The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

SGA addresses confusion over policy and incomplete reporting

In last week’s editorial, the editorial board articulated that, “There is such a thing as a student voice.”  As the president of the Student Government Association, I could not agree more.  This, however, is why recent conversations about the supposedly ‘new’ [Chartered Student Organizations] event policy for groups in the [Cross Cultural Center] have sparked such a wave of controversy.

The student voice, formally embodied in Student Government, was indeed present and active throughout the formation of the Performance, Presentation and Speaker Policy last year.  SGA’s Policy Review Committee drafted the policy in coordination with staff members and administrators over the course of nearly six months.

The policy, once finalized through a Senate Resolution and passed in the President’s Coordinating Council, represented the most feasible and pragmatic compromise that tempered the needs of student groups with the organizational demands of the Student Involvement Center (formerly Student Life).  This policy went into effect in the beginning of last semester and is the same policy that remains in effect today.

Although the policy is not new, several students and even a few senators have expressed their frustration regarding the articulation of the policy from members of the staff and administration in the Student Involvement Center.

This is understandable and is certainly something that SGA can address on your behalf.  It is important to note, however, that a conversation about the miscommunication of a policy is much different than a conversation about usurping the student voice in the creation of a policy.  Because the two conversations were intertwined in last week’s issue, we took a step backward in solving the problem at hand.

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Moving forward, SGA, student leaders The University News and must be willing to work together to engage in a constructive dialogue with members of the staff and administration.  On SGA’s end, our senators and executive board members must be aware of the history of SGA and the policies we have enacted in past administrations so that we can most effectively address issues as they arise.

Student leaders, I ask that you, too, familiarize yourself with the information that affects your organization.  If you are uncertain about any aspect of a policy, come to us, and we can attempt to clear up the confusion.  As for The UNews, it is your job to dig to the bottom of the issue by speaking to SGA senators and executive board members, student leaders, staff and administrators to develop the fullest possible picture of an issue.

Dialogue is the first step in the process, not the last.  Our credibility as students is sacrificed when we bypass this step and resort to inflammatory claims and accusations toward the administration.  SGA is the formal link between the administration and the students.  We can and will advocate for you if you allow us the opportunity to do so.  Please, trust us to be your voice.

Courtney Anvender is President of the Student Government Association and a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences

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