Student Government Association
From GrinnellWiki
Elected and Appointed Bodies and Individuals
Joint-Board
Joint Board is the primary decision-making body of SGA. This group is comprised of 18 elected Senators representing their respective constituencies and SGA Cabinet members who cast a unified single vote. The organization meets on Wednesday evenings and deals with issues affecting the campus community and SGA expenditures. This is also where committee work is coordinated and progress is reported.
If an individual wishes that an issue be raised before Joint Board, s/he can either ask his or her Senator to voice the issue, or can come before Joint-Board and raise the issue independently. To get an issue onto the Joint Board agenda, s/he must contact the Administrative Coordinator, preferably via email, before noon the Tuesday before Joint Board.
Senators
Senators are elected each semester to represent their designated constituencies at Joint Board. Constituencies are divided into six dorm clusters and an off-campus college-owned and non-college owned housing cluster. Senators are students' direct means of representation to Joint Board. Senators report Joint Board activities to their constituency and solicit constituents’ opinions in turn representing those opinions at Joint Board. Senators are also responsible for writing, debating, and enacting SGA legislation, approving budgets and sitting on at least one committee.
Students interested in running for senator need to turn in a brief statement of intent to Election Board in order to be on the ballot for the elections. Students not on the ballot can still run as write-in candidates. In order to run for senator, a student must meet the following criteria: be enrolled in Grinnell for at least one semester, be in good academic standing, and not be a member of student staff.
Presiding Officer
Each meeting of Joint Board is chaired by the SGA Presiding Officer, who also serves as the parliamentarian for Joint Board. The Presiding Officer is responsible for ensuring that Joint Board meetings follow the SGA Constitution and by-laws. The presiding officer is not a senator and does not have a vote at Joint Board. Students may apply at the end of the semester to serve the following semester.
Cabinet
The SGA Cabinet is comprised of the President, Vice President of Student Affairs, the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Treasurer, Administrative Coordinator, All Campus Events Coordinator, Assistant Treasurer, Concerts Chair, Films Chair, and the Student Services Coordinator. The Cabinet is responsible for the allocation of SGA funds. Each Cabinet member is responsible for different aspects of SGA, and each chairs a different committee. The Cabinet as a whole represents one vote at Joint Board, which is cast by the President.
The Cabinet selection process begins in the spring, after the President and Vice Presidents are elected. The President- and Vice Presidents-elect open the application process to any eligible candidates. The applicants are then interviewed, and the elected executives make a decision based on who they feel is most qualified for each position. The nominees must be confirmed by two-thirds of Joint Board. Those who are confirmed take office following commencement.
President
The primary responsibility of the president is to serve as the voice of the student body in dialogue with the College administration and the Board of Trustees. The SGA President along with the SGA Vice Presidents meet on a weekly basis with the President of the college, and are in regular communication with the chair of the Board of Trustees. The SGA President as well as the Vice Presidents will also be in attendance at the general sessions of the Board of Trustees, and will serve as standing members on several of the Board’s Committees. In addition, the President guides the SGA Cabinet, and is responsible in overseeing the implementation of student initiatives. The SGA President for 2009-2010 is Harry Krejsa '10.
VPSA
The Vice President for Student Affairs is the student’s primary voice inside the Student Affairs office. Along with aiding the President in representing the student body to the trustees, and administration, the VPSA co-chairs the Safety and Security Advisory Committee, is a voting member of the Residence Life and Student Life committees, and advise the administration on policies pertaining to student life. The VPSA is also help compose the student voice on the Trustees' Student Affairs committee. The VPSA for 2009-2010 is Ben Offenberg '11.
VPAA
The Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) is primarily responsible for being the students' representative to the faculty regarding academic matters. In addition to aiding the President with representing the student body to the administration, town, and trustees, the VPAA also chairs the Student Curriculum Committee--a committee composed of representatives from respective Student Educational Policy Committees (SEPC). VPAA also sits on the college's Curriculum Committee. In addition to these duties, the VPAA also represents the SGA at Judicial Council and appoints members of the council. The VPAA for 2009-2010 is Joanna DeMars '10.
