Elections of the Student Government Association

Thank you for your interest in serving your fellow Bobcats in the Student Government Association (SGA). As an Officer, you will be challenged to deal with student issues; legislate for, and delegate on behalf of your student constituency. As a member of SGA, you will provide for the welfare and betterment of the enrolled undergraduate students at St. Thomas University. The Student Government Association will provide you with an opportunity for growth and development within the organization. You will have a leadership position allowing your voice to be heard, speaking out for student rights, and standing up for your classmates. The annual Offices for election are available as follows:

President

Vice-President of Clubs & Organizations

Secretary of Communications

Finance Coordinator

Public Relations Coordinator

Expectations

All officers must be currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student. All officers are expected to serve office hours. Officers must serve 15 hours per week to receive an allocated scholarship. The roles of the Student Government Association Officers hold a level of dedication and expectation of excellence. As respected SGA Officers, you will be expected to hold the peace and protect the welfare of all Bobcats at St. Thomas University. Failure to meet the following obligations and upholding the following forms can result in reconsideration and possible removal from the Student Government Association.

  • President and Vice President position candidates must have a minimum of sixty credits completed at St. Thomas University by the start of the campaign process;
  • Secretary of Communication position candidates must have a minimum of thirty credits  completed at St. Thomas University by the start of the campaign process;
  • Speaker of Senate position candidates must have a minimum of thirty credits completed as a Senator at St. Thomas University by the start of the campaign process.
  • Candidates must have and maintain a minimum academic GPA of a 3.0 per semester, not to fall below a cumulative 3.0 overall;
  • Participate in all Student Government Association Assemblies, special presence requests, functions hosted by other on-campus departments and activities;
  • Execute duties as listed in the job description;
  • Maintain exemplary judicial/social responsibility by adhering to the Student Code of Conduct of St. Thomas University;
  • Serve and uphold all policies and procedures of St. Thomas University;
  • Serve and protect the Student Government Association Constitution; and
  • Maintain full-time student status throughout your term of Office (Fall & Spring).

General Job Descriptions

Each Executive Board Member of Student Government Association must: be available for New Student Orientation, return one week before the beginning of Fall Semester and Spring Semester, attend all SGA Executive board meetings, adhere to the current Constitution of the SGA, follow expectations and job descriptions as related to each position, serve on a designated committee, and perform other duties as assigned.

President: The President will represent the student body at all official school functions. The President shall call, plan, and lead one meeting per month with all the SGA officers. The President is to serve as the chief executive of SGA, responsible for the execution of all legislation passed. If the President disapproves of action, then he/she has the power to veto the legislation, which can be overridden with a two-thirds Senate vote. The President must also submit a memorandum of his/her activities on behalf of SGA to the Speaker of the Senate for distribution during the weekly senate meetings. The President alongside the officers of SGA shall meet to plan events throughout the year, such as Common Hour Kick Off. The President shall oversee over all executive board members and ensure each is fulfilling their specified responsibilities. The President is responsible for building and maintaining relationships with the President of St. Thomas University, the Provost and Associate Provost, Vice-Presidents, Deans, Departments, Resident

 

Vice-President: The Vice-President provides representation power for all organized bodies, known as clubs and organizations. He/she shall plan and host SGA & SOC meetings with all current clubs and organizations on campus. The Vice is responsible for creating and maintaining a relationship with each club or organization’s advisor. He/she shall oversea the daily operations of the e-board of each club and ensure each are meeting requirements such as attending periodic meetings and events. The Vice-President is responsible for recording the community service hours of each club or organization on campus and tracking the advancement to fulfilling their required 50 community service hours. The Vice-President shall distribute and collect Student Organization Packets (SOP) and Advisor Packets at the beginning of each semester.

 

Secretary of Communications: The Secretary of Communications is responsible for designing and editing SGA advertisements such as flyers, requiring the use and proficiency in programs such as Microsoft Publisher and Photoshop. The Secretary of Communications shall receive and review club meetings or events flyers, send them to print, and request global emails from SGA Advisor. He/she is to maintain social media accounts, keeping each website up to date. The Secretary of Communications shall create their personalized version of the SGA Chronicles, including items such as articles from students, advertisements from local companies, and flyers for upcoming university events. The Secretary of Communications is responsible for recording the minutes for all SGA meetings and providing any information, reports, and agendas, to each SGA e-board member. A record of all minutes and meetings must be kept and placed under a SGA minutes log. The Secretary of Communications shall be responsible for tabulating and recording the office hours of all SGA members regardless of branch and advise the SGA President and Advisor of any member not complying.

