Best Student Government (Public Universities)

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Best Student Government (Public Universities)
     Cooperation, not competition, is the guiding principle of Florida Atlantic University’s Student Government Association. Led by presley jones (who prefers not to capitalize his name because he feels it shows respect for slavery), this diverse but cohesive group of student leaders has to be the fastest-moving chart-topper in Best of Florida Schools history. After having been a noncontender for the Best Student Government title for some years, jones and his team have exploded with fresh energy and a commitment to making campus equality and students their top priorities. As Florida Student Association Executive Director Kevin Mayeux says, "If you’re going to give the award based on improvement, FAU is the best."
     After serving on a constitutional revision committee last year, jones is the first to head the new centralized SGA, in which four vice presidents, representing FAU’s seven campuses, report to one student body president. "Before, you pretty much had a Boca Raton Student Government that didn’t visit or interact with the other campuses," says jones, who makes weekly two-hour trips to see Broward, Palm Beach Gardens, and Treasure Coast SGA reps and tour their campuses.
     Unlike other state universities in Florida that enjoy a large on-campus population, FAU, which has been a four-year institution for only 12 years, still is largely commuter. At the Boca Raton campus, just 1,500 students live on-site, while the other 85 percent commute and are mostly nontraditional. Citing campus involvement as their biggest challenge, SGA has faced apathy head on, establishing a Program Board to organize events and lobby for student participation.
     Homecoming, held in the spring, has been a focus of Board members, who signed Bill Bellamy and featured performer Bill Cosby to headline this year’s show. SGA also has boosted school spirit throughout the semester with tailgating outside the gym at university basketball games. The Freakers’ Ball, a Halloween bash featuring local hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas, drew 500 costumed students, while the Sunshine State Classic Stepshow, a sell-out event held in the FAU auditorium, showcased performances from students throughout Florida. Five Comedy Club nights attracted more than 300 students each evening.
     To get the word out about SGA’s efforts to serve their constituents, the group took a "user friendly" approach by distributing handbooks outlining the organization’s duties and hosting Town Hall meetings every Monday afternoon. During the weekly cabinet and agency meets, chaired by the Chief of Staff Rob Jenners, a panel of SGA directors answers students’ questions, ranging from "How do you write a bill?" to "What did the officers do last Tuesday?" Besides helping students understand what SGA is doing for them, the meetings help spread awareness about the Inter Club Council, Program Board, and The University Press campus newspaper and give SGA divisions a chance to network. A new biweekly SGA newsletter called The Student Advocate informs students and administrators who don’t attend meetings, with an event calendar, phone directory, and a "What’s New" column.
     SGA members hold posts on several college committees including academic petitions, traffic and parking, and residence life. In response to needs that weren’t being addressed, SGA created committees for food service and the book store. To curb growing parking problems, SGA assigned its director of student concerns to investigate solutions—he’s already overseen initial plans for a new parking garage. Florida Atlantic students also are well-represented at the state level; presley currently serves as vice-chair of the Florida Student Association, while former SG leader Michelle Oyola is FAU’s first student member of the Board of Regents.
     Safeguarding their $2,637,408 budget also is important to SGA leaders, who convene each Thursday to vote on bills and discuss ways to be more fiscally responsible. "There are couple of student senators in particular who are careful watchdogs of the students’ dollars," says Dr. Leslie Bates, advisor and dean of students. Besides preparing a packet for clubs about cheap or discount vendors, SGA requires student organizations to attend ICC meetings to be eligible for funds, and all bills are reviewed by a Ways and Means Committee to streamline budgets before proposals reach the senate.
     Other notable achievements include three housing surveys that resulted in expanded internet service in dorms and a 24-hour computer lab, a part-time job fair with more than 30 companies, and BET and HBO channels in the dorms. FAU’s student leaders also expanded the NightOwls safety program from an escort service to a security staff that patrols campus with a radio link to the police station. Another project initiated by jones and company is the resurrection of the campus television station, which will begin airing replays of basketball games and comedy skits in April. "Our hope is that students will see the excitement at the games, and they’ll come out for the next one," says Ainsworth Spence, Boca Raton vice president.
     Giving back to the local community also has been a priority for the jones administration. In October 1998, presley and crew sponsored "Summit for Youth," a regional kick-off for the Boca Raton chapter of America’s Promise. SGA co-hosted the event at FAU, which was named the 12^th University of Promise in a nationwide initiative that urges communities to mentor and nurture youth. Participation in walks to benefit heart and diabetes associations, along with hands-on service in a soup kitchen, a Thanksgiving food drive, and a holiday party for area children round out SGA’s resume of service.
     FAU’s Student Government Association gets rave reviews from University Press Editor in Chief Jennifer Sorentrue, who credits jones for helping the student newspaper get back on its feet. "We weren’t publishing, because our computers were destroyed, and our office was a crime scene," Sorentrue says. "He had to find an advisor himself, knowing nothing about journalism, and had to get the paper up and running. Presley took the initiative—he was getting bills passed for us left and right to get new computers."
     Dr. Allen Ward, who served as FAU’s SGA advisor for nine years and chaired the constitutional revision committee, says: "The hard part is making it work. You can sit in a room and write a map out, but when you actually get behind the wheel, it’s a different story. Their biggest accomplishment is they’ve made it work with amazing success." Ward, now director of student activities at Boston University, calls jones "mature, seasoned, and respectful of diversity."
     Dean Bates says jones is "a good shepard" for his constituents. "He’s very conscious of making sure all students feel like they have a spokesperson in him." Bates recalls his first week in office when he met jones and his group of leaders. "A delegation came to my office—white students, African American students, black students from the islands, Indian students, and nontraditional and Jewish American students—and yet it never was even an issue," he says. "They came in as FAU Student Government first. That was very refreshing."

