Best Student Government (Private Colleges)

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Best Student Government (Private Colleges)
     Don’t even think about snatching the "Best Student Government" crown from campus leaders at Rollins College. Winning in 2000 seems to have spurred the new administration to greater heights and actually tightened their grip on the title. This organization’s accomplishments actually may be even more impressive than its predecessors, making Rollins’ SGA the first back-to-back honoree in this important category.
     President Ronald Gould and Vice President Stewart Parker, plus seven other officers and 33 senators, focus on a handful of key projects to maximize their $86,000 budget. One of the Gould administration’s top goals is to keep students on campus after classes end. SGA aggressively tackles drinking-and-driving through the "R-CABS" voucher program—gift certificates for taxi transportation. Students can charge the vouchers to the "R-cards," the all-in-one student ID card. "We want to attack off-campus drinking," Gould says. "We purchased $300 worth and sold them in the campus store [the C-Store]. The past two administrations have tried to establish this, but they were unsuccessful." Student Activities Director Rina Tovar says the campus store generated $800 in R-CABS sales during the first month of the spring semester alone, and $900 since the launch in October 2000.
     Parker says R-CABS may be SGA’s greatest accomplishment. "We knew this was something we were going to do even if we had to do it ourselves," he says. "R-CABS is now an official college program, and the dining service has agreed to keep the vouchers stocked on their shelves. We’re now helping students save their lives."
     Gould’s team carried on the SGA tradition of co-sponsoring the wildly successful "Halloween Howl." Local children visit the Winter Park campus to trick-or-treat in the residence halls. "We had 500 plus children attend," Gould says. "It was the most successful Halloween Howl in eight years."
     SGA also spearheaded the new "Silence is Acceptance" campaign. "It’s a program that combats racism and sexism," Gould says. "The director of the movie Journey to a Hate Free Millennium visited campus and all freshmen attended with their peer mentors. In addition, another director, Lee Mun Wah, shared his movie The Color of Fear, and we ended the week by building a Habitat for Humanity house."
     When Rollins christened a couple of new buildings and facilities, SGA piggybacked on the excitement by co-hosting a grand-opening social. "We set up a barbecue for the gym opening and for the first basketball game," Gould says. "It was the largest barbecue at Rollins. Seventy-five percent of student body came."
     Not only is SGA trying to keep current Tars involved, but wants to reel in new students too. "We had an orientation talent show," Gould says. "Over 250 attended with 20 acts. It helped the freshmen class get to know Student Government and each other." Each week, SGA officers "man" a table during lunchtime in the Mills Campus Center and give out info about what SGA does and how to get involved. As Parker says, "These tables are also fun because we get to interact with students."
     This SGA vies for its constituents’ attention through traditional tactics such as word of mouth, flyers, and posters. But they also catch students with their pants down—in the bathroom. By posting clever and colorful 10" x 13" newsletters on the inside of restroom stall doors, "visitors" can’t help but to learn what’s happening on campus. "The Toilet Paper is an attempt to increase involvement which also saves money by condensing all calendars of events into one," Gould says. Students find out about SGA’s events such as on-campus putt-putt event, Karenna Gore-Schiff's political rally, lip-sync contests, as well as the first ever winter formal. "Tired of being down in the dumps?" said one edition. "Sick of sitting on your butt, wishing you knew what the heck was going on? The Toilet Paper is your weekly in-stallment of what’s going on here at Rollins College." Another edition told students to "use The Toilet Paper to wipe those tears away." Pretty funny stuff.
     Parker says 400 students showed up for Gore-Schiff’s rally to hear the former vice president’s daughter challenge them to cast their ballots—of course, for her Pop. "She did focus on why students should vote for her father," Parker says, "but she never lost sight in just trying to encourage students to vote."
     Campus security issues are on their brains, too, as they formed the first safety committee in the school’s history. "We had all dim lights on campus replaced and every week a Student Government officer and safety officer check call boxes. They check to make sure pick-ups come in time, and we finally got a cross walk to the garage," he says. "The library has a doorbell for handicapped, and we do a doorbell check once a week to make sure it works. It didn't work for almost two years," Gould says. The SGA also passed a bill and worked with the provost to get wheelchair access to the administration building."
     Helping people suffering from hardships is almost second nature for this group. "We hosted Benefact 2000, it’s used to benefit a battered wives and children charity," Gould says. "Local bands do a battle of the bands concert all day for the event. They also raised money for turkeys during Thanksgiving and helped get over $600 for the inner city of Orlando."
