Name: Raymond A. C. Ballard
Year: 3rd Year
Major: CHbE and Prelaw
Position: President
1. Why are you running for an Executive Board position?
I strongly believe in the powers of civic involvement, service to the public, and the capacity for improvement of student life through the activities of the senate, general body, and executive board of the Student Government Association. Through several years of service I have seen the positive and negative aspects of SGA and believe I can uphold the responsibilities and activities that are ongoing, as well as create and improve in areas that are undermining our ability to achieve our goals. We need energy, vision, and the communication skills that will continue to improve our institution, and I believe I am the right leader for this time.
If elected President, I will serve as an active voice from the students to the administration, energize the general body, and be a strong supporter for enhancing the vision and capacity of the student senate.
2. What relevant experience do you have with student government at IIT or elsewhere?
IIT - Service with the Student Government Association
Senator of Armour College (spring 07-present)
Academic Affairs Committee (Spring 09-present)
University Steering Committee (
Communications Committee (fall 07-fall 08)
Student Life Committee (spring 07)
Senator of the Residence Halls Association (spring 07)
East Anchorage High- Service with High School Student Government
Student Body President (fall 05-spring 06)
Congressman (fall 04-spring 05)
Anchorage School District
President of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Board
In the IIT Student Government Association, I served as a representative to the Student Life Committee in my first term, the Communications Committee in the fall of 2008 to promote SGA, and am currently on the Academic Affairs Committee for the spring of 2009. During the fall of 2008 I focused on commuter issues and the University Steering Committee for the President’s Office. One contribution for the fall of 2008 was the successful surveying and installation of new bike racks. The University Steering Committee required several hours a month to participate in many different strategic planning processes and meetings in order to represent all Undergraduates of IIT for the Many Voices, One Vision. As the end of this process neared, it became clear to me that I was uncomfortable being the only Undergraduate voice in a room of over 30 people. We managed to bring 13 students together to draft what became known as the Undergraduate Student Committee, and our report was included in the President’s report to the Board of Trustees. This document required over 20 hours of work during a weekend, and it was a terrific accomplishment for all the members of this committee; to come together with such short notice to create such a document. In the spring of 2009, I have focused a great deal on recruiting members to participate in SGA through involvement in Finance Board, Senate, and Committees. We now have a much more active senate, and I am really pleased with their activism. I have participated in the meetings to discuss the Student Organization office space, am working on improving the wireless internet service in the library for students who need better service for studying, and actively represent students on the BOG advisory committee. Lastly, there has been a strong connection to this organization since I accepted my invitation to come to IIT. SGA President Emeritus Jason Tenenbaum was a big role model for me and I have done what I can to improve student life at IIT. I am now running for the position as President of the Student Body and hope that the students will support me in my election.
At East Anchorage High School, I served as President of a large student body and Congress. With over 100 members in our student government, we participated in dozens of community service activities, organized the school dances (including Prom), pumped the students with school spirit, aided in graduation, and planned the Senior Fun Day. As President of the Student Advisory Board for the Anchorage School District, we regularly passed resolutions on student viewpoints and worked with the Superintendent weekly.
3. What other extra-curricular experiences do you have?
University Steering Committee
Undergraduate representative for the President’s Many Voices, One Vision strategic planning process (spring 08-09)
Student Union Board
President (fall 09-April 14, 2009)
Senior Programmer (fall 08-spring 09)
Vice President of Impact Events (fall 08-spring 09)
Homecoming Carnival Programmer (fall 2008)
Refounder and programmer of Scarlet Fever (fall 2006-spring 07)
Outdoor Recreation programmer (fall 06-spring 07)
Sports Programmer (fall 06-spring 07)
Leadership Academy
Scholar (spring 07-present)
Stryker Awards
Richard A Babcock Leadership Award (2009)
Clinton E. Stryker Award for contributions to campus life (2007, 2008, 2009)
Freshman of the Year Award (2007)
Wiit
Radio Host of Ray Ray Radio (spring 09-present)
Boy Scouts of America – Eagle Scout
TechNews
Active writer of roughly 20 articles
Over the years I’ve also had varied levels of involvement with AIChE (member), Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Honors Law Society (VP 2006-07), Residence Halls Association (Executive Board spring 07), RHA Food Committee, the BOG Advisory Committee, and the Service-Learning projects.
4. How would you best represent the interest of IIT students in your decision making?
The President is not a policy-maker, but a facilitator. I will use many tools of communication (as mentioned in Question 5) and my experience representing students from the University Steering Committee (as mentioned in Question 2) to best guide our administration when they need advice and input, advocate for students when our input is ignored, and seek out student leaders from all majors and backgrounds to serve in various places of leadership. The President does not need to be the only voice representing students in various committees. Rather, as I have done in the past with the Undergraduate Student Committee (Question 2), I will seek out students and give them a direct voice in the university planning process.
5. What strengths do you have that you consider as important to be an Exec Board Member?
While IIT has many issues students face on a daily basis, many of them boil down to poor communication or a lack thereof. Internally, the new VP of Communications and I will champion a strong marketing campaign for presenting the results of the senate, as well as create a diverse array of forums/outputs for student concerns, complaints, and issues. I am committed to regular press releases in Tech News, IIT Today, and an updated SGA website on the state of the student government, our recent accomplishments, and goals for the upcoming time period. Externally, the student voice needs to be heard in the planning process of our university, respective colleges, campus departments, and every facet of campus life that affects students. We can do that by placing your student representatives and volunteers in various departmental and administrative program committees around campus. I have the right network with staff, faculty, and the administration to make that happen. Communication is our biggest problem and is a significant weight on our university's success, but I believe with my strengths in networking and communication we can succeed.
I am very passionate about IIT, and will do everything I can to ensure its success, and from my diverse past involvement in campus life, I have the network, organizational ability, and empathy for the welfare of the student body to make 2009-10 an unprecedented success for our student government.
