In order to better understand Milligan’s Student Government Association, The Stampede has started a series where we will be comparing our SGA to other schools’.
We recently interviewed Kentucky Christian University’s student body president, Bram Koeller. KCU is located in Grayson, Ky., and has a total enrollment of 613, according to their school website.
1.What is the student government called?
KCU: We call our student government just plainly Student Council, but more often it goes as StudCo.
Milligan: It is formally called Student Government Association, but most students and faculty call it SGA.
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How do students become elected?
KCU: The faculty advisor and the president from the last school year work together to get the ballots ready, and we pass out the ballots in Chapel one day towards the beginning of the fall semester. We elect one president for the whole student body, one vice-president, one secretary, one treasurer and then two representatives from each year.
Milligan: The freshman class elects their class president, vice president and four representatives in Milligan 100 every fall. Upperclassmen choose their representatives and executives in a campus-wide email. To become a part of SGA, students must petition to be on the ballot, and the respective class votes. The executives get voted in the same way, except they have to make a (promotional) video that is included in the campus-wide email as well as the petition.
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What does the student government organize?
KCU: We have multiple things that we do; a majority of our time is spent planning events like Homecoming, Halloween, Christmas and just other general fun things to get students involved. Along with the fun stuff, we also have the job of being the voice of the students, and advocating for them, and working with them when there are problems going on that affect them. We also plan a semi-frequent music/coffee night on campus called ‘Grounds and Sounds.’
Milligan: We organize lots of events. Specifically homecoming! I guess you could say we are organized within our committees as well, because we get in contact with the right staff and faculty to make whatever needs to happen, happen.
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How do student governments get things done?
KCU: When we have jobs that need to be done, it is mostly on a volunteer basis within the student council, if someone is passionate about something we are doing they will take the head on a part of it, but most things are planned by us as a whole.
Milligan: Whatever the issue at hand is, we figure out who needs to take care of it by committee. There is an Academic Committee, Advertising Committee, Student Affairs Committee, Student Events Committee and Service and Spiritual and Spiritual Life Committee.
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Who is the faculty advisor and what do they do?
KCU: We do have a faculty advisor, her name is Lori Smith-Ward. The faculty advisor does a lot of the same things that I do, but also she moderates the meetings and brings up things that (as a student) I do not have control over.
Milligan: Dr. Edmonds, a political science professor, is SGA’s faculty advisor. She is supposed to be our stepping stone between faculty and students. When we have a question or we are unsure how to do things on a higher level, she helps by putting us in contact with the right person.
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What does the president do?
KCU: As president, my main job is to work with my student council and plan things. I also work with students and faculty with any questions or ideas that they may have.
Milligan: They do a lot of things. It is mostly a partnership between the president and vice president. Gabe Logan and Somang Lee partner up to make the agenda; they meet every week for a president’s meeting where they talk about what needs to be done and how to tackle it.