     Parker says SGA gives fellow students plenty of ways to contact officers and senators, including central e-mail addresses that forward messages to all executive committee members, senators, and "Council of Leaders" presidents. "All these lists allow Rollins students to send their question or concern straight to the people that can do something about it," he says.
     Gould says SGA’s influence has grown so much that it now boasts of a student voice on nearly every college committee. "Teachers says it’s the first time ever," he says. In the committee charged with revamping general-ed requirements, Gould says students have four votes. "We almost have enough power to vote things in on our own. College governance is why we’re so successful. SGA holds more clout with faculty and students attend all faculty meetings." The proof: administrators asked 15 to 20 students to help work on the college’s master plan of the next five years, Gould says.
     On the student life committee, SGA has six voting members, says Dr. Steve Neilson, dean of student affairs. "They have six out of maybe 11 votes," Neilson says. "But it’s also a matter of how faculty and administration hears that voice. They're very persuasive. I see faculty turning to student leaders and really seeking their input."
     Neilson says this SGA has held together better than past years. "They've been able to keep an agenda going. This group has been very steady," he says. "They have a reasoned voice, not adversarial, but it's constant. They’re not as flashy as some other SGs, but I've seen persistence-- they've hung together. They're not working on gimmicks."
     As co-advisor along with Neilson, Tovar says many SGAs don't investigate issues from all sides before they jump into the fray. "They’re really good at building relationships," she says. "In fact, I can't think of any situations where they're created an adversarial role. That doesn’t mean they're not assertive.
     "They've empowered the senate to be involved. A lot of times, the executive board is the shining stars," she says. "In the past, the committee chairs would give written reports. This year, the chairs give the reports themselves. It gives them a lot more feeling of ownership and gets them involved and makes the volunteers feel like their work is valued."
     Tovar says Rollins departments such as business services continually consult student leaders this year. "In the past, they may have thought it's better to fight the battle after the fact," she says. "It's their ability to get things done because of their understanding how to build relationships."
     SGA spearheaded a "Winter Formal," Tovar says, which was "a tremendous success. They've never had a non-Greek formal. It was an opportunity for the entire Rollins community to come together." Tovar says 200 students turned out—unusually high for Rollins, particularly knowing that there was a $12 fee and the event was up against two Greek parties the same night.
     Tovar says an added benefit was the diversity of the students who attended the formal. "Before we can expect our student body to celebrate differences, they have to be able to socialize together. Before they can work together, they need to know each other on a social level," she says. "This really helped to begin establishing that. It brought a pretty diverse group together." Contact SGA@rollins.edu, Gould at rgould@rollins.edu or (407) 646-2186, or visit www.rollins.edu/sga.

     New ways to reward involvement, fight prejudice, and get more publicity for events forced Florida Leader to take a peek at the University of Tampa’s Student Government Association.
     President Jim Moriarity says the "E.L.I.T.E." (Educating Leaders In Today’s Environment) program is SG’s greatest accomplishment. "It’s geared to incoming freshman. New students are matched with upperclassmen, who assist the students adjust. Students attend not-for-credit classes taught by Masters-level Student Affairs staff members," he says. "This project actually convinced UT to offer leadership as an academic minor. E.L.I.T.E flourished beyond our expectations—the freshmen are bringing new ideas and a new style of leadership. It’s our most notable accomplishment."
     To help students see past stereotypes, SG hosted "Speak oUT on Race." "It’s a program to integrate students from different cultural backgrounds and involves panels about racial issues," he says. "Over 130 people attended this event, which is a lot for UT. We had different groups based on ethnicity, and they wrote down myths they hear about themselves and their truths. This grew into a general discussion about how those myths made people feel."
     With the goal of boosting turnout at campus events, SG bought a professional poster machine to help fellow Spartans hang banners across campus. "It’s kind of like an enlarger," says Jim Moriarty, SG president. "We thought that it would help with the attractiveness of the campus. Since there's a size limit, we're not getting the huge banners that used to add clutter."
     As well as using attractive posters, SGA created a new position, director of public relations, to focus on promoting events. "She's [Viancca Burger] heading up the advertising. Everything that Student Government does goes through her," Moriarty says. "We're so busy, we felt the position would take the stress off us, so we can be more accessible to students." Burger puts SG flyers in student mailboxes, advertises on the UT TV station, and creates billboards listing upcoming events. SG also publishes the monthly Governance newsletter in which it surveys students and reminds them exactly what SG does.
