Last year, when I gave tours in the Fall semester I would always go very briefly over the clubs at Naz and try my best to explain the Undergraduate Association (UA). Naz tours go around the full campus and admissions creates an agenda for tour guides to ensure each individual is able to see all of campus within a certain time frame. It can be a lot of information to digest in one tour, and even that doesn’t tell you everything about all the amazing things that go on on-campus. I believe the UA is crucial in understanding for anyone interested in attending Naz, as the organization brings several benefits to every undergraduate student on our campus.
The UA is located in the Student Activities Office on campus in the Shults Center. It consists of the Senate Office, WNAZ (the campus radio station), and the UA Office. The UA provides all undergraduate students opportunities to be involved on campus, whether it be through participation in clubs or attending events.We provide funds, information, and other resources, for the sole purpose of empowering students to pursue their own interests.
The UA office is the place I spend most of my time in. The UA has many divisions, one being the Executive Board. The Executive Board consists of six board members including a President, VP of Executive Operations, VP of Finance, VP of Diversity Initiatives, VP of Public Relations, and VP of Campus Programming. I currently serve as President on the board. Other divisions under the UA include CAB (Campus Activities Board), Diversity Council, Senate, and the Finance Committee. The Senate works to help students create new clubs by reviewing and approving constitutions, and provides student organizations with additional funding for trips and large events. The Finance Committee is a subdivision of the Senate that provides additional funding for conferences and experiential learning opportunities that expand on students’ in-classroom learning.
Before becoming president of the Undergraduate Association, I served as a Senator for the Class of 2020 during the prior year. As a Class of 2020 Senator, I learned more about the policies and constitution under the UA and I became well acquainted with the Executive Board. By learning more about the UA, I wanted to dedicate more time in improving our campus and addressing student concerns. Consequently, my senator position inspired me to run for President, because I believed I was ready to take on a role that would cater to the student body on a larger-scale. The best part of being a part of the Executive Board is witnessing the outcomes of concerns being addressed, and putting on new events together for our campus. Each member works together to create different opportunities for undergraduate students.
CAB puts on many different events for our campus, including “Spirit of Naz” events such as Spirit Week and Flyer Fridays. CAB also offers opportunities to get off of campus to attend concerts, Rochester Broadway Theater League performances, sporting events, recreational trips, and other events. These off-campus events are offered to students for $5 and transportation is provided. CAB also puts on major events such as Welcome Week, Formal, and Spring Fest. One of the most popular major events, Spring Fest is an annual tradition at Naz where students celebrate the end of the year with games, food, and live music performances. Last year, Rich Homie Quan came for Spring Fest. It’s always exciting to see all the new performers CAB is able to bring on campus.
A new addition to the UA office is the Career Closet! The career closet is a service provided through The Center for Life’s Work that is staffed by UA Senators in our office. The purpose of the Career Closet is to provide students with professional clothing to borrow for free, whether you need an outfit for an interview, internship, job fair, networking opportunity, conference, or award event.
The Undergraduate Association is here to serve students on campus and encourage involvement. These are just some of the services we provide to the student body. Upon entering Naz, each student becomes a member of the Undergraduate Association. Further involvement in the UA as an Executive Board Member, CAB Chair, or Senator requires dedication and time management skills, but it is ultimately worth it! As a member of the UA, you can take advantage of any of the services indicated in this blog, but as an involved member, you can serve among others and support the student body at Naz.