The Central Student Government convened via Zoom Tuesday night for their inaugural meeting of the 2020-2021 academic year. The body discussed a CSG-funded test prep program and the Student Organization Funding Committee’s funding application.
Rackham student Claire Liu proposed a CSG-funded test prep course that would include an LSAT prep course and an MCAT prep course. The LSAT course would last for 10 weeks and would consist of skill-building and practice testing using official LSAT prep tests. The MCAT prep course would include 24 classes over eight to 12 weeks. The course proposed a combination of virtual instruction, in-person instruction, guided study and office hours.
Law student Daniel Guttenberg presented the LSAT curriculum program he developed, focusing on the skills needed to do well on the test. According to Guttenberg, the course is designed to increase aptitude, not just to learn tricks to beat the test.
“My goal with all of my students, including those in my previous tutoring experiences, is to actually increase skill,” Guttenberg said. “I don’t want to just teach people how to take the test, I want to make them better at the skills.”
CSG unanimously approved motions to purchase LSAT Prep Plus for each student taking the LSAT test prep course and the UWorld QBank for each student taking the MCAT test prep course for $114 and $199, respectively.
The test prep course would require a total of around $10,183 to $13,158 of funding from CSG’s budget. CSG decided to postpone the motion until the ratification of the body’s budget at a later point in the semester as the test prep course would require a significant amount of funding.
During the announcements portion of the assembly, Public Policy senior Damian Chessare thanked protesters with the Climate Action Movement — who were arrested in March 2019 at the Fleming Administrative Building for protesting the University of Michigan’s inaction on climate change — for their sacrifice.
Chessare pointed out that had the University divested its endowment from fossil fuels, it could have potentially saved itself from financial losses when the price of oil tanked amid the COVID-19 pandemic as global demand plummeted.
“I just want to say I’m sorry that the University didn’t listen to them, because if they did then maybe the University’s finances would be in way better shape,” Chessare said.
Also during the meeting, Rackham student Hayden Jackson emphasized the importance of ensuring structured CSG meetings to function effectively.
“We need some order in these meetings,” Jackson said. “(Not having order) actually prevents us from carrying out our duties properly. I urge the senior leadership to conduct the meeting in an orderly fashion.”
CSG unanimously agreed to approve the SOFC application questions, funding criteria and funding schedule. LSA senior Taylor Lansey was confirmed as head of SOFC.
Daily Staff Reporter Navya Gupta can be reached at itznavya@umich.edu.