     Thanks to SG funding, UT students walk away with prizes and perks when they get involved in at least eight events during the fall and spring semesters. "The ‘UT Involvement Card’ encourages students to attend campus events by offering incentives to those who attend events," Moriarty says. "Completed cards are put in a drawing to win prizes worth up to $500. If it gets bigger, we're looking to increase the prizes as much as a free semester of tuition! The student response has been positive--one student already is starting his sixth card."
     Armed with a $428,00 budget, SG allocates $323,00 to major campus clubs. "The rest is used in a general expense account," Moriarty says. Part of the funds paid for a new eight-passenger electric cart for the LASERT Team, the nightly safe-ride program.
     The Moriarty administration’s greatest achievement may be increased participation and campus groups, including SGA itself, says Stephanie Russell, director of student activities. "Before, participation was pretty bad," she says. "About half of the positions were uncontested. Already this year, we have four running for president and three for vice president. That's showing that esteem for SG--more people want to be part of it."
     "They're one of the best," says Dr. Bob Ruday, dean of students. "They've revised their constitution and came up some different ways to try things. They didn't used to include the commuter president and RHA president. They now have a more diversified group. It's been good having a more involved SGA. They've been very receptive and supportive of ideas for bettering the campus. They've worked hard this year."
Contact Moriarty at modamaja@aol.com or (813) 250-4681.

     Although the SGAs at the Stetson University and Nova Southeastern University weren't groundbreaking enough to grab one of the top spots, the duo did make some big advances worthy of recognition.
     Stetson's Student Government Association, led by President Brian Mistler, is fighting the previous group's "do-nothing" image and is gaining respect from fellow Hatters and administrators. Mistler’s team is pushing for an honor code on the DeLand campus. "We have a Senate and SGA officers dedicated to leadership in service. The vice president, committee chairs, and Senate have all made great efforts to set personal agendas aside, and focus on the tough issues of real importance to the future of the university," Mistler says. "Our biggest accomplishment so far has been the newfound respect earned from the students and faculty. The president [Douglas Lee] now takes SGA seriously."
     Mistler says SGA is fighting to be officially recognized, since the body isn’t mentioned in the university administrative structure. "Students have no role in academic grievance," Mistler says. To combat this slight, Mistler says he’s spoken at faculty meetings and before the president’s staff. "The dean of the arts and sciences college has agreed to appoint two students to the committee and the president has added the issue to his agenda. Relations with the administration has improved 10-fold."
     SG amended its constitution to created a new Social Responsibility Committee in the hope of getting campus departments to "reduce, re-use, and recycle." "The cafeteria has eliminated Styrofoam," Mistler says. "Recycling bins are in all residence halls, and we have a recycling hotline. SGA itself has reduced paper communication, encourage inter-office e-mail, and has begun using computer projection during senate meetings to eliminate the need for printed minutes, agendas, and bills." Mistler’s next environmentally friendly plan: get the biology department to create a butterfly garden.
     Community service also is high on SGA’s priority list. The organization supports the Stetson chapter of Habitat for Humanity through fundraisers, recruiting volunteers, and helping with publicity. "SGA also works on its own adopted road and is currently working to organize an annual ‘Adopt-an-Angel’ program to provide Christmas gifts for local children," Mistler says.
     SG even fought to get the Hat Rack, the campus fast-food restaurant, to stay open until midnight and to offer more meals weekly, Mistler says.
     While Mistler has been pushing for more administrative accountability, he hasn’t forgotten about his own team. "SGA committee chairs are responsible for holding regular office hours," he says.
     SGA allocates about $190,000 to campus organizations, leaving about $10,000 for internal use.
     To change students’ perception of SGA, Mistler’s administration sponsored open-forums in the residence halls and launched the "Commons and Holler Foundation chats." As Mistler says, "We sit in the cafeteria or on a blanket in the center of campus with signs that read ‘We’re your Student Government—talk to us,’ or 'Got an idea?’"
     "Brian has brought back the credibility to the governing structure among faculty, staff, and students. They really have a good understanding of how things work on a university campus," says Darald Stubbs, director of student life. "The foundation they’re laying will pave the way for the next exec to be viewed as a credible and effective vehicle of student voice and input on university governance. I had a conversation with the past chair of the faculty senate whose exact words were, ‘it’s so refreshing to have a student of Brian’s caliber addressing the needs of the students.’ She said even though the issues are things to challenge us about, they pertain to students. We respect his thoroughness and integrity to collaborate with us in resolving the conflicts and challenges."
