An Abject Failure: Reforming Edinboro University’s Student Government Association

Written: 03/17/2009
Publication: Edinboro University's Spectator
Publish Date: April 22, 2009

In the wake of recent SGA corruption and misgivings, it is necessary that the students of Edinboro University speak out against this faux student-run régime. The SGA claims to give students a voice by offering a democratically elected congress and executive board, but in recent times this has not been the case. Nor has the SGA used the voting process properly with regard to fund allocations; allocations to which every student contributes and is entitled.

SGA should promote equal rights for all students. SGA should encourage and provide equal rights and involvement opportunities for all organizations, offering all organizations the same rights for obtaining funds. Lastly, SGA should not only be open to the wants and needs of students, but should also encourage a constructive dialogue and act as a “servant-leader.” Unfortunately, SGA has accomplished none of these goals.

Today we see an SGA that values prestige and “face-time” over the core altruistic values for which it was once created. Frankly, the system no longer works and it seems to have more glitches than Microsoft’s Vista; in large part because of the absence of three key elements necessary for institutional success: integrity, vision, and sense.

Today’s SGA makes a mockery of the democratic process and often ignores the legitimate pleas of the students it seemingly represents. By creating a “House of Representatives” in 2008, the association touted a new outlet for clubs and organizations. However, the outlet came with strings attached: House members were required to attend numerous, and sometimes exhausting, meetings, even if they received no funding from SGA. Punishment for non-attendance amounted in funding cuts and the loss of a mailbox. (In recent meetings, SGA has admitted that the mailboxes are rarely used, since important information is usually communicated via email or collegiatelink.net.)

In hindsight, SGA realized that most students did not want to attend these three hour long meetings, dealing with the blinding bureaucracy and harsh attitudes of the executive board. “Come on guys, we expect more for you,” was the board’s typical way of attempting to shame motivation into its membership. When will they realize that the students they serve are the ones who have unmet expectations?

When it comes to the communication problems further exacerbated by taking away mailboxes and freezing accounts, who is really at fault? Several organizations protested that they had not been receiving any emails at all. All organizations have had to update their information at the start of each semester and update their constitutions, therefore SGA should have every president and advisors email on file. Unfortunately for the student body, this information has been commonly “misplaced” or “lost” within the annals of the SGA office. This kind negligence is unacceptable.

Yet, operating free from SGA’s purview is more than simply discouraged: it’s nearly impossible. Clubs and organizations are inhibited from having a successful fundraising program due to the SGA approval process. Every club wishing to fundraise on campus must seek the “OK” from SGA, which is offered only with the implicit understanding that the club must “tow” the SGA line and not attempt to disaffiliate.

The massive amount of unallocated funds that lay in the lap of the current Director of Finance are stubbornly released and almost bitterly guarded. This money is taken from student tuitions and much of it is used in a pork barrel fashion. Larger, and arguably less deserving organizations, often receive massive amounts of funding, while smaller, arguably more deserving, organizations are left to count their pennies and scrape along. In SGA it seems that compensation is awarded less for reasons of merit than for reasons of personal relationship.

Sense would dictate that by allowing clubs and organizations easy access to funding and encouraging sovereignty with little obligation to SGA, students would participate in many more activities naturally. Why won’t SGA trust the student body to spend their own money? This democratic fallacy mars the integrity of the Student Government Association and its alleged pro-student attitude.

SGA mandates that all student clubs and organizations participate and be active during meetings. Yet, some of their own rules disinvite active participation. According to the SGA minutes taken from 03/09/09, “Candidates for Vice-President must be a current full time student and have completed two semesters of college as a full time student at Edinboro University.” This does not allow for all students to be involved. Why are full time students given priority to run for positions? Shouldn’t all students, full- or part-time, be able to run for executive board positions, since all students are required to attend meetings?

The assumption of the executive board seems to be that part-time students are not familiar enough with campus. Many members of SGA noted that since only full-time students can live within the residence halls, only they would have the necessary understanding for the layout and culture of the university. Resident students, however, have their own organization: the Residence Hall Association. SGA is designed to be for all students. Additionally, consider the living situations for current executive board members: According to the Edinboro University Campus Directory, the President of SGA does not live on campus but rather on Erie Street in the borough of Edinboro. The Vice President of SGA does not live on campus but rather an undisclosed location off campus. Furthermore, the Director of Finance, the Secretary, the Parliamentarian, and the Executive Assistant all live off-campus. True, each is a full-time student, but just how much of that “time” is spent on-campus? It leaves one to wonder what the real reason may be for disallowing all students to participate in the SGA electoral process. We may never know.

SGA must become a “servant-leader” to the students, void of nonsensical banter and frivolous voting measures that deter and stifle progress. SGA is ripping the Edinboro University student body apart at the seams with its on-going battle between unrealistic bureaucracy and pragmatic altruism. Only when the “servant-leader” role is realized and pursued by the students of Edinboro University, may the wrongs of SGA be reversed.

Regards,
Mr. Madsion
Mrs. Madison