By Geoffrey Meadville, Guest Columnist
Student government plays a critical role in the experience that students have at Gettysburg College. The preamble of the Constitution of the Gettysburg College Student Senate lays out our mission: to provide a representative, unifying, responsible, and accountable government for all students, dedicated to the betterment of higher education and student life. As the elected representatives of the campus community, the Student Senate serves as a conduit for student concerns, questions, and ideas. It functions as the intermediary between the students and the administration, advocating for the needs of the student body. As such, the campus community thrives when we thrive.
In addition to supporting clubs and organizations with their activities and missions, in recent years, the Senate has created a bikeshare program, installed lights on Stine Lake, returned printers to the library, contributed to scholarship funds and helped students return home in the midst of a global pandemic. This is not to say there have not been struggles.
During my tenure as a member of the Senate we have faced many challenges, three attempted (one carried out) impeachments, issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion, and now the current financial constraints. We have persevered through these hardships with relative success. However, in recent months it has become apparent that we have lost our focus and we are now bogged down by petty squabbles for personal gain, allowing our interests to supersede those of the greater student body. The attempts of the Executive Board to address issues and create consensus have been met with pushback rather than recognizing our common goals. Our aim has always been to accurately represent all students, regardless of individual beliefs.
Let us be clear. Things can change. In order to better serve the students, we must make fundamental changes to our organization. We can achieve this through clear and transparent communication, collaboration, unified vision and direction, a return to focus on the needs of the student body and a nonpartisan environment.
Clear and transparent communication: I will be the first to admit that our ability to communicate (besides just a long email you don’t want to read) has not been ideal, this is the feedback we have received and should take seriously. Effective student government requires clear and open communication, not just from the Executive Board but from all members of the body. This includes regular updates on important decisions and initiatives, as well as open forums for students to voice their concerns and ideas safely and comfortably.
Collaboration: the Student Senate should be a collaborative effort between the student body, administration and members. When we work together, we can achieve great things and create real change on campus. Building bridges for students of all backgrounds to share their ideas starts with student leaders.
Vision and direction: A successful Senate needs a clear vision and direction. This is something that is hard for organizations such as ours. We need to understand what we want to achieve and have the plan to get there. This can be accomplished through open discussions with the student body and amongst ourselves to create a strong understanding of the needs and concerns of the campus community.
Focus on the student body: This is the most important aspect of change that we can make. Our government is the student body. We must prioritize the needs and concerns of the students, and work towards creating a positive, impactful and equitable experience for everyone on campus. Making ourselves available to the students to take questions and concerns builds back trust.
Non-partisanship: Student government should not be a political entity. We are here to serve the students and the campus community and should strive to maintain an apolitical stance in order to best serve the needs of this campus.
The Student Senate must reflect the will of the students; we all swore an oath to do so on the first day of our term. We can work together to live up to the expectations of the campus and return to the accountable, responsible and representative Senate that we have been. It is not enough to simply say that we are dedicated to democratic self-governance, we must also be willing to advance in practice those principles. Embracing our differences to see different perspectives will make the campus a better place in a respectful manner. It is my belief that with these changes, we can and will govern effectively again.
I realize this is not an action that an Executive Board member typically takes, in the past it has always been controversial for a member of the Student Senate to author an article for the Gettysburigan, but if our goal as an Executive Board is to be transparent and work for the student body, then it is our job to make sure that the students know our goals and aspirations. This is the first step towards a new engagement with all of you.
Nothing will change, though, without student engagement and participation. As the vice president of the Student Senate, I encourage each and every one of you to participate. Run in your class elections, attend meetings of the general Senate and committees, speak to your senators, the Executive Board, and administrators, and get involved in clubs and other organizations on campus. We exist to take your concerns and articulate them through channels, we cannot do that without student input. At the end of the day, we are all students working together with a common goal—to leave this campus better than we found it.
This piece was Co-authored by the Senate Executive Board and has their full support.