Runner Up
     Florida International University’s Student Government Council members, led by Orlando Amorin, have initiated programs based on their perceptive gauge of student sentiment. The group also has inherited several major projects to see through to completion this year. SGC supported fee increases to maintain intramural fields and fund more campus physicians and a pharmacy. Council members responded to student complaints by working with FIU facilities managers to improve safety and parking near the visual arts building. In addition, a first-ever Accessibility Walk-Through resulted in audible floor tones on elevators, lightweight doors for students who use wheelchairs, and reminder signs that read: "Please be considerate—Allow disabled persons on the elevator first."
     Student leaders tackled potential academic problems resulting from the arrival of a record 3,500 freshmen by publicizing campus tutoring programs, working to alleviate classroom overcrowding, and drafting a policy that will guarantee the availability of high-demand courses. As a result of summer 1998 surveys, weekend courses and three extra hours of daily class time were added, with classes extending from 6 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. to accommodate working students and university employees. SGC also is preparing to smooth the transition to on-line services unveiled this year such as registration and faculty evaluations.
     Along with FIU’s North Campus SGC, Amorin and crew have supported new and renovated housing on both campuses and won approval for two apartment-style facilities to house more than 1,000 students. The Council also attempted to break a world record with the Car Wash of the Millenium, a United Way benefit utilizing 300 volunteers. The group also spearheaded an initiative to offer international students a less expensive insurance plan and provided the leadership to help get an FM radio station—"an eight-year SG project that’s finally come to fruition," says Dr. Larry Lunsford, associate dean. Additionally, SGC brought a series of lecturers to campus including the Dalai Lama and Nikki Giovanni and offers an intern program to allow students to get a feel for Student Government without running for office.
     Council leaders say their biggest accomplishment is the active role they played in establishing a School of Law for FIU. SGC leaders met with members of the Miami-Dade Delegation, led headline-grabbing rallies, gathered more than 3,000 student signatures, and sponsored an overnight trip to Tallahassee, where 60 students addressed the Chancellor and Board of Regents. "To this day, even the sight of FIU Law T-shirts, pens, and pins stirs up pride in our Council," Amorin says.

Honorable Mention
     A consistently strong candidate for Best Public SG over the years, the University of South Florida’s Student Government, led by Jessica Pawelkop, continues to build on a solid foundation of service to students. This year’s officers proved they’re savvy lobbyists by helping to convince the Florida Student Association to change its stance on the controversial "Mission Differentiation" plan from negative to neutral. To preface discussions with Florida lawmakers, SG sponsored a "Walk in Our Shoes Day," in which donated shoes were decorated by students with their comments and concerns and sent to legislators.
     Closer to home, Student Government published a third annual campus planner, hosted a Leader Night and Open House, and improved communication by constructing more A-frame signs, building Bull Boxes for students’ suggestions, and funding an extra advertisement page in The Oracle campus newspaper for surveys, SG news, and weekly columns. Pawelkop also established the first Regional Leadership Meeting to network with USF’s St. Petersburg, Lakeland, and Sarasota campuses.
     SG was proactive in soliciting student input on how to spend increased tuition dollars earmarked for technology, and the team’s detective work led to the rightful return of a $100,000 allocation of students’ money to fund faculty personal computers. A changeover to a database program has simplified SG’s budgeting process, along with giving USF’s 130 student groups personal attention to meet their needs.
     To increase student participation, SG created block seating in a "Bull Zone" for football and basketball games and purchased more than $3,000 worth of spirit gear to distribute at Spirit Centers, where students also could decorate signs and get their faces painted. Programming highlights for 98-99 have included motivational speaker Patrick Combs, a Union Reunion of SG alumni, a grant-writing workshop for grad students, and a "Swing Fling," as well as bringing Tavis Smiley and Love Line to USF. SG also continues Volunteer Tuesday, in which local non-profits recruit student help.

Editor’s Note: Each Best Student Government entry in the 1999 Best of Florida Schools Awards is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The editors research and assess each organization’s ability to identify and address student concerns, implement innovative programs, control wasteful spending of student dollars, and network with administrators and other student groups on campus and across the state. In addition, preference is given to SGs that can demonstrate vast improvement in all areas above. Florida Leader verifies each Student Government’s claims through numerous reference checks. 

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