Hello Bearcats, my name is Richard Reyes and I will serve as the executive vice president for the Undergraduate Student Government at Baruch College for the 2021-2022 academic year.

This past year has been a rollercoaster ride. However, as we approach the new academic year, we set eyes on a new horizon beyond the tribulations of the prior year.

As EVP, I am internally in charge of the USG Senate table that consists of our academic, student, legislative and campus affairs vice presidents; finance, clubs and organizations, appeals, graphics and marketing chairs; representative senators and any ad hoc chairs.

Our team is ecstatic to represent the student body and put forth initiatives that properly address the needs of Baruch students. As a team, we hold diversity as one of our core values. We have tried to have representatives who will put forth the opinions of all the different student groups at Baruch as best as they can.

Our theme for this upcoming term is integration. The theme will accomplish its objective through the integration of our facilities and student body. The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the need for integrated communication channels and processes in which our offices and facilities operate.

As USG, we hope to serve as a pipeline in creating efficiency for a more equitable institution. Internally we are being proactive in implementing software to organize our projects, initiatives and goals. Our team has been hard at work in solidifying a programming schedule for the upcoming year.

Additionally, the summer leading to the start of the fall semester will consist of training modules to prepare our student leaders with all the necessary tools to succeed and excel in their respective roles. Be on the lookout in the coming weeks after we start our term on July 1 for ways to join USG.

Transparency is often over-promised and underwhelming. Student government is meant to be for everyone, and we hope to accomplish that through a revitalized system of Senate meeting minutes.

Each Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., USG holds Senate meetings where the table meets and discusses the important matters affecting the student body. In the case that a student is unable to attend these Senate meetings, Executive Secretary Yam-Yu Li is in charge of informing students through a written transcribed version.

We hope to revitalize the outsourcing of our meetings so that the student body is up to date on the current events and is informed of our forum to speak openly of any concerns that they may have.

I am excited to be leading the charge with my fellow USG members for a better Baruch. If you have any questions or would like to talk about a specific matter, you can contact me via email at richard.reyes.romero@usgbaruch.com.

Welcome to a new ERA at Baruch; let’s have the college experience that we all need and deserve.