FAQs
What is the Student Senate?
The University Student Senate (USS) is the official student government of the New School. For students by students, we operate independently of the administration and consist of Student Senators elected to represent all five colleges of our community.
What is the mission of the USS?
The mission of the USS is threefold: supporting and safeguarding student life, uplifting student voices, and advancing shared governance.
What is a Senator?
A Senator is the name for the students who are elected to serve as your representatives within the university's student government. They are distinguished by their schools. For example: a student elected from COPA would be a Senator for COPA. Or a COPA Senator on the University Student Senate. All Senators serve as a voice for their fellow students, advocating for their needs, concerns, and interests within the university’s decision-making processes and supporting their right to a vibrant community life. Student senators participate in meetings, propose and vote on policies, allocate funds for student initiatives, and work to improve campus life and academic experiences for their peers.
What is the structure of the Senate?
The Senate consists of the General Board. Within the General Board is the Executive Board, which exists to facilitate coordination and collaboration, and represents the whole Senate at certain high-level meetings. The General Board is further divided into four committees: Finance, Engagement, Communications, and Engagement.
Why are we having Special Elections?
Special Elections are a part of the regular constitutional process of the Senate that takes place when there are open seats on the Senate from the regular election cycle, which happens annually at the end of the Spring semester. The Senate depends on its Senators to carry out our mission and even if we are down a few Senators it severely hinders our ability to carry out vital functions. The Special Elections were designed to both address this issue of short-staffing as well as with the goal of inclusivity and a commitment to our democratic process in mind to allow first-year students and other eligible students who were not able to run for Senator in the regular election cycle for any reason a chance to join our ranks.
What about the open positions that are still unfilled?
We understand that there were positions that remained unfilled after the candidacy deadline closed on 9/15 in NSSR and SPE. The Senate is aware of this issue and has voted to accept applications and hold interviews for the remaining positions. We are still deliberating on the specific format and more info will be announced at a later date.
Why are there delays sometimes?
Much like many organizations on campus, we are currently severely understaffed. We have been operating in a limited capacity with only 12 Senators, all full-time students each with our own commitments. We are also impeded by the bureaucracy of the New School that we are trying to reform. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to carry out our Special Election under these circumstances.
Who can vote?
Students can only vote for USS positions within their college division.
How do I vote?
Narwhal Nation is the official voting platform for this year’s Special Elections. The notification and link to the voting form can be found in the header of the Narwhal Nation homepage. It should be accessible once you log in to Narwhal Nation using your NetID. You can also access the voting form through this link: https://narwhalnation.newschool.edu/submitter/election/start/608715 If you are experiencing issues with the voting form, it may be because you have another account registered on Narwhal Nation. Use your alternate account to log in to Narwhal Nation and try accessing the form again. If you still experience issues, please email us at USS@newschool.edu.
What is the difference between USS, SLI, RSOs?
We understand that acronyms can be confusing! So we created a helpful chart to help you understand the distinctions. Ultimately, the USS and SLI are distinct organizations that overlap in minor areas where we collaborate.
What are committees?
Committees are subdivisions of the Senate that supplement and enhance the regular work Senators do on the General Board. Each committee provides a focused space for Senators to hone in on issues that relate to the three main areas of our mission.
The Finance Committee manages the $8 we receive from each student per semester and uses it to fund and support Student Groups and Student Initiatives that are the building blocks of our rich community life, advising the Senate on our semesterly budget.
The Engagement Committee works with students and Student Groups to find strategies and methods to increase community engagement and ensure the longevity of student projects in collaboration with the Finance Committee.
The Communications Committee addresses the promotional and communication needs of the other three committees and provides support to the wider Senate in any additional communications responsibilities.
Lastly, the Advocacy Committee actively listens to and catalogs emerging, current, and longstanding needs in the student community. Formulating strategies, campaigns, and plans to effectively address them, as well as bring them to the attention of the wider Senate.
What is shared governance?
Shared Governance is the ultimate and long-term goal of the Senate. Shared Governance at its root is effective and enshrined student involvement in all important University decision-making processes. Achievements in shared governance have included the creation of Student Trustees serving on the Board of Trustees and Senators seated on important committees governing specific processes of the University such as Academic Policy and allocating Emergency Funding to in-need students. It is a slow and involved process but an unwavering commitment of the USS.
Created by Linfei Yang, Director of Operations ‘23-’24