[This article was updated Oct. 20 to more accurately reflect the reasons why SGA moved forum to Zoom. The shift to online is meant to make forum more accessible for students with disabilities, commuters, satellite campus students and other members of the SU community.]
Salisbury University's Student Government Association opted to hold monthly forums on Zoom rather than in-person this year.
This change benefits SGA as well as other campus organizations involved in the open forums – the only consistent discussion space of its kind at SU.
The forum was not always in person. During the COVID-19 pandemic's peak, SGA was forced to conduct forums remotely.
SGA President Andrew Wilson said online forums have drawn past success. He listed numerous reasons for SGA's return to Zoom, such as making forum more accessible for students with disabilities. For example, technical issues and faulty microphones made in-person forums inaccessible for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, according to Wilson.
The change also facilitated the inclusion of commuters and students at SU's satellite campuses, for whom in-person forums were challenging to attend.
"There's a lot of students at SU that commute up to 30 minutes, an hour, if not more away everyday to campus," Wilson said. "To ask them to do that again on a Sunday if they're in a student organization ... [we] just decided that it was not fair."
Campus community members can still meet with or contact SGA in-person through monthly full-body meetings in Henson 103 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the Tuesdays following forums.
Wilson said executive members hold office hours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, reachable by phone at (410) 548-4757.
Students that prefer to contact SGA online can visit salisburysga.com, Direct Message SGA on any of the organization's social media pages, or email any member of SGA.
"We're always here to advocate for the student's needs and there's a lot of ways to reach us." Wilson said.
By OLIVIA KUNTZ
News Editor
Featured image courtesy of Olivia Kuntz