Union Secretary Danny Silverman '05, who was elected last spring after a UJ decision overturned his disqualification from the spring election, launched a new Web site today for the Student Union. Silverman said he undertook the project because he found the old Union site inadequate, lacking in information and hard to navigate. The Union is revamping its Web site because it will "increase (the Union's) level of interaction with students and enhance the services we provide, as well as the way in which we provide services to the community," Adam Herman '04 said.

Silverman told the Justice that he began working on the Web site his first day in office as secretary, and that it will have taken four months to complete

Silverman said that among what he considers the many changes and improvements, some include placing many documents online to make them accessible to students.

"Student Union budgets are online ... Union Judiciary court procedures and previous cases are being made accessible to everyone ... (and) Union announcements e-mails are being standardized and archived," Silverman said. "For the first time, over 100 Senate documents, including agendas, meeting minutes and project reports, are online in one place."

Unlike the old site, the new site is dynamic and database driven. This means that in order to maintain it, future secretaries do need to know HTML (a computer language used to design and maintain Web sites, but instead can login and use the admin pages to upload new documents, add sections, and maintain the site.

Silverman stated that his favorite part of the new Web site is a "how-to" section. Everyday, students ask the same questions of the Student Union and this section answers those questions. This section "provides clear and detailed instructions for accomplishing various tasks," he said. Some of these tasks include, how to charter a club, get storage space, hold a coffee house, publicize an event, request money and reserve space.

Silverman also notes that the Student Union isn't only launching a new Union Web site. There are many other improvements in the works, such as improving the myBrandeis club center to make it "easier for club documents like constitutions to be stored online," Silverman said. Also, the same system used for the Logan and New York City bus shuttles will be used to register for other events, such as the fall activities fair, decreasing paperwork and increasing convenience for club leaders. Silverman also stated that there will be "better financial reporting on myBrandeis and a new property-tracking system so clubs can better keep track of their resources."

Another change this year is the creation of an announcement policy. In an effort to reduce the amount of SPAM e-mail sent to students, Union government is creating rules and procedures to send all student e-mails. One of the proposed changes will condense all club announcements to one email daily sent out by Union.

Silverman said he wants students to remember this: "the Student Union has done and can do so many wonderful things for students, but only if students are informed and active.