How Boring Will SGA Get This Semester?



The Student Government Association (SGA) at UT Tyler is set to begin its spring General Assembly meetings Tuesday, marking that the school year is almost half over. This is a good time to step back and look at what’s ahead. Coming up this semester in SGA are spring elections, a possible bike rental program, an annual review of the constitution and bylaws and a recommendation to start a student group for free menstrual products.

And that’s about it, which means that this year of student government is turning out to be pretty boring.

But it’s not for lack of opportunity to do something interesting. For example, SGA could advocate for students about their complaints with Sodexo’s operating hours, the closed coffee shop at the Library, the trouble with timely availability of textbooks, parking, notification of closed parking lots from the police on days of special events and more. Yet, aside from light discussion, SGA has passed no serious position statement on any point of University policy (sparing minor input on the recent tuition proposal).

As a matter of fact, it is quite boring.

But why is this so? I can think of at least three reasons.

1. “Resume” Senators. The unfortunate truth is that many students participate in SGA primarily to improve their resume, not to represent students. Many sign up because they their resume to show that they there were a “leader” on campus because they were in student government. This group’s objective is simple: show up each week and don’t get kicked out. Senators can attend meetings, not say a word, and as long as they don’t kicked out, they’re a “leader.” It’s not that these students are monsters. It’s just that their focus remains on achieving their personal goals rather than giving effective representation to their constituents. Hence, it gets boring.

2. Struggle with Robert’s Rules of Order. Every parliament has rules for how it works. Robert’s Rules is a set of procedures for how to call for a vote or open a debate on a topic and direction about who speaks first and so forth. Many senators are intimidated by these procedures because they are still unfamiliar to them. Therefore, rather than try to do them and look like a fool before the rest of their peers, many of them choose to be silent instead and avoid the risk of embarrassment. In the end, proposals don’t get the proper vetting they deserve and which means people pretty much go along with the status quo.

3. Undeveloped Convictions. At this time in life, many students are just now feeling the independence of young adulthood to explore for themselves what they actually believe about life. Many students’ opinions are still unformed about the life issues so that when the time comes to weigh in on a debate, many of them do not yet know what they believe and it makes it difficult for them to contribute. They’ve not yet formed opinions about the basic questions about the proper role of government, individual rights or student tuition and fees (taxes). Many lack a guiding philosophy to help them arrive at one. Therefore, many instead remain silent and this is boring.

There is a lot SGA could do to improve these conditions.

  • It could hold Robert's Rules workshops 15 minutes before each General Assembly so that the Parliamentarian could help senators practice using a procedure.
  • If an individual member would dare to be the first one speak up and make a mistake, it would show members how to fail and be okay and it would help reduce their intimidation.
  • SGA also needs members who care enough about improving school policy that they pick one issue and become an expert on it. This way, they will form an opinion on the topic and, through their contributions, strengthen debate in the assembly.

These are all things SGA can do. So will it? I’m not sure. If it doesn’t, Tuesday’s just the start of another boring semester.

Twitter: @jhescock

IMAGE: Paul Kelly via Flickr

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