2008 Woodie Awards
Student council procedures vary
No clear standard for selecting SGA senators
Brittany Lane
Issue date: 2/13/06 Section: News
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Critics feel senators are pursuing their own agendas without regard for what students want. President Leach and others allege many senators are not valid student representatives because they are appointed and not elected.
The senate is composed of 30 student council representatives, plus two executive board representatives. All the student organizations are divided into 18 divisional councils that each has a responsibility to send representatives to SGA meetings. For a complete list of all the divisional councils and senators, visit the SGA Web site at www.umkc.edu/sga.
As each council has its own constitution, the process which determines how officers and senators are elected varies greatly. Critics are not necessarily slinging mud when they say the senate comprises unelected representatives. Some senators are not elected directly by the students they represent.
According to the available constitutions, six councils only allow certain students to vote for executives and senators; eight councils allow all students within their division to directly participate in elections. In two council constitutions it is unclear who votes for executives. The Pan-Hellenic and International Student constitutions were unavailable.
The wording varies, but College of Arts and Sciences, Bloch School of Business, nursing, biological sciences, law, School of Education, computing and engineering, and residence hall students are all allowed to vote for their executive board members and SGA representatives. Students simply show up during the council elections to vote.
To encourage student participation, the Biological Sciences Student Government (BSSG) has one of the most relaxed constitutions and election procedures of any council.
