The Southwestern University Student Government Association (SGA) functions as a student-elected body dedicated to promoting student interests within and beyond the University community. Our primary goal is to represent the student body’s interest in the University’s Governing Committees, and in doing so, our officers strive to enhance the Southwestern University student experience by advocating for their rights, promoting their well-being, and fostering a vibrant campus community.
Our Mission
We are committed to fostering constructive and well-informed connections between students, the administration, faculty, and staff. Our aim is to ensure that student interests are duly considered whenever policies or proposals that impact the student body are brought forth, and that all University changes are made transparently. While representing our student body, our officers work to create an environment that promotes personal and professional growth, academic excellence and a supportive community. We harness the Paideia mentality Southwestern promotes by ensuring our student body and its student organizations are connected to each other, our professors, administrators and the larger campus community.
Our Structure
Each year, the president and vice president are internally nominated and then externally elected during the final weeks of the spring semester. Once elected, the president and vice president head an executive selection committee that appoints the remaining seven executives members. After the executive cabinet is filled, the executive officers work during the end of the spring semester and the summer to prepare for the coming school year. The General Assembly Officers are elected for a one year in the begging of the fall semester. If you are interested in running for a General Assembly position, please review the Get Involved page on this site. If you would like to learn more about the details behind elections, membership eligibility, campaign information, and more, please review our constitution, which can be found in the Governing Documents page on this site.
Governance Committees
One of our most important responsibilities and privileges is sitting in on our schools Governance Committees. Composed of administrators, faculty, and staff, student government officers play an instrumental role in influencing the direction and agenda of Governance Committees and carry the responsibility of representing the entire student body during meetings. These committees, such as Faculty Meetings, Curriculum Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee are responsible for making decisions that directly impact the lives and experiences of students and can range from academic policies to campus infrastructure changes. Thus, by having student SGA officers actively engaged in these committees, the student body gains an essential voice in the University’s decision process.
Internal Committees
Outside of their governance committees responsibilities, all SGA officers sit on an internal committee headed by an executive member. There are seven internal committees: Finance, Events, Oranzations, Historian, Diversity, Communications, and Parliamentary. General Assembly officers work under their executive chair to achieve the various goals of their committee. If you are interested in serving in a particular internal committee and would like to learn more, please contact the internal committee chairs in the Meet the Executive Cabinet page (add link when live).
Events
SGA also plays a pivotal role in organizing and hosting events that aim to enrich our campus community. By hosting events, our officers help create opportunities for students to connect with their fellow peers, foster a sense of belonging and continue to strive for personal and academic growth. Event planning begins in our Events Committee, one of SGA’s most important internal committees, where our officers identify the needs and desires of the student body and brainstorm events to fulfill them. SGA officers work to ensure that our events align with the Universities mission and provide a platform for students to explore their passions and interests while connecting with their fellow students and the greater Southwestern and Georgetown community. This past year we hosted the first ever Clean-Up Georgetown event and were really proud of the 60+ students that showed up and volunteered to keep our beautiful city clean. You can find more information about the event in a great write up done by our school newspaper here and can find photos from the event here.