For students attending SSU, the Student Government Association (SGA) is an important part of university life. The SGA meets at 4 p.m. every Tuesday and fulfills many important roles and responsibilities that are valuable to students.
“Student Government Association serves not only as a voice for the student body, but as the center for all offices, organizations and campus happenings,” said Carissa Link, vice president of the SGA. “When important events or campus initiatives are happening, we help inform (SGA meeting) attendees to bring back (that information) to their organization members. We also oversee the clubs on campus and set them up with Presence accounts so they can manage their club rosters, reserve rooms and create events and often help troubleshoot issues.”
The SGA figures prominently in the social and educational activities of the students at SSU because of the vital role the group plays in connecting with and managing the many different student organizations on SSU’s campus.
Link explained more about her role in the SGA.
“As the vice president, I lead our weekly meetings following Robert’s Rules of Order to make motions and encourage topics of discussion to best serve our campus community,” she said. “I give a report each week and chair the academic affairs committee that helps to resolve any facility, technology or academic issue.”
Link also elaborated on how she became involved with the SGA.
“I got involved in SGA through my sorority, Theta Phi Alpha,” she said. “I attended the meetings as our chapter delegate for a few years before deciding to run for an SGA office. I believe I qualified after attending SGA meetings regularly for a year.”
Link was also willing to discuss some of the benefits that come from being a member of the SGA.
“Working alongside other motivated students has been a very rewarding experience, along with working with campus faculty and staff — including the president of the university,” she said. “Being able to plan events for students with different interests and discuss issues with a solution-based mindset shows the diversity of our role.”
These benefits show opportunities for personal growth, but there are also opportunities for financial gain. According to Link, “being on the executive board as an SGA officer or as a student senator does include a monetary stipend as well.”
There are many benefits to having the SGA on campus. Link explained some of the things that the SGA does for the campus community and for the students.
“We manage and fund all clubs on campus and help to provide resources and information for them to be successful,” she said. “We also promote events and initiatives from campus officers and personnel and host Finals Breakfast during the last week of the semester. In the spring, look out for Winter BearFest and the Spring Carnival, which are also hosted in part by SGA.”
Lastly, Link wanted to leave students with an understanding of the heart of the SGA.
“We truly have a student’s best interest in mind and often, when the voice of one student is heard and validated, others begin to reach out and that is when we can do our best work,” she said. “At SGA, we have a growth mindset; we want to do our best work while preparing for the next set of leaders to serve. It is very rewarding for us to find areas for improvement and recognize students and staff behind successful campus efforts. If this is something you see yourself being a part of, we hold officer elections in the spring semester.”