Administrative Coordinator
The SGA Administrative Coordinator (AC) serves as a key resource for Joint Board meetings. S/he is responsible for transcribing an official copy of the Joint Board minutes and distributing them to the proper officials within SGA and the Grinnell administration. S/he is also responsible for creating an agenda for each Joint Board meeting, as well as keeping a record of Joint Board attendance. The AC trains and assists Senators and serves as their supervisor, overseeing their performance, and initiating Senator impeachment proceedings as necessary. The AC is also responsible for communication within and between the Cabinet, Joint Board, and student body in regards to SGA. As the interim chair of Election Board at the beginning of the year, the AC organizes the first set of senator elections, and assists an appointed Election Board Chair (and his/her committee) with all subsequent elections, including student initiatives. The Administrative Coordinator for 2009-2010 is Ethan Struby '10.
ACE Chair
The All-Campus Events (ACE) Coordinator is responsible for coordinating on-campus social life at Grinnell College. The position includes working with student programmers and the ACE Committee to develop different events on campus; making recommendations of budget proposals to Joint Board, which then decides on funding; meeting weekly with the Student Affairs staff; and working regularly with conference operations. The ACE Coordinator also serves as the chairperson of the ACE Committee, is responsible for working with ACE Security and serves as a voting member of the Public Events and Campus Calendar Committees. The All-Campus Events Coordinator for 2009-2010 is Mairead O'Grady '10.
Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer
The Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer are two-year positions, with the Assistant becoming the Treasurer the following year. The two are responsible for managing the semester budget. Each semester, the Treasurer and the Assistant Treasurer create a budget, allocating money to various groups and committees including all floors, halls, houses, and SGA standing committees.
The treasurers are also responsible for approving vouchers to student staff/student organizations wishing to purchase items locally or through mail order, paying SGA bills, keeping all financial records, and giving financial reports at all SGA Joint Board meetings. All financial records are available to students upon request.
The Treasurer also serves as the Chair to the Student Programming Committee (SPC), which is responsible for recommending funding for student groups. The Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer also sit on the Budget Steering Committee. The Treasurer for 2009-2010 is Cyrus Witthaus '10, and the Assistant Treasurer is Gabe Schechter '12.
Student Services Coordinator
The Student Services Coordinator plans, publicizes and executes services for the student body and the community. S/he is also the chair of the Student Services Committee, which coordinates events such as the Used Book Sale, Blood Drive, Fog Fast, and the poster sale. The Student Services Coordinator also maintains supplies for the Voicebox, assigns copy codes, assigns lockers for groups, and helps direct the Student Activities Fair. The Student Service Coordinator is responsible for establishing Student Groups and ensuring that they communicate with one another. S/he is both a resource and a representative for student groups, providing groups with information as well as expressing groups’ opinions on their behalf. The Student Service Coordinator is also the liaison between the town of Grinnell and the college and is a member of the Community Council, Imagine Grinnell committee, and the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce. The Student Services Coordinator for 2009-2010 was Alex Peitz '10. The Student Services Coordinator for 2010-2011 is Que'Nique Newbill '11.
Concerts Chair
The function of the concerts chair is to serve as the link between concert artists and the Grinnell College community. This includes booking, promoting, and organizing shows, as well as arranging for hospitality and coordinating the concerts committee staff, who will work at shows. The concerts chair also facilitates weekly meetings of the concert staff to determine what artists the campus would like to see and how to put on shows. The Concerts Chair for 2009-2010 is Alex Schechter '10.
Films Chair
The Films Chair, along with the Films Committee, selects, books, and promotes weekly movies played at the Harris Cinema and Forum South Lounge. The Films Chair is also responsible for Harris projectionists, including hiring, training, and management. Films welcomes co-sponsorship with campus groups for events or discussions, and will help group leaders with movie suggestions, ordering and copyright issues. The Films Chair for 2009-2010 is Damian von Schoenborn '10.
SEPC‘s
Student Educational Policy Committees (SEPCs) were created to serve as a liaison between students and faculty. They are meant to facilitate communication and to represent the interests of each party to the other in order to maximize satisfaction and sense of community. A primary SEPC goal should be to influence, according to student interest, the department curriculum, faculty choice, and rubric for majors. Each SEPC also holds social functions for their respective departments, such as study breaks or discussion circles. SEPC’s also appoint, from within, members to represent their department on the Student Curriculum Committee.
Judco
Judicial Council (Judco), an independent student council, supports the philosophy of Self-governance by allowing students a venue to settle student related grievances and/or violations of college policy. The council is made up of 7 student adjudicators appointed by the VPAA (3 randomly selected for each case), the VPAA (as an observer), a faculty adviser, and the Associate Dean/Director of Residence Life. The council hears all relevant information related to a case in a closed meeting and then decides on a punishment to recommend in writing to the Vice President of Student Affairs.
