SGA Announces Return of Student Senate
Student Government Association’s Executive Council took on senate responsibilities during the 2021-2022 school year, but the senate will return this fall.
According to an SGA Instagram post, the 2020-2021 SGA had a senate made of six chairs overseeing “Campus Life,” “Campus Improvements” and “Spiritual Life” at TFC. Former SGA Senator Cadie Vena said that the group used surveys and events to present student opinions to SGA. “We were a sounding board of ideas,” Vena explained.
Senators from the 2020-2021 year and previous semesters said that the senate struggled to be effective and have a clear purpose.
“The position that I had on senate was Campus Life, and it was very vague. … There wasn’t a solid mission statement,” current SGA Vice President Tim Heath said.
“It was very weird when I was on it. Not a lot happened,” Reilly McCullough stated.
In addition, the senate lacked public awareness among students. “Most people had no idea. I told my friends: ‘I’m on the senate.’ And they were like: ‘oh, what is that?’” Vena shared.
In the spring of 2021, the senate was abolished for the 2021-2022 school year. SGA Vice President at the time, Reilly McCullough, said the decision came from the previous Director of Student Engagement Saylo Lor, with McCullough and previous SGA President Madison Smith’s feedback. Describing their perspective, McCullough said he and Smith understood “the SGA Executive Council as, like, a liaison between … administration and students.” He explained, “SGA could put on a feedback event each semester, and it didn’t seem like that was that much.”
For the 2021-2022 school year, SGA replaced the senate with Student Life Advocacy Programs, known as SLAP. In an interview, current SGA President Joshua Bingham explained that SLAP is made up of SGA’s Executive Council with whom he meets bi-weekly. Why the Executive Council? “They already have communications with administration, and a lot of people already go to them with concerns and questions,” Bingham stated.
To fill the gap left by the senate, SLAP sought to gather student feedback through survey events last semester. The survey results helped SGA presidents Bingham and Heath reach their goal of promoting mental health on campus. Heath said: “the most stressful day was on Wednesday. … Around three o’clock, we went to LT field, and we would have, like, music and frisbee to kind of like ease the nerves.”
SLAP was also able to take students’ concerns to TFC’s administration. “We were able to meet with Abigail Davis, the VP of Student Affairs, and Dr. Bob, and tell them this is how students are feeling,” Bingham said.
However, problems arose in SLAP as the school year progressed. The main issue was the added workload for Executive Council members. Bingham explained: “It’s not any, like, flaw in them. … It’s just too much for a full-time student to just be doing both.” So, SGA will have a new and improved senate in the 2022-2023 school year.
According to Bingham, the upcoming senate will have four chairs. Emily Johnson, who will be the 2022-2023 SGA President with Vice President Jacob Hunt, has high hopes for the senate. Speaking about the new diversity chair, she mentioned events led by Daphne Nateras and Zach Garcia that celebrate minorities on campus. Johnson hopes that the diversity chair will “create more spaces for people to come and learn and celebrate different backgrounds.” Chaplains will fill two spiritual life chairs. A final safety chair will represent student ideas about bettering the campus and their protection.
In addition to these changes, the senate will have a renewed vision. “I want the senate [and] the Executive Council to be very approachable. … I hope that, as we’re giving students a voice, that it won’t just come through surveys, but it’s coming through very authentic relationships that are being built on campus,” Johnson said. Bingham hopes that the senate will serve as a “stepping-stone” for students wanting to be part of SGA.
In the meantime, Bingham and Heath want students to know they can stop by the SGA office to voice their questions and feedback. “Just come to the office anytime. We’re in there almost eight to five,” Bingham stated. Heath agreed, “It’s our home.”