PPSA Implements New Structure—Where does the money go?

Responding to the recent growth of the Harris School student body and to the addition of several new student organizations, the Public Policy Student Association (PPSA), the elected representative body of the Harris School, is undergoing organizational changes for the 2003-04 academic year. In addition to other activities associated with student government at the Harris School, PPSA is now charged with creating guidelines for funding other student organizations. The increased number of groups eligible for funding during 2002-03 placed a significant constraint on available student activities funds and generated concern about the future.

In June 2003, six new second-year PPSA representatives were elected by their classmates and take on this formidable task. The Budget Committee, co-chaired by Jeanine Solinski (MPP’04) and Juan Agosto (MPP’04), will include a representative from each student organization. This committee will determine budget allocations to each student organization and facilitate greater coordination of activities among the Harris School groups. “I look forward to working with PPSA representatives, other student organizations, and all Harris School students in making PPSA activities reflective of the student body in the coming year,” Solinski said after spending the summer planning for the year ahead.

While designing and implementing the new budgeting process has become a top priority, PPSA continues to serve as a liaison between students and faculty, to coordinate social activities, and to host of the annual student auction that raises money for unpaid summer internships. The new representatives are also dedicated to cultivating greater student involvement in PPSA’s activities. Harris School students emphasize the importance of maintaining a distinct school culture and building its community. In order to achieve a culture that fits all Harris students, PPSA will encourage wide spread involvement from students and organizations through the activities of several redesigned committees.

The Academic Committee, chaired by Marianne Anderson (MPP’04), plans to hold regular school forums and hopes students outside of PPSA will participate in its discussions on curriculum and faculty relations. Anderson, eager to re-evaluate the role and purpose of the Academic Committee, said “In particular, I am concerned that the evaluation forms may not be as useful as other forms of feedback and [we] want to engage students outside of PPSA to participate in the Academic Committee.”

The Social and Community Service Committee, chaired by Panvirush Vittayapraphakul (’04), will encourage other student organizations to host events throughout the year. “I want the Harris School to feel more like ‘home’, and encourage everyone – students or faculty – to work with PPSA to make positive contributions to our school,” Vittayapraphakul said in discussing her objective of strengthening the Harris School social network.

An important part of the current Harris School culture is the annual student auction that raises money for the Amy Marie Bosman Memorial Fellowship Fund, established in 2003. The Auction Committee, chaired by Caryn Kuebler (MPP’04), hopes to include more community involvement, particularly from alumni and mentors in order to make the tradition a successful community-building and networking opportunity as well as an important community service and fundraising event.

In anticipation of recruiting new members from the incoming class to assist the second- year representatives in fulfilling their goals, PPSA has restructured elections to increase voter turnout and provide the organization with a diverse group of representatives. The new voting system will allow students to run for a position on a specific committee, which PPSA hopes will provide a ballot full of candidates with great interest and experience in these particular areas.

The 2003-04 academic year will be a year of positive change, and the six current representatives led by PPSA President Sean McIntosh (MPP’04) look forward to welcoming their first-year representatives, restructuring the bylaws and budgeting process to reflect the recent changes in the student association, and working with all Harris School students to truly represent the student body.

Caryn Kuebler, MPP Class of 2004