The Student Government Association (SGA) passed all the proposed amendments to their constitution with an overwhelming majority.
SGA Senator at Large Alexander Noguerola said although the SGA is running smoothly at present, he proposed the amendments to promote a better focus on SGA responsibilities to the entire student body, rather than limit itself to club affairs.
“I wanted to see a shift in SGA to hold clubs more accountable, to re-focus some of the goals and increase the business of SGA to be interest-heavy,” Noguerola said.
Noguerola explained “interest-heavy” as ensuring that SGA focuses more on student concerns, rather than solely on clubs. According to Noguerola, the amendment that will most affect students and their clubs is the community service requirement. The amendment changes the number of hours a club must complete from 20 to 25.
The hours do not need to be cumulative anymore. For example, four club members completing five hours of service together will count for 20 total hours.
Noguerola said he hopes the change “will create a bigger service-oriented club community.”
The amendment that affects the SGA structure itself is the creation of a membership committee, which plans to maintain documents regarding SGA-chartered clubs and draft a report on the status and work of the committee by the last SGA Senate Meeting of each semester.
By establishing the committee, SGA plans to keep closer relations with clubs and hold them more accountable for their responsibilities. Without this role, the Executive Board plans to focus more on issues of student interest.
The membership committee will consist of one executive board member to act as chair, three senators, and one representative from the Big Four (The Bona Venture, WSBU FM 88.3 The Buzz, Intramurals, and Campus Activities Board). This will allow SGA members to develop their leadership skills by working in positions of authority, Noguerola said.
“I am confident these changes will allow for a more effective and efficient SGA,” Noguerola said. “It will continue all the hard work that the current Executive Board has put in to make the SGA a great institution on campus.
mericlje13@bonaventure.edu
