What do we want to see from SWEB going forward?
We at the Technique recently had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Luoluo Hong, who serves as the Vice President for the Office of Student Engagement and Well-Being (SEWB), and is one of the most accessible administrators on campus. We wish to discuss the work of the SEWB and what we would like to see in the future. We also wish to revisit the issue of student death notifications, the policy for which was drastically altered a few years ago.
There are a few notable new initiatives that the SEWB is currently instituting or will be in the near future. The first surrounds freedom of expression. These initiatives came in part due to HB1 being signed into law, which required compliance by Fall 2023. The bill mandated that outdoor, public areas have to be considered public in terms of speech as well. One question that the office is currently facing is the balancing act of when hate speech qualifies as free speech, versus when it does not.
The second issue of note is filling gaps in student services. There are close to 700 registered student organizations (RSOs) on campus. However, leaders often feel frustrated when trying to access information relating to the suite of resources available to student organizations. The office endeavors to centralize the services and information, and enact a cadre of professional staff advisors who can guide student leaders through these processes.
A third notable issue is, in the words of the office, “enrollment growth.” They emphasized their desire to spread the message that the Institute cannot build as fast as students can enroll, especially being in the heart of Atlanta with hefty regulations. They did however confirm the circulating news regarding new student housing opening up in Fall 2026.
However, it seems remiss to avoid the main issue at hand: the Institute is over-enrolling, causing the issue in the first place. Further, it is not just housing that is being impacted….
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