USG approved the creation of the Pre-pharmacy Club, hosted guest speaker Sheila Leh and reviewed finances at its general council meeting on March 31 in McNeely 100.
Pre-pharmacy Club
USG listened to a club proposal presentation from Lauren Hlavacek, the president of Pre-pharmacy Club, and unanimously voted and approved the club’s establishment.
Hlavacek is a St. Thomas junior studying biochemistry and professional writing and is planning to attend the University of Minnesota’s College of Pharmacy program after graduation.
“I noticed I had not found a community to express and develop my interest in pharmacology,” Hlavacek said.
This lack of community inspired her to launch the Pre-pharmacy Club.
“The mission of Pre-pharmacy Club is to encourage and facilitate community building between students interested in the field of pharmacy,” Hlavacek said. “It is our goal to provide members with engaging content that builds their understanding of the field of pharmacy.”
Twelve St. Thomas students have demonstrated interest in the club and according to Hlavacek, they have expressed excitement to connect with members of the St. Thomas community with knowledge of and interest in pharmacology.
Guest speaker: Sheila Leh
Associate Vice Provost for University Libraries Sheila Leh spoke about ongoing strategic planning for the university’s libraries and explained the need for student input throughout the process.
“The library has not been remodeled or reworked since 1995,” Leh said. “We will be working with our architect and they will be asking for people to serve on a planning committee. If you are willing to serve on the committee, that would be very welcome.”
Leh spoke about a Library Ambassadors Program that existed at her former university of employment, where students worked closely with library staff to keep both sides informed, and proposed implementing a similar program at St. Thomas.
“We need to think about how we can have a continuous feedback loop to get your input. That’s very important,” Leh said. “We need to have some sort of continuous input channel.”
Finances
USG approved the College Democrats’ internal funding request of $362.55.
The club will need $1,500 in funds for its “day at the capitol” club meeting where students will travel to the Minnesota Capitol building to meet with lawmakers and tour the building.
College Democrats will also need $200 for its 4 remaining general meetings this academic year.
$1,337.45 remained in the College Democrats’ carryover funds, which left the club in need of the $362.55 that was approved by USG.
Abby Kielty can be reached at kiel6046@stthomas.edu.