 

Finances Coordinator: The Finances Coordinator shall serve as Chairperson of the SGA Budget Committee. Manage and allocate all financial assets pertaining but not limited to campaign expenditures, event coordination, and club budgets. Submit all receipts to the Director of Student Life. Create an annual SGA budget and submit all reports regarding changes in monetary and fiscal policies to the SGA President. Present proposed fiscal policies to the Director of Student Life for approval.

 

Public Relations Coordinator: The Public Relations Coordinator shall serve as the liaison between Student Government and Campus Activities Board (C.A.B.). Advocate and promote the five key principles of ethical leadership: that being, honesty, justice, respect, community, and integrity amongst the STU community. Advocate and promote the importance of Faith Formation on campus in conjunction with the Director of Campus Ministry.

Selection Process

The elections process is extremely selective. You will be required to complete this application, as well as:

  • Submit 1 letter of recommendation from a  full-time staff or faculty member (may not be a Student Affairs staff member) from any department (see attached form);
  • Submit 1 letter of recommendation from a professor or full time staff member (may not be a Student Affairs staff member) from any department (see attached form);
  • Provide a professional headshot picture of the candidate;
  • Provide a typed, double-spaced, professionally written essay that holistically responds to:
    • What are your qualifications to be a candidate for the St. Thomas University Student Government?
    • If you become a Student Government Officer, what are your plans and objectives for the upcoming year?
    • Why should you run for Office?
  • An interview with the current Student Government Association Officers, and Associate Director of Student Life;
  • Must Present a Platform and Presentation on that Platform.

Campaign Process

  • All Candidate flyers, marketing materials, and social media posts must be approved by the Secretary of Communications before posting.
  • Respect for other candidates, as well as their flyers and marketing materials, is expected of all candidates; destruction of other candidates’ materials will result in immediate removal from the campaign process.
  • You must get permission from departments to post on their bulletin boards, posting on walls and doors is prohibited.
  • St. Thomas University will not provide campaign paraphernalia or reimbursement to candidates.
  • Candidates are responsible for taking down all campaign paraphernalia within

twenty-four (24) hours after the final election date.

  • The candidates will present themselves and their plans to the St. Thomas University student body.

Voting Process

  • Student Government elections will take place online.
    • Candidates may campaign and bring their issues to voters but they are not allowed to be within fifty feet of the voting tables. The current SGA Officers will accordingly delimit such boundaries. Failure to abide by these regulations will lead to immediate disqualification.
    • An exception to this procedure will only be allowed when the candidate goes to vote or must enter and exit a building to class.
  • Votes will be tallied by the date/time designated by the Associate Director of Student Life. 
    • Candidates will be selected based on majority of votes.

Announcement Process

  • Candidates will be notified on via e-mail.

Training Process

  • The training process is mandatory and will occur after the elections are completed.  Training documents will be distributed to the newly elected officer describing all positions and expectations. The outgoing officers will conduct training sessions during the month of April at times that benefit both the outgoing and incoming officers; failure to attend the training sessions could cause your dismissal.
  • Besides formal training, incoming officers are expected to maintain an active role in all Student Government activities, meetings, and events. Shadowing outgoing officers will serve as essential practical training for incoming members to take office with a plethora of knowledge about their duties.
  • Incoming officers will meet with the Student Government Association; this will allow all incoming officers the opportunity to acquire knowledge of the other positions as well as ask pertinent questions. The Student Government Association is a team and the team must develop the ability to work together effectively.

The Associate Director of Student Life will notify incoming officers when they are expected to return to campus to plan as well as participate in orientation activities.

Step 1: Complete the following online application:

Click here to complete the Student Government Application form

Step 2: Print the following letter of recommendation pdf, have it completed and email it to :jjackson3@stu.edu

Click here to open letter-of-recommendation.pdf