Experts Discuss Feasibility of Candidates' Platforms

And although both candidates claim their platforms are 100 percent feasible, officials associated with these platform priorities have affirmed their potential but in some cases have questioned whether they are realistic or necessary.

Jen Daum

Work with Chapel Hill and Carrboro police departments to make rounds to sorority houses, make extra rounds during vacation times to off-campus apartments and houses and place Code Blue call boxes in strategic areas.

Jane Cousins, spokeswoman for the Chapel Hill Police Department, said off-campus student locations already are patrolled, and Capt. Joel Booker of the Carrboro Police Department said apartment complexes already are checked when students leave for vacations.

Cousins said research would have to be done to analyze the need for the call boxes.

Recreate the Student Advisory Committee to the UNC Board of Trustees.

Student Body President Justin Young said this committee has existed before and could be restarted. But BOT Chairman Tim Burnett said recreating this committee is redundant because the student body president sits on the BOT. Burnett said any input students want on the BOT should be channeled through the student body president.

Double federally funded work-study jobs in the public service field.

Provost Robert Shelton said this goal's feasibility would depend on how successful UNC and the student body president are in making a strong case when lobbying for money. "We'd have to work with the federal government to get into that program," he said.

Ensure drop-off care facilities in the new Student Services building.

Mikisha Brown, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Federation, said the drop-off care facilities are already being negotiated by Sue Kitchen, vice chancellor for student affairs.

Support recommendations of the provost's LGBTQ Climate Planning Committee.

Shelton said he thinks it is too early to pledge support for the committee's recommendations, as they have not been finalized yet.

Will McKinney

Constitutionally mandated student director of minority affairs.

Young said the creation of this position would be possible because student body presidents have the power to establish any Cabinet position.

Mark Townsend, speaker of Student Congress, said the procedure for making such a position constitutionally mandated is straightforward and that he thinks the legislation would be supported.

Expanded on- and off-campus Internet access.

Marian Moore, vice chancellor for information technology, said that even though the expanded off-campus and wireless access is technologically possible, it would be "highly expensive."

"These are all things I'd love to do for our students here at Carolina, but the funding isn't available for them."

Monthly student government/ administration safety walks.

Derek Poarch, director of the Department of Public Safety, said the administration already conducts walks to examine campus safety issues.

Poarch said the DPS plans to continue conducting safety walks. But he said McKinney's schedule is excessive. "I don't know if it needs to be done monthly."

Work with UNC administration to set long-term goals on tuition, including a tuition guarantee.

Shelton said the establishment of a tuition guarantee is desirable but difficult. He said the division of control over tuition issues among the campus, UNC-system and state legislators complicates the prospect of arriving at a long-term goal.

Get student government out into the University.

Young said holding student government office hours around campus, as McKinney has proposed, is only a first step in making student government a presence in students' lives. "It's one thing to go (out of the office)," he said. "It's another thing to engage students."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.