As the academic year comes to an end, the leadership of the Memorial Student Center (MSC) has been passed on to a new officer team.
The 71st MSC Officer Team officially took office April 27. The team will create programs and leadership opportunities for the committees within the MSC and everyone on campus for the upcoming year. This new team is focused on producing exceptional work and creating an open culture.
The new MSC president is business honors and management junior Mark Sterling, who has been part of multiple organizations within the MSC, including serving as the outgoing chair for MSC ALOT. Sterling said the 71st MSC Officer Team’s vision for the upcoming year includes continuing the MSC tradition of excellence.
“We just want to continue setting the bar of excellence that past teams have been able to accomplish,” Sterling said. “Specifically, for the executive [team], we want to make sure that our chairs and resource directors have the resources they need to put on the programs that their specific committees want.”
Sterling said the executive team wants to be approachable so chairs feel comfortable coming to them with any questions they might have.
“I know that being able to approach the president and the executive vice presidents in years past has really helped me,” Sterling said. “We just want to make sure we’re maintaining that high level of communication and efficiency within our organization.”
Under Sterling, there are three executive vice presidents who cover three separate divisions: programs, business and diversity. Chemical engineering senior Andrew Hebert serves as the new executive vice president of programs and said he wants the MSC programs to be continuously improving.
“Every year you want your programs to get better,” Hebert said. “So, that’s one of our main goals, just … allowing [the committee chairs] to come together, share ideas and give critiques to their fellow chairs to make sure their programs are shining stars on campus.”
Hebert’s division is also making changes to the program approval process for the upcoming year. Business junior and vice president of programs Jamie Loasby, who works under Hebert, said the new process will be more efficient.
“It used to be every single MSC committee in one room approving programs,” Loasby said. “But this year it’s divided up into three different sections: visual performing arts, leadership and then there’s a culture one. Based on the purpose of each committee with the MSC, they’re going to be divided into these program assemblies.”
The officer team is also planning ahead for any challenges that might occur in the next academic year. Biomedical sciences junior and executive vice president of diversity Jaccard Nelson said the team will determine how to move forward with the challenges the coronavirus pandemic may bring.
“We’re really trying to work on contingency plans and figuring out what’s the best course of action, especially due to COVID-19,” Nelson said. “The biggest thing is how are we still going to implement our goals … even if we may be online or may have some sort of social restrictions.”
Those concerns aside, Sterling said he is looking forward to the upcoming year and the opportunities offered by his new position in the MSC.
“I’m really excited to see the different programs that get put on,” Sterling said. “I’m really excited about getting to learn about all the committees and how we can best serve them as the executive team.”