24 Student Advisory Board Manifesto

The TLH Student Advisory Board worked together to craft a manifesto from an exercise run in one of our spring meetings. The 12-student board responded to the question “What do you want out of your time on the Student Advisory Board”?

We want meaningful interactions with faculty and administration to understand the needs of professors and students. To understand how best to implement change. We want to introduce experiential learning as an alternative methodology to traditional lecture-based learning modes, with more practical application and interaction with the outside world. We want to make an impact on other students; let our experience in these meetings bleed out into our scholarly lives and into our communities. We want students to have more control over their college careers, and have a stake in their education. We want to help professors understand the best way to teach their classes, from our perspectives and experiences as students. We want to act as the liaison between the CUNY institution and its staff and students. We want new experiences, to enhance our college experience. We want to meet other students and make new friends. We want students to be a part of making the change in the CUNY institution. We want to broadcast different issues, giving CUNY students a platform. We want a positive environment in which to bring issues to light.

Read the collaborative poem constructed from an exercise in a Student Advisory Board meeting:

Building Resilience

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

Campus is a camp for all of us,

where some of us snuggle up around the campfire,

while others are looking for the sticks to start

the flame of community.

We are all different and have unique experiences

CUNY Students shine with resilience

And going to college is not always a convenience

But we showcase our perseverance

On the start of my mornings

I think about the sands of achievement

and congratulations

There are certain moments

in which I fear the unknown