Contact sga@stetson.edu or (904) 822-7230 or visit http://sga.stetson.edu.

     Called the best SGA during his 12-year-tenure by Dean for Student Affairs Dr. Brad Williams, Nova Southeastern’s SGA makes a strong showing in the "Best of" awards thanks to its work on creating a sense of campus community at a school mainly known for its distance-education programs across the country. "We’ve done this through activities, such as creating workshops for the first time in the orientation 2000," says German Coppola, SGA president. Coppola, who is from Uruguay, is NSU's first international student to occupy the top SGA job.
     "They’re the best I’ve ever worked with," says Piper Griff, editor of The Knight, the weekly campus paper. "They’re incredible communicators. Many SGAs aren’t nearly as diverse, which is an important aspect."
     According to Coppola, "Our number-one accomplishment was and still is the way we're filling the gap between the students and the Student Government. We got students, face to face, one-on-one, though various academic and social events. We were able to hear their complaints and for the first time, represent their voice effectively. We managed to bond these students together and indirectly 'trained' them to come to us for any questions or aid they may need."
     One example is how minorities feel underrepresented, Coppola says. "Our university's application has a section that asks your ethnic background," he says. "Some students don't fit any category (Hispanic, African American, etc.). Our minority senators heard their concerns and wrote a resolution to the administration to change 'other' to 'mulit-cultural.' No small concern is an insignificant concern.
     "All our activities, planning, and implementing our strategies have achieved a far better turn out than we expected," Coppola says. "Students have responded with great enthusiasm to what we have to offer. Students want to be heard, that's why we’re here for them, that’s why we have an 'open office policy' so our students can voice their concerns. Among all the activities (both social and academic) that we’v completed, I can say our greatest satisfaction is to know that at the end of the day we’re (students) represented. We take our duties very seriously, that’s why we're here, without students there would be no Student Government."
     SGA sponsors club fairs, comedy nights, and concert ticket giveaways. During "NSUSGA week," NSU’s homecoming celebration, Coppola's administration packs in events such as laser tag day, raft race, carnival and bed race, a pep rally, and a dance. "We’ve striven to motivate students into creating an atmosphere that they’ll feel comfortable in," Coppola says.
     "They’ve accomplished everything the timeline has mandated and have implanted a new program to recognize and support student athletes, ‘Athletes in Motion,’" says Cleveland Ferguson, director of student activities and leadership development. "It’s an extremely professional, talented, dedicated, and compassionate organization."
     SGA's efforts have paid dividends by getting more off-campus students involved in traditional activities. "There's a better flow of information and communication to our commuter population, which is a difficult task," Ferguson says. "They've fundraised more money for scholarships for their own constituents, and have given out four $500 scholarships so far. It's not just parties and little SGA days for self-promotion. Overall, they're the most comprehensive SGA we've had."
     "They may be the best in the school's history," Williams says. "Aside from the fact that they've conducted themselves professionally that really belies their experience, there's a real commitment to student body. Sometimes you get SGAs that flare up and are excited at the beginning of the year. But it's the ones who are doing it in January and February that stand out."
     Williams says SGA is pushing for a student vote on the board of trustees and is involved with the bid process for a new food-service vendor. "They're doing the kinds of things that are deeper issues," he says. "There's also a sense of completion, a sense of urgency, not wanting to leave loose ends, which suggests maturity."
     About 20 percent of NSU's 1,150 undergrads voted in the Spring 2000 last election. "At a school renowned for its distance-ed programs, that's a challenge," Williams says. "We have a very small but wonderful undergraduate population that they've really given a lot of attention to. The SGA's entire make-up is a mirror image of the diversity of the student population. It wasn't by design, but it speaks to the campus community, which is good."
     SGA uses its $80,000 budget to fund clubs, as well as grant proposals. "When a student organization on this campus wants to do a program, whether they be social, cultural, or recreational—they can apply," Williams says. "This SGA has approved more grants than any in the history of the school."
     As Williams says, this SGA leads by example and has encouraged the entire student body. "It's not just a matter of them doing things," he says. "They've engendered a sense of energy that the entire student population is doing things. It's not just 22 or so students doing things. It's about inspiring others. And that's exactly what this group has done."
Contact nsusga@list.nova.edu

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