The president of the Government of the Student Body President wants the GSB cabinet to be more efficient this fall. To accomplish efficiency, he has installed a new format for how and when the cabinet meets.

Student Body President Spencer Hughes said that with the new format each department of the cabinet will meet separately instead of having a full cabinet meeting. This is similar to what has been done in the past. 

“Instead of having a full meeting each week with 15 people at it for about an hour, just having people give updates on what they are doing,” Hughes said. “Instead now there are smaller meetings with people who are working on similar types of projects.”

Travis Reed, chief of staff  said he has a one-on-one meeting with each cabinet member every other week and keeps in contact with each department chairperson through email. 

“It’s been a good relationship,” Reed said. “Just seeing how everyone has made their department their own.” 

Hughes said the idea for the new format was one thought up not only by himself but also by Reed and Vice President Hillary Kletscher.

“There has been an opportunity to have the cabinet work more effectively and more efficiently in the time that they have to meet,” Hughes said.

Hughes said the new format gives cabinet members an opportunity to ask for help and talk about ideas, as well as talk about collaborating with fellow cabinet members on projects.

“They have the opportunity not to just talk about what they’re doing, but also, ask for help and talk more about ideas for moving forward with the project, talk about ideas for new projects [and] talk about ideas for collaborating between projects within the members of these smaller groups,” Hughes said.

He also said the new cabinet format allows for more flexibility from each of the individual cabinet members.

“So far though I think it’s pretty positive,” Hughes said. “I think people like the added flexibility, the added efficiency.”

Reed said there were some concerns when the idea was first introduced, but those concerns have been addressed.

“It wasn’t really the format itself, it was the idea of five people have to run their own meetings and come up with plans,” Reed said. “But we talked it through. We told them we’d give them the support that they need, and I think that everyone came out of it pretty happy.”

Hughes said he hopes every student in GSB and in the cabinet takes advantage of their opportunity to affect change on campus.

“People on cabinet and people in GSB as a whole have a pretty unique opportunity to effect change on our campus,” Hughes said.

He also specified that while all students can effect change on campus, it might be easier for students who are involved in GSB.

“I say that any student can open the door, but if you’re in GSB, that door … might be cracked a little bit for you so it’s a little bit easier,” Hughes said. “So I want to make sure no one is squandering that opportunity and everyone’s really doing the work they should be doing.”