The 2015-2016 Student Advisory Committee executive leadership made invaluable contributions to the Institute of Politics during their tenure. From improving the Institute’s internal infrastructure to expanding the IOP’s HVOTE Initiative, the 2015-2016 team has, without a doubt, left an indelible mark on the IOP.

We thank Kathryn, Austin, Sally, Max, and the rest of the student leadership for making the 2016 year a great one! We look forward to seeing their future accomplishments in politics and public service.

Their impressive resume of 2015-2016 accomplishments includes:

Mobilizing the greater Harvard community to participate in the political process
In anticipation of an historic election, the SAC Executive Team committed to improving and expanding the IOP’s HVOTE initiative to register and mobilize eligible voters on campus. They worked with the Harvard Registrar’s Office, Democracy Works, and Oracle PeopleSoft to integrate TurboVote software into the college’s annual online student check-in. Now, each fall, all eligible undergraduates will have the opportunity to register to vote in all 50 states using TurboVote. Brandon Naylor, Director of Communications at Democracy Works, commended SAC, and the IOP at large, for enacting "one of the most comprehensive IT projects we’ve seen by integrating TurboVote into the freshman check-in process" and appropriately deemed the initiative "one more feather in the already-crowded cap of the Harvard Institute of Politics."

Building robust & sustainable internal infrastructure
This year, SAC leaders crafted a bi-semesterly survey to directly and anonymously collect information from student members about their IOP experience. The survey was a resounding success and helped leadership learn more about what brings students to the IOP. In addition to the survey’s quantitative data, the SAC leaders pioneered targeted focus groups in order to hear members share their IOP stories and experiences. The SAC leaders hope that the next class will continue to work to better understand and respond to the student experience at the IOP.

Strategically improving the membership experience
In response to students’ calls for more opportunities to develop practical skills, SAC worked with program chairs to augment existing skill building opportunities within the Institute’s programs. This resulted in workshops on public speaking, debating, and effective teaching. They also partnered with IOP staff members to plan an East Asian national security crisis simulation.

SAC also sought to offer IOP members more mentorship and cross-program learning opportunities. They created the “IOP Families” initiative, which inaugurated smaller cross-program communities with upper- and underclassmen. Similarly, they hosted office hours called “Connect with Exec” to create further opportunities for cross-program dialogue.

Based on feedback from their survey, they also expanded project-based leadership through Members-at-Large, who partnered with SAC leadership to implement myriad initiatives. For example, in partnership with staff members and fellows, they planned an event series on racial politics, featuring collaborations with 14 on-campus multicultural organizations. Students have warmly welcomed these new and exciting opportunities over the course of this year!

Thank you again to the 2015-2016 Leadership! Meet the 2017 student leaders here.