On September 17th, GSG hosted a design-thinking and innovation formatted town hall, based on teachings from the University’s Academy for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Here are the themes that emerged that will help us model the remaining town halls for the 2019-2020 term. Some of these fit into more than one "bin." Some of these were on post- its, others came through in our discussion groups:
Financial Stressors (Cost of Living, Differential Tuition, Stipends for Employees, Student Fees, availability of Funding, Food Insecurity, International Student Fee, Childcare costs, Parking costs)
Housing (affordable housing, proximity of housing and overall living conditions)
Labor Issues (Collective Bargaining, Advisor-Supervisor Dynamic, Stipend Levels Compared to Fees, Differential Tuition and Cost of Living, Workload, Needing to Work Multiple Jobs, More Accountability for Mistreatment)
Transportation and Accessibility to and on Campus (Shuttle Services/Routes, Needing to Live Far Away, Seven Springs Issue, Parking)
Inclusive/Welcoming Community (Everyone feeling like they have a home at UMD, More Student Participation and Visibility, International Students, Disability, LGBTQ+)
Misc: Time to Degree, More Interdisciplinary Research Opportunities, Sustainability
These categories will help GSG plan and prioritize initiatives to focus on this year and in the years to come.
If you have ideas on future town hall themes, or solutions for the above issues posed please reach out to your program representative or email gsg-office@umd.edu.