After serving as a representative for Saybrook on the Yale College Council, the treasurer for the Freshman Class Council and a member of two University committees including the Yale College Standing Committee on University Expansion, Christopher Bowman ’18 said his connections to student government and unique background knowledge on the new residential colleges set him apart from the other three candidates running for YCC vice president.

Bowman said his priority is to raise the standard of the YCC by improving its accessibility, transparency and communication with students. Bowman said he hopes to review reinstatement policies, create a task force to review existing reporting mechanisms for sexual misconduct and tackle the issue of eliminating the student income contribution. Academically, Bowman said he will push for a later registration deadline for converting classes from Credit/D/Fail to a letter grade.

“Through serving on the steering committee for the new residential colleges, I’ve been able to see firsthand the issues that are facing Yale as it prepares for an influx of additional students,” Bowman said. “As vice president, I would have the unique background knowledge to create policies that would ensure the continued success of Yale College despite the huge changes that are on the way.”

Bowman told the News that the current YCC has a done good job in terms of student advocacy but has lost touch with students, as many Yalies are unaware of the YCC’s work.

The problem boils down to communication and outreach, he said. As a result, his goal is to bring back the YCC’s high standard, Bowman said.

Bowman outlined three main ways to achieve this goal. First, he said he will ensure YCC representatives from different colleges attend their respective college council meetings. Second, to boost greater communication between the YCC and the student body, Bowman said he will send out monthly emails to keep students updated about the YCC’s progress, and publish a report on its projects at the end of each semester.

Third, Bowman said he will push for a new position on the YCC’s executive board dedicated exclusively to connecting with students: the director of student outreach. Bowman said that the YCC’s student life director and vice president are currently the two primary contacts for outreach, but the former oversees many projects and the latter is responsible for a significant amount of advocacy, leaving the representatives unable to focus on connecting with every student.

During his term on the YCC last fall, Bowman spearheaded several projects, including one on seminar accessibility for sophomores, which culminated in a 29-page report now available on the YCC’s website. Bowman said he would continue addressing this issue if elected vice president.

Sydney Wade ’18, who has worked with Bowman on the YCC, said Bowman makes a perfect candidate because he will hold the YCC accountable for every student. Wade added that unlike other candidates who voiced similar goals, Bowman is not putting on a show just for the campaign but is voicing what he believes all the time.

Wade said when Bowman served as a treasurer for the FCC, he regularly updated the team on how much it has and how to boost its budget.

“[Bowman] knows how to get stuff done. He knows how to put his heart and soul into pushing for policy reforms,” Wade said.

Matt Guido ’19, who served on the YCC’s task force on new residential colleges and has worked with Bowman in the past, said a vice president should be vocal during council meetings and Bowman would be the best fit. Guido recalled that during meetings, Bowman always engaged with others’ ideas and asked pointed questions.