ACE Security
SGA ACE Security is an independent student security organization on campus. They are responsible for ensuring the health and wellness of students during ACE events. Ace security staff is responsible for checking for student ID’s, enforcing policies regarding smoking, the introduction of outside beverages into the concert hall and controlling rowdy or otherwise disturbing behavior. ACE Security also cooperates with SGA, the office of Campus Security and the office of Student Affairs to ensure the smooth functioning of Self-governance.
Resolutions
Joint Board debate happens primarily over issues submitted as resolutions. These documents are statements of policy or position on a particular issue. Resolutions may be presented by any member of the campus community, and must be approved by a simple majority of present and voting Joint Board participants to pass. Following passage, the SGA Cabinet and the writers of the resolution are charged with carrying out any specified plan of action. If you would like instructions on how to format a resolution contact the Administrative Coordinator at [SGA1].
Student Initiatives
Student initiatives are a way for the student body to voice their opinions on issues important to them. The initiatives can be about campus academic issues, such as a an initiative to add labs to transcripts; campus life issues, such as an initiative to use a random number generator for room draw; or political issues, such as an initiative to stop the purchase of old growth wood by Grinnell College.
- How do you write a student initiative?
The initiate must include three parts: background, the statement of the initiative, and a plan of action. The background section is needed so students can make an educated opinion on the issue. The statement of the initiative is what the students will be voting on. This section must be formatted in such a way that students can vote for or against the statement. The plan of action is a guide to how this initiative can actually be enacted.
Student initiatives can be turned in to the SGA offices (2nd floor of the Joe Rosenfield Center) in the mail basket of the Administrative Coordinator. Writers of the student initiative must also collect 100 student signatures to get the initiative on the ballot. Signature packets are available in the SGA offices, and must be turned with the initiative.
- What happens after the student initiative is turned in?
Election Board will review the application for clarity and make suggestions to the writer. All recommendations of Election Board are non-binding unless the initiative must be changed to put it in a format that can be voted on. If the writer of the initiative has collected the 100 signatures needed, the initiative will go in the S&B and on the ballot. The writer of the initiative is responsible for publicizing the initiative beyond this. Voting on initiatives is done through Pioneer web, and one half of the student body must vote during the initiative election and 2/3rd’s must vote for the initiative in order for it to pass.
- What happens if a student initiative passes?
If a student a student initiative passes, Election Board will write a letter to the appropriate parties to inform them of the initiative. SGA, specifically the STIFUND committee, administrator, initiative writers will work together to implement the initiative.
How To
How to Throw an ACE Party or Event
Step 1: Contact the ACE Coordinator, at [ace] to arrange a date for your event.
- The ACE Coordinator can help reserve the Harris center for a weekend event. If your event is not in Harris or not on a weekend, then you will have to reserve a space through Conference Operations. The Ace Coordinator can help you with this.
- Harris parties are typically held Fridays or Saturdays from 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM.
- The deadline for scheduling both Friday and Saturday parties is Tuesday at noon the week of the party, but if you want a specific date contact ACE earlier in the sememster.
Step 2: Recruit other students to help throw the event.
- If you are serving alcohol at your event, you should recruit at least two wristbanders, one alcohol purchaser, one DJ, and one additional party organizer. At least one organizer and the purchaser must be 21 if you are planning on having alcohol at your party.
- Contact ACE to get a list of trained servers on campus (you must have servers to have alcohol at your party). Trained servers on campus are individuals that are 19 years of age or older and have gone through an alcohol training course (TIPS). Contact trained servers from the list and get at least two people who are interested and able to serve. Typically organizers pay servers $10/hour.
Step 3: Arrange two mandatory meetings with student affairs or conference operations to plan out how the event will run.
1. For events in Harris, Meet with Michael Sims, Director of Campus Center Operations and Student Activities, to arrange all of your set-ups (sound, lights, and any other needs).
- For Friday parties, meet with Michael before 5:00 PM the Wednesday prior to the Harris event.
- For Saturday parties, meet with Michael before noon the Thursday prior to the Harris event.
- Before meeting with Michael, be sure to ask your DJ what media they will be using with the sounds systems (laptops, CDs, etc.) and think about any special lighting needs.
2. Meet with the Assistant Dean of Residence Life to sign the alcohol contract and pick up the wristbands.
- All party organizers, wristbanders, servers, and the purchaser must meet with Kim on or before the Thursday prior to the party.
- All individuals involved must meet with Kim at the same time.
- Alcohol cannot be served at a Harris party under any circumstances without a signed alcohol contract.
