If Amanda Sartore has her way, the student deans will be much more noticeable to Eastern students this year.

Even now, most students are not aware a dean position even exists, Sartore, Student Government vice president for academic affairs, said last week.

“No one’s ever told me about it,” said Kelly Bryan, sophomore graphic design major. “None of my professors have ever said, ‘Hey, there’s a student dean.'”

Five student deans represent the four academic colleges as well as the graduate program, Sartore said.

Serving as the link between the students of a college and its dean, the student dean position allows for a student voice to be heard among college administrators in regard to issues pertaining to a respective college.

“It’s a high level position; just a step down from the real dean position,” Sartore said.

She said empowering student deans is important because it is a position that has the potential to greatly affect all students.

“I want to make the academic life of students the best it (can) be,” she said.

Sartore took the first step to better publicizing the role and purpose of the student deans by emailing the deans of each academic college Wednesday.

Sartore said she also pitched a few ideas to the college deans concerning specific ways to raise awareness for the student dean position.

One idea is for all professors to include on their class syllabuses the name and contact information of the student dean representing their college, Sartore said. This way, everyone will know which student he or she can go to with problems, concerns or questions respecting his or her academic college, she said.

“If they want people to be more aware of the student deans, it’s a great idea,” Bryan said. “You’re handed the information right there.”

Kyla Nance, a sophomore undecided major, agreed with Bryan.

“This way you have the information available from the beginning of the year,” Nance said. “You don’t have to go around and search for it.”

Before any plan or action can occur, Sartore said she wants to wait for feedback from the deans.

“I’m going to wait to hear their responses before I go any further,” Sartore said.

At Wednesday’s Student Senate meeting Sartore said she needs to fill the student dean positions. Applications are available in the Student Activities Center in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union and will be due by 4 p.m. Sept. 12.

Student Editor Niki Jensen can be reached at [email protected]