Ideas with the Most Likes
Revive RPI Reactor
Currently, we have a unique, fully functioning and staffed reactor critical facility (RCF). Previously, the RCF was used for education, research and outreach. In the last several years, it has been administratively restricted from conducting these activities.
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Testing Center for Students with Disabilities
RPI is the only university in New York State lacking a testing center. This is a standard in even the most disadvantaged areas. Lacking this resource puts a strain on students, professors, and TAs to find alternative testing locations. This often leads to frustration for everyone involved and creates increased difficulties for students who are already navigating an environment designed for non-disabled people.
Veterans Day holiday & accommodations
RPI should allow for a holiday for veterans day. As a veteran on staff It surprises me that we do not offer the holiday. I have to take PTO in order to attend ceremonies and events honoring my fellow veterans. State and Federal workers receive this day off as a holiday. Furthermore, more appreciation for veterans day should be considered. Having a luncheon for veterans or a social offering for veterans working and attending the institute to network would be great.
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Providing feminine hygiene products in bathrooms
We should provide free feminine hygiene products in the bathrooms across campus. This would provide students with products integral to their daily lives and leave one less thing for students to stress about. Many schools and colleges already do this, and numerous studies have shown the benefits of having easy access to feminine hygiene products in education spaces.
Safe Zone Training
Safe Zone Training used to be offered at the RPI campus until a few years ago when the decision was made to dissolve it. The Safe Zone mission was to promote an environment where the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community and their allies flourish intellectually, socially, and emotionally. This is a program offered at countless other college campuses across the nation. RPI could certainly make improvements to better the campus climate for it's LGBTQ+ students and allies, and to ensure everyone feels safe, supported and accepted.
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Improve Tuition Reimbursement and Exchange for Employees
RPI staff don't earn high salaries, but many of us enjoy our jobs and like being able to help students achieve their academic and career goals. I would love to see RPI join many other higher education institutions in offering better tuition benefits for employees and their dependents. Many tuition exchange programs are low cost for the college, but provide an immense benefit to dependent children and employees who want to further their own education.
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Classroom/Building Renovations
There are many classrooms and auditoriums which feel like they have not been touched in decades and could use a new coat of paint, new chairs, new lighting etc.
More Accessible Campus
Many pathways and stairways on campus are deteriorating, have little safety precautions, overly steep, or have bizarre step sizes. Repairing or upgrading these pathways would promote safety, redirect student traffic, and beautify the school.
Some examples:
The gravel path between 14th and 13th St that connects the Heffner Alumni House parking lot with North Lot. This has disintegrated over the past months.
The two stairwells on the east side of Russel Sage Lab. These stairs are uneven, oddly shaped, and a bit steep.
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SIS and Email Modernization
SIS and the given email client are very dated and could use some touch ups. The given email client cannot be used on mobile devices, cannot categorize received emails, and overall could use some quality of life changes. SIS can be confusing to navigate for the first time and is clearly dated with countries like the USSR and Czechoslovakia in its address list.
Fixing the Cracks
A lot of RPI campus is filled with cracks, uneven terrain, and even some holes that make navigating on wheels very difficult and potentially dangerous. These may seem insignificant to people who walk but they are detrimental to those who require mobility aids, especially ones with smaller wheels. Doing even a simple fix on many of these areas would greatly improve travel for those of us with mobility issues such as myself. The area between the bridge and Low is a perfect example; the terrain is quite rough and there is a large crack between two of the bigger tiles.
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