SGA ineffective campus organization, some say

By Jonathan Sampson
Staff Reporter

Some students think the Student Government Association has been ineffective this semester and they said they are unaware of what it has done for them as students.

Trey Hughes, a junior English major, said he hasn’t seen SGA do much this semester and has a negative view of the value of the organization.

“I know they have a lot of resources available, but it seems like they don’t take advantage of them,” he said.

Melissa Crane, a sophomore nursing major, said SGA is probably necessary, but she said she doesn’t know what they have accomplished this semester. She said she doesn’t hear much about SGA and doesn’t feel it is an organization that helps students.

“I don’t even know what the purpose of it is,” she said.

SGA President Brian Wood said he recognizes there is room for improvement.

“I don’t think we’ve done a bad job or an amazing job at SGA,” Wood said. “I think we’ve basically maintained what it’s been.”

He said, however, that students don’t see a lot of the work that goes on behind the scenes when SGA represents students in front of administration. It also takes time for the newly elected leaders to become comfortable in their new positions, Wood said.

SGA leaders realized by mid-semester that things were moving slowly and have worked to speed up the momentum, he said.

House of Student Representatives Vice President Amy Render said representative turnover has made this semester difficult.

Two weeks ago House could not conduct business because of a lack of attendance.

Wood said that because of problems within SGA last semester, some representatives did not return to SGA and others were more apathetic.

“A lot of (committee leaders) have done a lot of the work themselves instead of giving it to the (representatives),” Wood said. “We’ve seen a lot less (representatives) picking up and taking the work loads.”

Render said the spring semester is usually slower than the fall in terms of legislation. This spring’s 11 pieces of legislation is comparable to last spring’s 13 with one business meeting remaining.

One reason there has been less legislation passed that students would notice is that committees have spent more time researching their proposals, Render said. She said her goal was to push the committees to find more background information before writing resolutions so the end result would hold more weight with administration.

“I think the (legislation) we have passed has been meaningful,” she said.

Wood said SGA leaders are looking at how they can change things for next year, and he expects the fall to have a different feel.

“We’re really looking to the fall to cash in big on student enthusiasm,” he said.

SGA meets at 5 p.m. today in Student Center, Room 222.

Jonathan Sampson
j.m.sampson@student.tcu.edu