The Student Government is our representative; our voice. They are waiting to hear from you and pass along what you have to say. Your concerns, interest or whatever it might be. We are expanding on last semester’s interview with our Student Government and getting up-close to see what it is all about. Erica Alessi is our Student Government President and here is what she had to say.
1. What is a Student government?
Student Government is an organization built to represent the student body. We have the direct ear of the Chancellor, which allows us to voice student concerns in the most effective manner.
2. What is the role of the student government?
Student Government’s role is to act as the liaison between the student body and the administration.
3. What has the student government accomplished this year?
Student Government surveyed the student body at the beginning of the school year to find out what exactly their concerns are. Through our surveys, we found that most of the student body’s concerns revolved mostly around problems that administration had already addressed, but students were unaware of the solutions. One of the major issues that Student Government is addressing is to build awareness of student resources. We are launching a poster campaign this semester that is meant to highlight some of the major concerns of students and what the college is doing to help.
4. What are its goals?
One of the problems that we face as a student government at a community college is that many students are not aware that we even exist. Therefore we do not have many students come to us to voice their concerns. Usually when we hear from student it is because we go to them and ask for their opinions. One of our goals this semester is actually to just build more awareness of student government itself. We are a valuable resource for students, and we want them to utilize us as much as possible.
5. How do students contact you?
The best way for students to contact us is through email or they are more than welcome to stop by our Office Hours. Our emails and office hours are posted outside of the Student Activities Office- C123.
6. Where do you meet and how often?
We meet once a week in the Student Activities Office. Our meeting are from 10-11am, and they are open to all students. In fact we encourage students to join us as this is a great way to make personal concerns known.
7. Do you ever meet on a state level?
Every Ivy Tech region has a student government, and the student government presidents from each region come together once a month as part of the President’s Council. This allows the student governments from each region to collaborate on issues that students are having statewide. After we have found the major issues that affect students statewide, the President’s Council chooses a legacy project. This year the President’s Council has determined that advising is a problem that most students are facing and have decided to work on improving the advising experience.
8. How does someone become part of the student government?
Every Ivy Tech student is a part of Student Government. We encourage everyone to come to our meetings and share their thoughts and opinions. There are four officer positions available on SGA: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Director of Publicity and Outreach. These are elected positions, meaning that the student body votes to have these positions filled. The terms of service for each position are one academic school year, and elections are held every year during the month of April. Any student can run for SGA as long as he or she is enrolled in at least 6 credit hours and has a cumulative GPA of 2.5.
9. What are the professional benefits of participating in student government?
Student Government provides many opportunities for professional growth and development. Through my work with Student Government I have learned more about professional presence than any other experience I have had. We are granted the opportunity to work with Ivy Tech administrators, who ultimately have become our professional mentors. There is something really valuable about learning from people that have been where you have been and are where you want to be.
10. What do you enjoy most about being in student government?
My favorite part of working with SGA is being able to give back to the school. Ivy Tech- Bloomington has provided me with so many opportunities for personal and professional growth, and I love the fact that I am in a position to hopefully make other students’ experiences even better than mine has been.
There you have it. This valuable resource is waiting for you. Bring what’s on your mind and find out what the student government is doing for our school.