Step 4: Submit a budget to ACE (if you’re looking for external funding from SGA).
- If you're serving alcohol, you must turn in a budget for $25 worth of substantial food (not candy) for each keg you have. This food must be served in conjunction with the keg.
- Fill out a completed budget request form (located in the SGA office) and turn it in to the “Budgets” box in the SGA office by Saturday before your party.
- The ACE Committee meets Mondays at 4:30 in JRC 202. You must attend this meeting to answer questions and explain your request. If your budget is over $500.00, it will also need to be approved by Joint Board, which reviews budgets Wednesdays at 8:00 PM.
Step 5: Set up for your event once the date arrives. For weekend events in Harris, a staff member will unlock Harris at 3:00 PM on Friday and 12:45 PM on Saturday. Help the staff members pull out the platforms. Staff members will set up the sound system.
For events that aren't in Harris or Forum South Lounge, speak with Conference Operations about how and when to set up the space. Step 6: For events with ACE Security: fifteen minutes before the party starts, the party organizer must meet with the Harris staff member and ACE security to discuss emergency procedures and any special instructions. Step 7: After the Harris party ends, you are responsible for cleaning up the Harris center immediately. There should be no cups or trash from the party for the custodians to clean up the next morning. Additionally, if your party involves decorations, please ttake them down and dispose of them or put them away (especially if they come from the ACE closet). Kegs must be removed within 24 hours.
Feel free to email [ace] with any questions.
How to Get Funding from SPC (and sometimes ACE)
As per the SGA Constitution, only registered student organizations are eligible to receive funding from SGA. To register your student group, contact [services].
Budget Request forms can be picked up in the SGA Offices in the Rosenfield Center. The forms must be submitted by 5pm on Saturday evenings in order to be reviewed at our Monday meetings. When your budget is received, you will receive a reminder email about Student Programming or ACE Committee meeting details. A group representative must be present or your budget will not be reviewed.
You will not be reimbursed for any purchases made BEFORE a budget is submitted. The committee will review budgets for stop-gap funding (retroactive reimbursement) only if a budget was submitted before the purchase was made/before an event took began.
Committees normally review the budgets from least to most money requested. The committee chair (Treasurer) will summarize the budget request for the committee, then allow the applicant to elaborate on the budget if they wish. The committee will then ask any questions they may have. After your budget is read and questions answered, you are free to go (before the committee reviews the other budgets).
This process repeats for every budget, until only the committee remains in the room. The committee then discusses the budgets privately and votes on how much to allocate. The committee's decision typically is e-mailed to you that evening.
Reimbursement
1. Receipts are to be turned in within 10 business days of purchase.
2. Make sure that you have the original receipt. You must have an itemized receipt, NOT just a credit card slip or a photocopy. SGA cannot reimburse a non-itemized receipt.
3. Prepare your receipt by writing your FULL name AND box number on the receipt. For example, writing "JS" is incorrect; writing "John Smith, Box 9999" is correct. In addition, PLEASE write the budget number (e.g. S3, A14), if you have it, on all submitted receipts.
4. Circle the total for which you should be reimbursed. If you are only going to be reimbursed for some of the items on the receipt, circle those and write the total for which you are to be reimbursed below. DO NOT just cross out the items for which you are not being reimbursed. We cannot reimburse deposits of any kind, so please do not include bottle deposits, for example, in the total.
5. Deliver the receipt to the Treasurer's box in the SGA Offices on the 2nd floor of the Campus Center. OR, put the receipt in an envelope and send it through campus mail to "SGA Treasurer, JRC". Do not give it to the Treasurer in person or mail it to his or her personal mailbox.
6. You should receive a check in about 2 weeks. If it takes longer than this, drop a note to the Treasurer asking how things are going.
Vouchers
A college is a form of payment that doesn't require you to spend your own money and be reimbursed. They are accepted at most local businesses (notable exceptions: Wal-Mart, HyVee and Pizza Hut). Stop by during the Treasurer's office hours or make an appointment to get one, then just present the voucher to the business for payment.
Invoices
If you have an invoice or bill, write the appropriate budget number or designation (e.g. S3, A14), if you know it, on the document and submit it to the Treasurer's office (see step 5 above). The company should receive a check within 2 weeks.
Honorariums
If you need an honorarium for a speaker, you must request it by contacting [sgamoney] with the amount desired, who it is for, and (if it is to be mailed to them) their address. Tax forms may also be required, so you should initially contact the Treasurer at least two weeks before the check is needed.
