If you are a long-time reader of The Slate, you are probably familiar with some of the criticisms that I and others have levied at our Student Government Association. Inaction, a lack of transparency and a lack of engagement with the student body to name a few.
The last three years were difficult for SGA. Like many student organizations, SGA was greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and is still recovering. I served in SGA during the height of the pandemic, first as a committee member and later as a senator.
Since the world fell apart in 2020, SGA has had issues filling its ranks through the normal election process. Very few candidates ran for positions, and vacancies were filled by appointees. Unfortunately, SGA also struggled with high turnover rates, making it difficult to perform basic responsibilities.
Obviously, SGA needs to change. Thankfully, it is moving in a positive direction. The current Executive Leadership Committee has made strides toward returning SGA to a working order. They are close to having all positions filled and working on actual business. But there is still more to do.
That is where you, the campus community, come in. At its Sept. 28 meeting, SGA voted to form an ad-hoc committee to oversee revisions to the organization’s constitution. The current constitution was adopted back in 1962, and while it has seen many revisions over the years, the ad-hoc committee is hoping to do a more comprehensive overhaul.
To do that well, SGA needs your help.
What do you want to see differently from SGA? What sort of changes would you make? What kind of events should they hold? How should it be structured? What parts of campus do not have representation? Those are the sort of questions I want you to ask yourself.
If you were recreating SGA from the ground up, what would that look like? If you have any thoughts, I encourage you to submit them using the QR code below.
Student feedback is key to making this work, and other members of our community are welcome to give their thoughts.
In addition to the QR code, SGA will also be setting up drop boxes in various locations on campus for written feedback.
If you want to see the Student Government Association become an organization that represents and advocates for students, please join me in making that happen. For it to function in that way, there must be involvement and feedback from the student body, and we can make that happen.
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