Student Govenment Association has more than just adding frozen yogurt to campus in store for next year.
Owen Parrish, SGA president-elect, said the organization will be re-examining its programs, projects and positions and figuring out a better structure so that it can operate in a more efficient manner.
"Most students are aware of different projects that have already impacted campus life; however, they are unaware that SGA had ownership in them," said Collier Tynes, SGA chief of staff and junior in public relations. "With the new structure, SGA will listen to the student voice and take on many initiatives that can positively impact campus."
Most of SGA's organizations dealing with student affairs will be reorganized and put under specific offices on campus by their function, including Tiger Tuesdays, Auburn Dance Marathon and the Beat Bama Food Drive.
"AUDM and Beat Bama Food Drive are moving from SGA to the Center for Community Service," Parrish said.
Sarah Beth Worsham, SGA executive vice president of prgorams and junior in agriculture communication, said they love each of these programs and know they will thrive more if they are served through other areas of the Auburn student involvement office.
Tiger Tuesdays, the freshman leadership program directed by SGA, will move to the Center for Leadership and Ethics.
"We believe moving Tiger Tuesdays away from student government will allow for more freshman organizations to be created with the increasing demand for more freshman involvement," Worsham said.
By letting these organizations fall under different management that specialize in programming and philanthropy specifically, these organizations will be able to accomplish more, Parrish said.
"This way the organization can get better resources and better opportunities to provide for their needs better than what SGA can give them," Parrish said.
Along with reorganizing its programs, SGA hopes to stick to the message behind their mission statement.
"We also want to make sure that we are focusing our efforts on what we are expected to do as a governing body for students," Worsham said. "By serving fewer projects and more initiatives we believe we can be a more effective SGA that can better impact student life."
SGA also hopes these changes will make it more accessible to students.
"We see that by placing a heavy focus on initiatives and fewer programs it will allow us as a SGA to focus on what students' needs are," Tynes said. "This will happen by more students working on initiatives that directly affect student life."
The five executive officers, three elected and two appointed, as well as the Office of Student Involvement will be making these changes starting next semester.
"The goal of the reconstruction is to not limit the programs," Parrish said. "We want to let the individual programs grow as they choose."
Parrish said with fewer organizations for SGA to manage, the association can better serve students and their purposes.
"By refocusing on programs and initiatives that a governing body should take charge of, we can give every project the attention, man-power and funding it needs to reach its highest potential," Tynes said.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
