The Student Senate is reaching out to students as a part of their strategic planning process.

Through the Strategic Outreach Committee, a subcommittee of the Strategic Planning Committee, members are gathering feedback from students to implement more effective policies as a reflection of the needs of the student body.

Jenna Mitchell, a junior political science major and the chair of the Student Outreach Committee, said she started setting up a table in front of the University Food Court in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union in order to educate students about the student government and to hear their concerns and feedback.

“The main goal is to get back a lot more feedback then we have in the past years,” Mitchell said.

She said in order to increase awareness about the student government, the Student Outreach Committee distributes surveys and fact sheets.

The first table session for the Student Outreach Committee was Oct. 12.

Mitchell said they received about 150 completed surveys from the first session.

The surveys will continue to be distributed until November, when the surveys will be compiled for data, she said.

The Student Outreach Committee sets up the table in the University Food Court every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“I just think it would be generally effective if students knew more about student government, Mitchell said. “I don’t think students know what we actually do. It would be more beneficial if students knew what we are actually doing.”

Student Body President Ed Hotwagner, a senior math major, will run today’s student government meeting because of the Student Senate Speaker’s absence.

Hotwagner said he is excited to run his first meeting.

Old business that will be discussed during the meeting will be the approval of a funding proposal for the expenses of the members of the Student Action Team to spend a day lobbying in Springfield.

The money will be spent on transportation, sack lunches from Panther Catering, and soda for the members for $226.50.

As part of Student Action Team, members will represent Eastern in the state capitol of Springfield in order to lobby on behalf of the school.

The student government meets at 7 p.m. every Wednesday in the Arcola-Tuscola Room in the Union.

Kathryn Richter can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].