johnnyr@ihu1n.UUCP (John R. Rosenberg) (02/25/86)
This may be a naive question, but despite preconceived notions
I really am interested in information from both sides
of the question.
What useful purpose does a student govt. at a college
or university serve?
Thanks.
John Rosenberg AT&T-NS
ihnp4!ihu1n!johnnyr
Brilliantly conceived, and equally well executed.
-Ufermc68020@gilbbs.UUCP (Tom Keller) (02/27/86)
In article <333@ihu1n.UUCP>, johnnyr@ihu1n.UUCP (John R. Rosenberg) writes: > This may be a naive question, but despite preconceived notions > I really am interested in information from both sides > of the question. > > What useful purpose does a student govt. at a college > or university serve? > John, the first problem, in my mind, is that some people insist on continuing to use that outmoded and inaccurate identifier, 'Student Government.' At my campus, we avoided this misnomer whenever possible. We were the Associated Students, and associations formed for the specific purpose of serving the needs of students. These needs include advocacy (academic as well as political), entertainment, emergency loan funds, child care, colloquia, representation, and many other services which can be and are provided my many associated student organizations. In California, within the CSUC (California State University and Colleges) system, consisting of 19 campi (and *NOT* a part of, or associated with the University of California), the student associations got together to form a statewide umbrella organization. This organization has, over the years, successfully achieved many positive results for students. They have a formal liaison position with the Chancellor's Office. Through this group's efforts, students of the CSUC system have a seat on the Board of Trustees, with full privileges and responsibilities. The group also has a fulltime lobbying unit in the state capitol, to interface with legislators and bring the needs and views of our students to the attention of the legislature. The group is highly respected at all levels of the administration of the CSUC system. When I started at Sonoma State University, there was no AS. Students needs were not considered an issue in the decision making processes of the administration, or within the Academic Senate. Students had little in the way of extra-curricular activities (which are an enriching and vital part of a complete educational experience), and no means of making themselves heard. Making a very long story short, I was the founding vice-Chairperson of the new AS at SSU, and I am the author of their present constitution. The biggest problem facing any student association, regardless of name, is that of apathy (which, incidentally, is also a major portion of the problem with the US...think about it...Reagan claims a landslide victory with only 15% of the registered voters in the nation voting for him...*egad*). When I hear a student complain about the actions, failures, or foibles of the student association, my first question is "Did you vote?" If the answer is 'no,' I tell the idiot to shut his/her mouth and quit complaining. If they don't like the way things are going, it is their responsibility to participate in the process and see to that things are done as they wish. Second question is 'When was the last time you attended an AS Board meeting? The times and agenda are clearly posted all over campus." Again, if they haven't, and can't offer a damned good rationale (yes, in this case, there are acceptable reasons for not being ale to participate), I say the same thing. As a closing thought, consider the student association as a learning experience. By voting, attending meetings, and volunteering time, one is gaining valuable participatory experience in the ways and means of negotiating through a vote-based participatory representative system. I haven't seen any formal studies, but I'd be willing to bet cash money that there is a *STRONG* correalation between those who don't/didn't vote in student elections in school, and those who don't vote in local, state and federal elections. {ihnp4, dual}!ptsfa!gilbbs!mc68020 (Tom Keller) (* we may not be big, but we're small! *)
gerber@mit-amt.MIT.EDU (Andrew S. Gerber) (02/27/86)
In article <333@ihu1n.UUCP> johnnyr@ihu1n.UUCP (John R. Rosenberg) writes: >This may be a naive question, but despite preconceived notions >I really am interested in information from both sides >of the question. > >What useful purpose does a student govt. at a college >or university serve? > >Thanks. >John Rosenberg AT&T-NS >ihnp4!ihu1n!johnnyr > I've often wondered this myself. At MIT, the student government does the following things (at least these are things I have seen them doing -- they may do others, so don't flame at me) 1) Provide an interface between the student body and the college admnistration. 2) Nominate students to the various committees of the Institute - these committees have many functions, and the students are given voting membership in the committees. 3) Oversee the use of student activity space. 4) Coordinate social events. 5) Coordinate "class" activities, choosing a ring company, the "class gift", class T-shirts, etc. 6) Provide students with a juicy resume entry. 7) Help students exersize leadership ability. 8) Give students something else to do but just study & party. 9) Provide a social organization for a group of students. There are probably many others that people can think of, some less complementary than others, but the above is what I see MIT's student government doing. Note: my only experiance in MIT student government is being a judcomm (Judicial Committee) member of my dorm.
mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) (02/28/86)
Here at UMCP, the SGA only has three real powers:
(1) It can spend some of the Student Activities Fees.
(2) It allocates the rest of said fees.
(3) It can expell one of its members from the SGA (making a BIG black mark
on his or her resume).
It can also lobby and pass meaningless resolutions; power over (for
instance) smoking rules, the student union, and the like belongs to other
organizations. It also helps keep the _Diamondback_ from being totally
consumed by advertising.
Right now we are having a little flap which illustrates just how little
power the SGA really wields. Some black student organization invited a
well-known black activist to speak on campus. In the course of his speech,
he allegedly made the statement that the only good zionist is a dead
zionist, and other anti-semetic remarks. Needless to say, the jewish
student groups screamed and demanded that the speaking fee (which presumably
came from Student Activity Fees) be withheld. The SGA has not involved
itself in the matter at all-- the crisis has been mediated directly by the
chancellor.
At the moment we are in sort of a wierd period. In the last SGA elections,
the Monarchist Party, after some 13 years, won all four executive seats, and
also a few legislative seats-- on a platform propsing to build a beer-filled
moat around campus. This is having the effect that many things are not
being taken so deadly seriously as they have been in the past.
C. Wingatex@mit-prep.ARPA (Dean Elsner) (02/28/86)
In article <333@ihu1n.UUCP> johnnyr@ihu1n.UUCP (John R. Rosenberg) writes: >This may be a naive question, but despite preconceived notions >I really am interested in information from both sides >of the question. > >What useful purpose does a student govt. at a college >or university serve? I am a long-time student government baiter at the University of Western Australia. Every possible criticism of student government I know of I have applied to that government. But when I step back and think about it, one use of student government is to INTRODUCE individual students, in an informal flexible way, to what can be a very scary institution. I have never seen any 'administration' do as good a job as the students in explaining to freshers just how much opportunity can be found in a university. (Some *rare* academics do a good job too!). -- x@prep.ai.mit.edu Disclaimer: I am not me.