Meet Sneha Walia '15, President of the Brandeis Student Union

New union president excited and proud to lead the Brandeis community

Photo/Mike Lovett

Sneha Walia ’15 wasn’t involved in student government in high school—she thought her student council was ineffective—­and she was unsure about applying to Brandeis University—she sought a college with a large, urban campus. But fast-forward four years, and all has changed: Walia, one of Brandeis’s most recognizable faces, is leading the community as president of the Student Union.

A double major in politics and psychology with minors in education studies and social justice and social policy, the Shrewsbury, Mass. native has come to love Brandeis and relish her role as a leader. She has served as the Class of 2015 senator and as the union’s secretary. This summer, she interned at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington D.C. through the Sorensen Fellowship, building on her experiences in the Student Union.

Today, Walia regularly meets with President Frederick M. Lawrence, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel, and a number of administrators from each department.

“Our administration is eager to hear from students, which is really cool,” said Walia. “Even though they deal with so many things, they are always willing to take the time to meet with students.”

Walia said she is focused on addressing several initiatives during her term:

• Dining at Brandeis—The Student Union hosted a forum on Sept. 15 to enable students to give their ideas regarding the recent changes in Brandeis dining. The forum was designed for students to filter concerns with Sodexo, facilities and the administration.
• Overall transparency—The Student Union wants to be more open about its role on campus and its inner-workings. This semester, the executive board will compile a listing of goals for the year and publish them in a newsletter. This will allow the students to know what to expect from their campus leaders. It also will continue to host roundtable discussions with various campus administrators, helping students stay informed about what’s happening at Brandeis.
• Parking and transportation improvements—The Student Union is looking at ways to accommodate students’ parking needs as well as working with police and public safety to improve transportation and community safety.
• Expanding reach­—The Student Union is moving toward increasing its involvement with ‘Deis Impact, new clubs and services, as well as building relationships with established campus resources such as community living, the Hiatt Career Center, and health and wellness. 

Walia said the Student Union leadership is focused on connecting “all of our branches and truly working like a team of leaders. We hope this will help us work together and learn about the workings of other aspects of our Union and the passions of other members, as well as allow us all to be leaders in different aspects of the community.”