Student Academic Council re-evaluates goals for school year

by Shella Brady staff writer

The Student A.qldemic Council; better known as SAC,isheadedformajorreconstitution this school year.

SAC is a student-run organization intended fo act as a liaison between the stu• dents and faculty.

SACwasfoundedin 1969. Accordingto Dr. Joseph Romano, professor of philosophy, SAC was founded to keep the lines of communicationopenbetweenfacultymembers and students.

Karen Szczurek. vice president of SAC, said the council plans to revaJ!)p its whole program. The coucilwill go through a reoonstitution process and re-evaluate their goals.

The largest obstacle is that the student body is not quite aware they exist, she said.

Szczurek said SAC Spc)liSOredthe book sale last spring and plans to bold another in the spring of 1994.

The book:sale is a service that SAC provides to save students money and, at the· same time, lo make a profit.

Students give SAC their used textbooks and tell them how much they would like to sell the boob for. SACthen sells the books and keeps a 10 percent profit.

During the mi~itennand end of semester periods,when many studentshavela.stminute papers or exams, SAC provides a pricel~ service for students. The council keep1>.the libraryopen.

Each member takes a late night or early morning shift, takes care of the library and locks up, Szczurek said.

Evecy two years SAC provides a faculty profile of each teacher at Cabrini. In it are such facts as whether a teacher likes to test with multiple choice or essay questions.

According to Sz.czurek,SAC would like to start an exam file in which each faculty member would submit old exa~.

Therefore, before taking an exam, students could look in the file to better prepare themselves for the exam.

Dr. Thomas Boeke,.provost, would like the 25 percent tax deductible which is in effect now.

Individualswho are self-employed individuals would be tteared like small businesses, potentially eligiKe for subsidies.

Unemployedindividuals with little or no income would pay little to keep full coverage; they would contribute on a sliding scale, paying full cost if income exceeds 250 percent of the poverty line.~

The government also would subsidize costs for many small and low ·wagebusinesses and for individuals who have incomes below 150 percent the poverty line.

Under this plan, Medicare payments would continue for the elderly and the disabled. Medicaid also would continue to pay for the poor, but now it would go through health alliances.

These health alliances would be run by the states, under the watchful eye of the federal government. These regional groups would collect and distribute premiums, certify health plans and offer them to consumers.

The government will subsidize retirees under the age of 65 who are not yet eligible for

Medicare. If they are not covered by a former employer or pension plan, they could get coverage through the alliance and pay only_20 percent, as if they were employed.

Medicare recipients would continue to receive the same benefits, plus new prescription drug and home-care coverage.

Once alliances are established, people turning 65 have the option of remaining in their former health plan, paying any difference between Medicare contribution and plan cests.

Medicaid recipients would receive mainstream medicine, signing up for a plan through the alliance. Federal and state governments would make set payments to the health plan. Recipients could choose any plan with premium at or below the regional average without making additional payments.

Students attending school full-time in a distant location, but covered under their parents policy, would sign up for coverage thorough the alliance where they attend school. A portion of family and employer premium payments would be transferred from the home alliance to the alliance providing coverage.