SGA summer 2018 update
Hello Augustana Community,
As we approach the beginning of a new school year, the Student Government Association of Augustana College wanted to update the campus on the past few busy months we have had, as well as introduce incoming students to our work. Below is a timeline of recent happenings for Augustana’s SGA:
April 19: Seniors Adam Gronewold and Belle Hartman were inaugurated as President and Vice-President of Student Government Association. Senior Audrey Hogenkamp was appointed as Treasurer, and sophomore students, Kaitlyn Watkins and Carl Frasor, were appointed as Chief of Staff and Secretary, respectively. Finally in the spring, junior Justin Verlinden was voted Speaker of the Senate, in accordance with our bylaws, by the Student Senate. These students will serve as the Executive Board of SGA for the 2018-2019 academic year.
The Senate approved a myriad of amendments to our organization's Constitution and Bylaws to reflect our ever developing campus values and practices. The most exciting of these changes was the addition of a second International Senator position which will provide a stronger voice to our diverse student population. Additionally, the responsibilities of Chief of Staff were redesigned. Links to these documents can be found on the Student Government website and attached to the email.
May 1: On May 1st, Adam Gronewold and Belle Hartman sat down and introduced themselves to the newly hired Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Monica Smith. In this meeting, they discussed efforts SGA can be making to be more cognizant and conscious about supporting students from many backgrounds.
Later that evening, our talented senators Haley DeGreve and Michael Salamone lead an event on the importance of improving mental health services at our college. They emphasized that our campus should continue to work toward being a community that is not trapped behind a stigma that exists around the topic.
May 2: Augustana College held its annual Celebration of Learning where Chief of Staff Watkins and President Gronewold gave a presentation on projects and updates from the past year in Student Government. In particular, they announced the culmination of our work in safety throughout the last year - a campus safety app, which is set to be released, free of charge, to students in the fall of 2018. This has aims to limit the dangers students experience on and off campus through wireless reporting, one touch calling to emergency services, and GPS location capabilities.
As a direct result of a safety survey sent out in Winter, Student Government has been working with our Dean of Students to place security cameras on campus. Cameras will be installed along the Augustana Slough path and throughout the quad.
May 3: We sat down with the Director of Residential Life, Chris Beyer, to discuss the removal of cable in the residence halls. A vote was taken by the student body on the matter; the vote suggested overwhelmingly that students supported the move. At this meeting, we made a point of asserting that the funds saved in this venture must be used in a capacity that directly benefits students.
Executive Board members gathered with the Business Office to discuss budgets for student groups for the upcoming fiscal year. Our allocations to the near 100 groups have recently been sent out by Treasurer Hogenkamp. In our awarding of funds, the Executive Board chose not to fund gifts, personal items, uniforms for club sports, events planned for later in the fiscal year, and other items outlined in our organization’s bylaws. For the sake of transparency, please see the ten largest allocations for the year below. More information is available upon request.
Group — Amount Awarded
Observer —$32,180
WAUG —$7,150
Black Student Union —$6,000
Latinx Unidos —$5,700
Global Engagement Team —$4,800
Asian Student Association —$3,630
African Student Association —$2,000
Sustained Dialogue —$4,500
SAGA —$2,500
Augustana Local Agriculture Society —$2,200
May 4: SGA members spoke at the Black Lives Matter demonstration and admitted to a littered past in our failure to support students of color to our greatest capability. We are incredibly grateful to have been asked to speak, and we recognize how much more we can do as an organization. The event was well attended, and we look forward to working with our Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and our culture groups in making Augustana the environment it needs to be for students to feel like they are home.
As we move into the 2018-2019 academic year, we have prepared a training for next year’s senate which covers their responsibilities and expectations as representatives, Robert’s Rules of Order, contingencies, and the ins and outs of SGA.
June 1: Student Government Association wrapped up the hiring process of a new professional relations position, which will work to inform the student body of SGA happenings through the development of a website and a revival of our social media accounts.
July 26: In an effort to limit conflicts of interest, President Gronewold and Vice-President Hartman have recently named Senator Margaret Utgaard to serve as the Chair of Student Government Association’s Election Committee. We are working with her to develop a plan in which the committee will need limited guidance from the Executive Board of Student Government. The Election Committee will independently organize the upcoming election of freshman senators, residential hall representatives, and several academic positions as well as the future election of President and Vice-President in the spring. We encourage those who are interested in serving on Augustana College’s Student Government Association to run for open positions in the coming weeks.
Additionally, Student Government Association are in the process of appointing students to serve on Augustana’s many collegiate committees to work on behalf of students in the development of policy. Those interested in serving on a committee are encouraged to reach out the President Gronewold and Vice-President Hartman via their Augustana emails.
If you have any questions or concerns, we strongly encourage you to reach out to us. Student Government is here to serve the students of Augustana College, and we hope to continue developing projects and programs that are in the best interest of the students.