The Student Government Association at Auburn University has one purpose: to serve students.
SGA represents every Auburn student because all students have the opportunity to cast their vote for SGA executive and Senate positions during the spring semester of each year.
SGA and all of its members are there to listen to students. That’s what they were elected to do, SGA Vice President Schyler Burney said.
“AuburnAnswers, SGA’s online feedback platform, is the best way to let us know about one’s Auburn experience and any challenges or issues that a student comes across,” Burney said.
Burney said one of the most misunderstood aspects of SGA is the Student Senate. Senate is the legislative branch of SGA.
Each spring, senators are elected to represent each school and college at Auburn. Burney said these senators represent the students' voice on the Senate floor and to their respective school or college’s administration.
Candidates run campaigns in the spring semester during campaign week along with the candidates for major offices such as president and vice president. The senators that will be serving in the fall were elected in February 2018 and will remain until the spring 2019 semester.
“First-year students should learn who their senators are, and if an issue arises, utilize the resource that the senators serve as,” Burney said. “Do not be afraid to reach out to them if you have questions or concerns.”
Senate meets every Monday night at 7:30 p.m. in the Student Center Room 2222/2223. The easiest way to get involved in SGA early is to go to Senate meetings, Burney said.
“I would encourage first-year students to come to a meeting and see how things work,” Burney said. “There is an opportunity at the beginning of every meeting where anyone can address the Senate body with concerns or thoughts on a particular issue.”
Burney said attending a Senate meeting is the best way to learn about Senate, especially if you are thinking of running for a senator position in the spring.
Senate isn’t the only way to get involved in SGA. Another large part of SGA is the cabinet. The cabinet is composed of students from every school and college on campus that work together to put on SGA’s different events, such as Hey Day and Creed Week.
Senators work alongside cabinet to reach more areas of campus in the research and work that they do. Senators work on the legislation side to tackle different issues that students experience. While cabinet works with students to put on events and help run the student experience.
Most of the elected and appointed positions within SGA have been filled for the 2018-2019 term. However, it’s not hard to still find ways to get involved in SGA.
“Freshman Forum, Lobby Board and Aubie Committee are great ways for first-year students to get involved in their first semester on campus,” Burney said. “Check out our [SGA] website and social media to learn more about those opportunities.”
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