After last semester’s long, but failed attempt at constitutional reform, Associated Students of Madison is looking to retool the basics of Student Council — productivity and student outreach.

During a special meeting of representatives Sunday, SC members mapped out strategies for better communication with constituents as well as plans for bringing added efficiency and significance to Council meetings.

“Student Council is taking a look in the mirror. It’s an important step in self-regulation in order to spend more time getting things done and less energy maintaining the status quo,” ASM Chair Tyler Junger said.

According to Finance Chair and SC Business School Rep. Matt Beemsterboer, when meetings run late, some of the important parts are rushed through too quickly at the end.

Junger agreed, adding in order to ensure relevant information does not get cut out at the end of council meetings, which can run for several hours, agendas will be sent out earlier for committee members to review to keep everyone on the same page in a more timely fashion.

Although debates on agenda items — particularly over changes in bylaws — are part of what makes meetings go longer, Junger said these debates will need to continue because debate is a healthy part of SC’s duty and needed to show all sides of the issues at hand.

Besides concern over the practicality and productivity of meetings, some members expressed unease over how the student population perceives the student government. The committee agreed students are misinformed about what SC is, how it works and what it actually gets done.

Beemsterboer added SC needs to find alternate ways for the general population of students to be given real information — not just updates on pointless bylaw changes which seem to be all that comes out of the meetings.

“One of the things that hasn’t come through council much is [how it should] specifically focus on students,” Junger said.

The committee agreed a better use of the University of Wisconsin student newspapers was desperately needed. Beemsterboer said the press needs to stop going to council meetings and to start being invited to legislative meetings.

ASM Vice Chair Tom Templeton said SC needs to find a bridge between the government and students.

He added they need to translate the legislative jargon in the council meeting to the general public.

“The meetings are just the show,” Templeton said. “The hard work is outside of the meetings.”

SC also tried to find ideas on how to generate excitement about joining SC and other committees, especially for freshmen. Graduate student Rep. Matt Tobelman said it seems UW students only go to school here and tend to ignore student organizations.

“They don’t understand what this body does and how hard people work,” Tobelman said.

He added SC needs to come up with ways students can get involved in less time-consuming ways. His theory was if the committee can get people to start by volunteering in small ways and give them more responsibilities as a passion grows, their successes in attracting new students would increase tenfold.

Several other strategies for attracting new members were also suggested including possible stipends, monthly socials and informal meetings at Memorial Union.