Student: Thank you for seeing me. As I said on the phone, I'm on the Student Government Committee for new initiatives. Dean: Right. And you have a proposal for a new campus program, something for first-year students? I believe.

Student: Yes. We’d like to start a freshman resource center--a place where first-year students could go to find out about everything from clubs and on-campus jobs to how to choose a major. Dean: But isn't all that information already available? Student: Yes. Problem is advising informations in one place, information about clubs and social activities somewhere else. It's hard to know where to find the information you're looking for.

Dean: So...this would be like a one-stop information center. Um, tell me, Sandra, was this a problem for you when you started here? Uh, getting this information? Student: A bit. I came from a small high school in a small town, the university, the city. There's just so much going on here. And my friends, other first-year students were in the same boat. Luckily, I had a really great adviser in my dorm. She became my mentor, helped me figure things out, you know. And that's the kind of experience we'd like everyone to have.

Dean: Well, is this type of program been implemented at other universities? Do you know if it's been successful? Student: We did some research and found several programs similar to the one we'd like to see here. A couple of us actually visited some of the centers. We talked to students who use them, to students who work in them and to administrators, everyone said the centers really improved the university experience for first-year students.

Dean: Well, it's an admirable idea, but you know, there's never enough money to fund every admirable idea. Have you thought about just setting up a website with links to the information? Student: That's definitely part of our plan. But we think it's important for students to be able to sit down and talk with someone. We wouldn't need much an office in the Student Activities building, some money to cover printing costs. We'd staff the center with volunteers.

Dean: Well, it sounds as though you put a lot of thought into this. And now, even though the idea is coming from the Student Government Organization, you'll still need to submit a formal proposal to an office for consideration. In addition to explaining the service, who it’s for, its purpose, how it will operate, you'll need to submit a budget for the year. You'll find detailed instructions and the necessary forms on the Student Activities website. And by the way, all budget requests for next year are due at the end of the month, so you'll have to get busy.