Student Body President Taylor Wright is continuing to push final projects and initiatives forward in his last semester in office, including tuition transparency for USC students.
This new item has been part of a broader effort by his administration to make sure students understand fees that are posted to their accounts. Wright said he's meeting with the IT and bursar's offices to talk about "webpage fee explanations," which could make finance management a bit easier for students.
“So, you would click on your bill, you would be able to click on a webpage that would show you a brief explanation of what these fees are actually for."
Another initiative Wright looks to take for the remainder of the semester is an analysis of the current state of diversity on campus.
“A big thing recently that has begun to grow some legs is around inclusion and equity and diversity on campus," Wright said. "I talked to the president about establishing a commission to review the current flow of diversity and inclusion efforts across campus as a whole from students up to administrators who report directly to the president."
As he finalizes these projects and initiatives, Wright says, he's satisfied with the work that he and his cabinet have done this past year.
“I think a lot of things we’ve promised, we’ve been able to get done, and everything else is still in the works," Wright said. "It’s been a great year, and the people I’ve been able to meet and just the stories I’ve been able to hear and just everything has been amazing. I hope it’s been an impactful year for the university as a whole."
With these and other efforts of his administration coming to a close in the near future, Wright reflects on what his time as president has meant to the university.
“What I believe my legacy will be at the university is just bringing people together. It's getting people the opportunity that they never would have had otherwise,” Wright said. “I think the student body is stronger than ever and I think people recognize the impact that we can have more than ever before.”
Lyric Swinton, a third-year sports and entertainment management student, is the secretary of inclusion and equity in Wright’s cabinet. She touched on Wright’s legacy and ability to see issues through a diverse lens.
“It’s really hard to describe his legacy, just because it’s just so much bigger than anything that you could ever put your hands on, or is tangible. I think that Taylor’s legacy is honestly people,” Swinton said. “He’s just created a culture where everybody matters.”
Looking towards the end of his term and the upcoming transition of power, Wright hopes the next student body president will guide the student body through the transition as they lose two of the top university officials.
“It’s going to be a time where the student body president is really going to have the ability to have a great first impression for the new president and the provost and really show what student government and what the student body as a whole can do and impact,” Wright said.