feel alienated. It is our vision that ALL Harris students have opportunities for meaningful connections with everyone at Harris. We will also analyze what worked and what did not work when we were remote to best create and inform a plan for students who cannot be in person.
With only one year of in-person opportunities for many students at Harris, Aidan and Heather want to take this opportunity to get this right!