Ever since the majority of the Cabinet of the Student Government Association (SGA) stepped down in October, the SGA has been planning out the logistics of what a restructured SGA would entail. Currently, the structure that is set to be implemented is called the “Three-Pillar Model” and will have three main bodies.
The first few weeks of the process were designated for exploring different potential structures that could be employed, as well as the pros and cons that would be associated with them. After considering the alternatives, senators decided to focus on developing the Three-Pillar Model. As the name implies, the SGA will be divided into three subsections; Student Advocacy, Student Organizational Affairs, and the Administrative Council. These names are subject to change, but their functionality is intended to remain the same.
The Student Advocacy branch is planned to be composed of six committees, each of which has a committee head. The committee heads collectively form an executive council that communicates more directly to administrators. Committees will pull from the Senate as needed, either through volunteers or assignments if necessary.
The Student Organizational Affairs branch focuses on managing clubs and other student organizations. This branch will include a Finance Committee and a Committee on Club Affairs. The Finance Committee will handle club budgets, similarly to how it operates now, and it will be composed of senators and non-senators alike. The Committee on Club Affairs will oversee the new organization process, as well as other general issues, such as working on the catering system, furniture for club events, and more. Both will likely have a Chair and a “Vice Chair” which will act as a “sub-cabinet” to the executive committee formed by the Student Advocacy branch.
As of this update, there has not been an extensive amount of work done on the Administrative Council, but it will focus on keeping officials accountable and holding Senate meetings.
The restructure has been moving forward with weekly meetings. According to SGA President E.J. Hannah, there is still a large amount of uncertainty, but “Our goal is to be done in just a few weeks, as we start getting down to discussing the nitty-gritty. We are looking to start gathering student feedback as best as we can through PR, town halls, surveys, and general announcements.”
Hannah also stated that administrators have been receptive to the direction that is being taken and have participated in developing the new structure.
There has also been discussion about hiring a consultant to review the previous guiding documents from an outsider perspective. This would be to help see the policies from an experienced point of view and find any issues without bias.
While there is still much to be done, Hannah is confident that this is the correct course of action, stating, “I am optimistic that these changes will be better for all students in the long run.”
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