SGA Scoop

SARAH GREEN — Copy Editor

There are seven boards in the Student Government Association.  What do these boards do and how can they help you? Let’s break it down:

Board of Constitutional Review (BCR)
Chairperson: Benjamin McNamee

The Board of Constitutional Review is a great resource for clubs and organizations because it can help them redefine their groups’ purpose and functions.  Every club and organization at Southern Connecticut State University has its own constitution.  These documents describe every function of the group and can help members – particularly Executive Board members – understand their responsibilities and objectives.  Thus, BCR looks to help clubs update their constitutions to better fit their current functions and goals.

BCR is also a resource for students on campus who are interested in starting a new organization.  Members from BCR will work one-on-one with anyone who wants to bring something new to Southern.  They will help develop a new constitution for these prospective groups, work with the students to organize an interest meeting to bring together all the members of the Southern community who would like to join the group, and define the club’s or organization’s purpose and goals.

Board of Finance (BOF)
Chairperson: Bob Benway

Student Government’s Board of Finance is the go-to source for club and organizations to receive travel funds for conferences, trips and social outings.  BOF funds travel both in-state and out-of-state as long as the events will help further the club or organization’s mission and purpose.  The members of the Board of Finance are willing to go over the specific requirements and restrictions for on-campus groups to receive money and to help the proposer complete any and all necessary paperwork.

Board of Clubs and Organizational Management (BOCOM)
Chairperson: Dave McQuade

This year, the Board of Clubs and Organizational Management is hoping to do more than ever to help clubs and organizations become better established on campus and to help them more easily accomplish their goals.  BOCOM will also be working with the Clusters program to unite likeminded organizations, thereby allowing them to create bigger and better events.  The members of BOCOM will be working in collaboration with BCR as well to ensure that newly created and approved clubs and organizations receive the support that they need to begin navigating the university. Whether it’s learning how to write and submit minutes, access the club’s budget, or reserve the ballroom and other university spaces, the members of BOCOM are ready and willing to help.

Board of Public Relations (BPR)
Chairperson: Andrell Hoyte

The Board of Public Relations, while mainly an internal board, is also an important board for Southern students to know about.  The members of BPR work to promote Student Government and make sure that SGA representatives are accessible to students on campus.  BPR will be regularly updating the Student Government website this year so that everyone can stay up to date on SGA’s activities and accomplishments.

Additionally, BPR’s biggest priority is supporting other clubs and organizations on campus by making sure that Student Government members are out and about, attending other groups’ events and fundraisers. If any organization needs help with marketing, they can certainly turn to the members of BPR for advice and help in advertising their events.

Board of Elections and Internal Management (BEIM)
Chairperson: Leslie Betters

Another internal board for Student Government is BEIM, the Board of Elections and Internal Management.  The main purpose of this board is to help organize the SGA office and make sure that all functions of the organization are working smoothly.  BEIM keeps track of the representatives’ office hours and can help students get in touch with individual representatives or the chair of a specific board if they have specific questions or concerns.

Also, BEIM works with the Office of Student Life during the election of class officers.  They are involved in explaining the process to potential candidates and helping in any way possible.

Board of Membership Involvement (BMI)
Chairperson: Nicole Cassidy

The Board of Membership Involvement is the newest addition to Student Government’s board system and it is also one of the most important.  BMI helps interested students find their place within the Student Government body.  One of BMI’s most important roles is working with delegates and making sure that they understand the different aspects of SGA – the setup of meetings, the responsibilities in office hours, and other related tasks.  Delegates are a fairly new position within SGA, but these members have come to be incredibly vital to the organization.  With these additional members, all of the other boards within SGA are able to accomplish even more.

Board of Student Issues (BSI)
Chairperson: Erin McGuckin

Finally, there is the Board of Student Issues.  The members of this board work even more closely with the student body than the other boards.  BSI is the main resource for any student who has a concern on campus; they help to make sure that all of the members of Southern’s community are getting the most out of their college experience.

Projects BSI have tackled in the past include evaluating the Dunkin Donuts crowd in order to inform university officials about how solutions to the long lines might be developed and researching library usage to determine which hours of operation would be most convenient for students.  The members of BSI are always open to hearing how SGA might help to make students’ experience at Southern even better and are willing to address any concerns that might be expressed.