Tips
- If you want reimbursement for a tip, you must get the signature or initials of the person receiving the tip, preferably on the receipt, as well as writing the amount of the tip and adding it to the total.
- End of Semester - To receive reimbursement before you leave at the end of the school year, all receipts must be submitted by 5 p.m. on the Wednesday of the week before finals.
- Unused funds - If your group has submitted all relevant expenditures for a budget, please notify the Treasurer so that any remaining funds can be released to be allocated to another group.
- Personal Items - Purchasing items which will be kept by individuals is discouraged. If you are planning on making such a purchase (such as arranging a study break with prizes), please notify the Treasurer ahead of time. Permanent items that are purchased (sporting goods, books, movies, kitchen supplies) will be expected to be kept in on the college premises in an accessible space for future use.
- Adhering to your budget - Please adhere to the itemized budget your group submits. Reimbursement requests for items not itemized on your budget will be denied unless good cause is given.
- Checks to parties outside Grinnell - Checks can only be issued to Grinnell College students, faculty and staff, and established businesses. If you request a direct reimbursement for an individual outside the college, such as a speaker, performer or tournament coordinator, they must submit appropriate tax forms, available in the Treasurer's office.
- Maxing out your Budget - If you reach your budget limit and would like to stretch it a bit, you must get approval from the Treasurer and/or the Student Programming Committee ahead of time. Otherwise any expenditures beyond your limit will not be reimbursed.
- How much do I have left? - Email the Treasurer at any point in the semester if you'd like an update on your budget.
- Group Email Addresses - Please write functional email addresses on budget forms.
Committees
Committees serve as an integral part of life at Grinnell. The committees associated with SGA address a number of student concerns. Apart from the standing committees, independent committees with student representation and independent student committees, ad hoc committees are created to find solutions for issues raised by students. For a list of as many college committees as can be tracked down and described, visit the main committees page or email [sga1] with any question about committee functions or about becoming a member.
SGA FAQ
How Do I Make a Suggestion or Seek Redress of Grievances?
There are several ways to make suggestions to people in SGA: such as e-mail, a phone call, or a face to face conversation Each year SGA is dependent on the input of student outside of SGA to fuel the fire for change and to keep the officers on task.
How Do I Join a Committee?
It depends on the committee. At the beginning of the year, SGA organizes Many committees are relatively open; if you speak with someone on the committee, they can often tell you when the committee meets and what's going on. Some other committees have students-at-large who are appointed by the President or another member of Cabinet; if you speak to the appropriate Cabinet member, they can explain how you can become a member.
What Does a Typical Joint Board Meeting Consist Of?
Joint Board begins with Soapbox, where any person can address Joint Board for up to a minute about any concern or question they have. Soapbox is followed by reports from Senators about the committees they sit on, as well as Cabinet reporting on what they've done that week. After Committee and Cabinet reports, Joint Board discusses resolutions introduced by Senators on various issues that have been brought to their attention. At 8:00 PM, Joint Board considers budgets for student groups and all campus events.
How Should I Help My Senator, and How Should My Senator Help Me?
The best way you can help your Senator is by giving them feedback about what's going on in joint board. E-mailing them about how you feel about various resolutions and budgets before joint board, or speaking with them about things you'd like to see changed is the best way for them to represent you. Your senators should be sending you information about what's going on.
Where Can I Find Information About What's Happening in SGA if I Can't Attend Joint Board?
Plenty of ways! Each week, your senators should e-mail you the minutes of last week's joint board meeting as well as the agenda for the upcoming meeting. Many committees have mailing lists that you can ask to join even if you're not on the committee itself. Three times a semester, your Senators should host Hall Councils where they will fill you in on what's going on, and can ask them about specific issues. Moreover, even if you can't attend Joint Board, you can always ask your Senator or members of Cabinet what's going on. Shoot them an e-mail or drop by the offices - they love to hear from you!
Past Officers
President
2008-2009: Neo Morake '09
2007-2008: Megan Goering '08
2006-2007: Chris Hall '07
2005-2006: John Bohman '06
2004-2005: Mark Henry '05
2003-2004: Liz Allan '04
VPSA
2008-2009: John Burrows '10
2007-2008: Jan Koszewski '08 (new position)
VPAA
2008-2009: Julie Hoye '09
2007-2008: Eric Olson '08
2006-2007: Michael Billups '07
2005-2006: Chris Ochoa '06
2004-2005: Andy Grimm '05, replaced by Rebecca Miller '05 (after Grimm took medical leave)
