EDITORIAL: SGA’s poor promotion of Executive Council election spotlights disconnect with student body

CORRECTION: 3/27/17 – The email address for SGA application submission was updated to “Reitberger@uhcl.edu” as it was misspelled.

 

For the first time in its 20-year history, the Student Government Association (SGA) at UHCL is opening up voting for Executive Council (EC) members to all students.

While this newly enacted amendment, which was passed Oct. 11, 2016, is nothing new to many nearby universities, the right for all enrolled students to vote in the SGA EC election is a major step toward inclusion.

Previously, less than 1 percent of the UHCL student body had the right to vote in EC elections. This was primarily due to restrictions put into place, limiting voters to only Student Organization Representatives. As of Fall 2016, UHCL had 8,669 students enrolled in graduate and undergraduate programs; of those 8,669 students, there are 93 Student Organization Representatives.

While changes to the SGA Constitution are necessary, overdue and intended for the growth of student involvement, there has been a lack of outreach on part of SGA to students who are non-SGA members.

This has been made evident in the fact that of the four open EC positions, including President, Vice President – Committee Coordinator, Vice President – Student Outreach and Communication, and Vice President – Administration, only one student out of nearly 8,669 students applied to run for a seat on the EC.

Because of this, the current EC announced March 21 that the applications for the 2017-2018 SGA Executive Council would be extended to April 12 at noon. Furthermore, the elections will take place from April 18 – 24 via online voting.

This deviation from the original timeline for the election process — as stated in the SGA by-laws that EC elections are to occur the first Tuesday after Spring Break — is worth taking note.

Lack of Promotion

Prior to the extension of the SGA EC application deadline, there was a lack of awareness caused by nearly no promotion of the election or the open positions, which were originally opened for applications Feb. 7.

The SGA webpage, which has only recently been limited from updates because of a UHCL website upgrade, only has the 2016-2017 version of the application available.Thus, in order to obtain an application during the original election timeframe, one would have to physically stop by the SGA office located in the SSCB Student Lounge.

An email blast to the student body with the EC applications was only done following the extension of the deadline.

In addition, the social media accounts for the SGA, have no postings regarding the election, the applications or how to obtain one.

Beyond this, SGA has made limited appearances outside of the weekly meetings held Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the SSCB Lecture Hall. These meetings are open to all UHCL students, but are hardly advertised and are actually conducted behind closed doors — so any student walking by would have no idea he or she could attend.

Meeting minutes and information given during the meetings are not distributed by SGA themselves, but The Signal has made an effort to live stream the meetings on Facebook and post recaps on uhclthesignal.com.

Lack of Student Awareness

While it is the responsibility of the SGA to be the voice of the entire student body, there is only so much they can do if students are not willing to be actively involved.

As students on a commuter campus, the urge to participate in student organizations and other campus activities is minimal at best. Finding time to become more involved in between classes, study time, and other professional and personal obligations is a struggle.

Yet the fact remains, in order for changes to be made in and around campus, students must attempt to be more aware of what is going on with their university.

Social media has essentially become the go-to source for information, but there is still information that goes undetected. Thus, checking one’s student email account, as provided by UHCL, is one simple solution to becoming more aware of campus happenings that ultimately impact every student.

Another way to get involved, beyond joining student organizations, is to contact or meet with the SGA EC members in their office (SSCB 1.205). Student input and the voicing of concerns regarding subjects such as tuition, campus services and campus policies can influence how UHCL operates.

Your Role. Their Influence.

SGA EC members are students, first and foremost. Thus, it is understandable that on top of schoolwork, meetings for various committees and off-campus obligations, finding time to fully engage the entire study body is taxing.

Yet it is a role one takes on, presumably, with the recognition of the time needed to dedicate toward representing more than just 1 percent of the student body.

Conversely, non-SGA students have the biggest role of all — that of being informed voters.

While the voting rights for all students in EC elections have been granted only recently, nearby universities with similar enrollment sizes have fully fleshed out election processes.

For example, Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) has a Fall 2016 enrollment of 8,762 students. PVAMU’s SGA system, which has three branches of government, provides access to their election code that details the process from applying to run for a position, to campaigning, to voting via an electronic ballot.

Although not similar in size, the University of Houston’s SGA not only has an election code but also keeps students informed of the election process and other information through their social media accounts, web page and town halls.

However, the UH SGA is not without its own flaws. A Feb. 22 opinion piece by The Daily Cougar’s opinion editor Thomas Dwyer, states how UH students generally do not know what SGA is or what it does to represent the student body.

This is not an issue that is only impacting UHCL, but rather many other universities across the nation. With that in mind, what is the solution to fixing the disconnect?

Our School. Our Voice.

Currently, UHCL is expanding to accommodate more students. As this transition continues, there will only be a stronger need for student involvement, especially in a student-run government whose decisions impact 100 percent of the student body.

Informing the less than 1 percent is not good enough. Considering those who are not involved in student organizations or SGA as not being entitled to a seat at the table is demeaning. Being a commuter campus is not a valid excuse for lack of promotion of SGA-related news.

The disconnect between students and those who are elected to represent them is no longer acceptable. As enrolled students at UHCL, this is our school and it is our voice that needs to be heard.

Have there been necessary changes made in the last year, in regard to the structure of SGA? Absolutely. The issue, however, is that without putting in the strongest effort to involve all students then the improvements are for nothing.

In order to effectively expand the structure of SGA and represent the voice of an entire student body, EC members need to be proactive and set aside time to inform the very students they are meant to represent — not just those who attend SGA meetings.

If you are interested in applying for an open position on the SGA EC, the application can be found below. To contact your current SGA representatives, call 281-283-2556 or email sga@uhcl.edu.

Download 2017-2018 SGA Executive Council Application

Applications can be filled out and emailed to sga@uhcl.edu and Reitberger@uhcl.edu by April 12 at noon.

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Also published on Medium.