By: Andrew Roberts
Let me preface this by saying that I am a senator in the University of Georgia Student Government Association Senate. I, with two other senators, represent over 2,750 undergraduate students from the Terry College of Business, and yes, very few of those students know my name.
Before you think I’m too biased to write an article like this, let me also preface my thoughts by saying that I joined SGA as one of its biggest skeptics—like many, I didn’t know what it did. SGA President Austin Laufersweiler and Vice-President Uzma Chowdhury approached me this past summer and encouraged me to apply for one of the vacant senate seats. While I was unsure of the impact I would make or the work I would do, I applied to learn what it was about, made it through interviews, and was appointed and confirmed. Did I love my first semester in SGA? Not exactly. Senate meetings were often drawn out with heated exchanges over semantics, and committee meetings could have been more productive. Still, I wanted to give myself fully to the organization for my entire term as a senator before I turned from skeptic to critic.
My change of heart occurred the week before Thanksgiving. Two things happened that week. First, on Wednesday there was a meeting for the University Council, which serves as the legislative body for the University of Georgia. University Council must approve any major decision at the university, and SGA is fortunate enough to have a handful of student representatives on the majority-faculty-and-staff governing body (around 10 percent are students). Normally the “major decisions” breeze through University Council, as its members are eager to leave the claustrophobic Tate Theater seats, and because there is rarely great contention over the usually mundane agenda items.
At issue that day, however, was an item that was tabled during the previous meeting, which changed the drop/add period for Maymester. The agenda item read: “For May, first and second session courses, both drop and add periods begin on the first day of classes and extend through midnight of the 1st class day.” We quickly took issue with this proposal because it would give students only one day to see if a class is the right fit before having to drop it or commit to it for the entire Maymester. We felt this was unfair, because students typically have a couple of days to see how a class functions and to experience other possible classes. During floor discussion, we argued that the proposed change gave students a limited window to discuss the drop/add decision with their advisor and the registrar, would increase the number of WPs if students end up in a class they don’t like, and that students, not the professors, should have the responsibility to make up missed work. The more we spoke up, the more the faculty and staff also spoke in our favor. After continued discussion the proposal was amended to the original length of Maymester drop/add with full support from the student representatives and a majority of the faculty and staff.
This is an example of one of the two reasons why I think SGA matters. The university administration recognizes us as a legitimate group of leaders and allows our members to serve on different committees and panels, such as University Council. During staff searches, interviews, and large university events, SGA members are present and participating. President Morehead regularly meets with members of the executive branch. Several SGA members work on All Campus Allocations, which allocates over $1.7 million from the student activity fee to student organizations on campus. Many members serve on panels that most people have never even heard of, yet that are constantly at work (DSASAB, for example). While contentious issues may not arise every day, the Maymester policy proposal shows the importance of student input through SGA. SGA members serve in these different capacities all around campus, and when the opportunity to fight for students arises, we are undoubtedly ready.
The second event of importance that occurred that week was the senate meeting the Tuesday night before University Council. We spent over an hour and a half debating legislation titled “A Resolution Addressing the Treatment of Marginalized Groups of Students on UGA’s Campus,” which was written largely in response to hate speech on Facebook towards the Black Affairs Council and LGBT Resource Center. What was expected to be a non-contentious piece of legislation turned in to a debate centered around whether “students directly affected by this hate speech and the culture that encourages it to occur feel as though their campus does not care about their safety and well-being” or “many students directly affected by this hate speech and the culture that encourages it to occur feel as though their campus does not care about their safety and well-being” (emphasis added). At the time (I had three final exams that week), it frustrated me. Why did this one word matter?
As I later reflected on the debate, however, I realized the second reason I think SGA matters. Most of the members of SGA are people who have two similar traits. First, most of them are truly in love with this university and care immensely about the issues facing our beloved campus. Second, most of them are leaders from all around campus, representing almost every nook and corner of our great university. These students are so passionate about their work that they are willing to spend an hour debating whether one word should be included in a resolution before it passes.
Even better, however, is that senate is a marketplace of ideas; leaders come together to discuss and debate different solutions for important issues. Once they leave senate for the night, these campus leaders then take these ideas and solutions back to their respective spheres of influence and use them to help improve our campus. SGA members spend hours every week discussing these pressing issues and possible solutions not only in senate, but also in classes and in passing with everyday students. Even if it can sometimes be slow, this sort of discussion matters; it creates a change of culture and a change of community.
SGA, of course, is not perfect. While some of my fellow senators might agree with my analysis, I’m sure many disagree. Some within SGA believe that it is much greater in importance than this; one colleague of mine said he wanted to use his duty as a senator to demand answers from UGA and Clarke County after a UGA student’s body was found in a nearby creek. I respect his view, but I don’t glorify my senate seat as something it’s not. And there are some in SGA who criticize it and who likely only hold their position for whatever prestige they think comes with it — if this is why you are in SGA, you are in it for the wrong reason.
Further, SGA lacks simple fiat power. One of my friends asked when the women’s center was going to open soon after SGA passed a resolution in favor a women’s center. I had to explain that it wasn’t that simple and we were only the first of almost countless steps. Hopefully SGA will gain the influence to be able to pass resolutions that create immediate change on campus, but until then we must work to implement our own resolutions. Senators must be accountable, and when legislation passes, they must work with the executive branch to put it into action. Too many senators work to pass legislation and then drop the ball on creating tangible change. From an insider’s perspective, it’s truly disappointing.
And of course, the greatest challenge SGA faces is apathy. Voter turnout is too low in SGA elections, showing a serious sign of indifference. It is extremely hard to have influence on campus if the student body you represent doesn’t respect you. Further, it’s even harder to gain that respect if you don’t have the influence to earn it. It’s a vicious cycle of representation without respect.
Still, SGA matters. There are moments, even if they aren’t common, where we have the opportunity to fight for the students we try so hard to represent. In addition, we create solutions to campus problems that we debate down to a single word to make sure they are impeccable before we vote on them. One day I hope there will be greater respect for SGA so we can serve on more influential committees and panels in larger numbers and have more opportunities to work for our students. With this same respect I hope SGA will gain the influence to pass resolutions that create immediate change on our campus. It’s a long way off and it will take a lot of work, but I think SGA is up to the challenge.
Now I challenge you. If you agree with me, please share my article. If you disagree with me — congratulations, you have a more important burden — please write a response piece. Georgia Political Review welcomes guest submissions. The only way we are going to make SGA better is to talk about it, so please join the conversation. I can promise you that this sort of discussion matters.
