Senators and executive board members of the Student Government Association urged students to become active and voice their concerns within the various organizations on campus in response to a former senator’s claims at Monday’s meeting that the current SGA has become unproductive. Ryan Donnegan, SGA president, said the organization is aspiring to increase student participation and awareness within the Nicholls community. In order to better hear and address the concerns of the student body, Donnegan said senators would be required to hold town-hall meetings within their specific colleges every other week after Homecoming. SGA will also be holding a meeting of the Student Leadership Council to speak with representatives of every student organization on campus.
“We want students to take to heart that they are as much a part of student government and this campus as anyone else,” Donnegan said.
Despite these goals, Brittany Tillman, former senator, said at Monday’s meeting the current SGA has become lax and individual members are placing personal needs ahead of their jobs.
“The $54,600.50 (SGA’s budget for the fall) question is ‘What are you doing?'” Tillman said after the meeting.
Among Tillman’s complaints regarding SGA are its finding there is no parking problem on campus, the number of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Delta Zeta members serving on the executive board and senate and the organization’s publicity, which Tillman feels is inadequate. “I want to be aware of SGA’s presence all the time, not some of the time,” Tillman said.
Donnegan said Cody Blanchard, SGA’s director of public relations, has gone above and beyond advertising SGA’s meetings and services, as well as offering free advertising to other student organizations.
Sherana Kerry, college of nursing and allied health senator, said the majority of students who complain are not active in organizations on campus and do not vote, citing that 75 percent of students did not vote on the University’s new mascot despite all students being invited to do so.
“I think so far, we’ve been very productive,” Kerry said. “We got our new senators sworn in, which is a good jump-off.”
Donnegan said Jennifer Smith, SGA vice president, assembled and trained a full senate this semester; Holden Ledet, treasurer, is inspecting SGA’s budget to guarantee the student assessed fee is being spent in the best way possible and Whitney Dupuy, director of student rights and grievances, has been working since the summer to address the issues and complaints she receives in her office.
Tillman said Dupuy is never in her office and is unqualified for her position, as she has never served on SGA before accepting her executive position.
In response to the claims of senators and executive board members that SGA has adequately publicized its meetings and that students need to become more active, Tillman said she would carry out surveys and compile information to make a formal presentation concerning SGA’s promotion.
In addition, Tillman said she would submit at least 50 grievances to Dupuy, the first of which will be that the director of rights and grievances is not capable of handling rights and grievances.
On the other hand, Donnegan said he is confident in the current SGA.
“It’s very easy to sit back and criticize an organization, but what is not as easy is to be the few actually stepping up into leadership positions and dedicating time to getting work done and facing the criticism,” Donnegan said. “In the end, it’s up to the students individually to decide if they wish to care or participate in the NSU community, and we encourage that support.
