Understanding Florida State University's Student Government

Florida State University (FSU) boasts a vibrant student government association (SGA) that plays a crucial role in enhancing student life and representing the student body's interests. FSU's SGA is structured with three branches of government on campus: executive, judicial, and legislative. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of FSU's Student Government, encompassing its structure, functions, key players, and recent developments.

Structure of FSU's Student Government

FSU's Student Government mirrors the structure of the U.S. government, comprising three branches:

Executive Branch: Headed by the Student Body President, the executive branch is responsible for implementing policies and initiatives, representing the student body to the university administration, and overseeing various agencies and departments within SGA. The Student Body President can appoint a student to a vacant senate seat after advertising the vacancy two times in a campus newspaper. Appointed senators require senate confirmation.
Judicial Branch: FSU's Supreme Court, composed of third-year law students, serves as the judicial branch. It interprets SGA statutes, resolves disputes, and ensures that SGA actions comply with university regulations and Florida law.
Legislative Branch: The Student Senate, consisting of 80 senators representing FSU’s 20 divisions, forms the legislative branch. First- and second-year students are listed under undergraduate studies. Senators are elected in the fall and spring about five weeks after classes begin. The Senate is responsible for enacting legislation, allocating funds to student organizations, and addressing student concerns.

Key Functions and Responsibilities

FSU's Student Government fulfills several essential functions:

Advocacy: SGA advocates for student interests on issues such as tuition, fees, academic policies, campus safety, and student services.
Funding Allocation: SGA manages a significant budget derived from student activity fees, which it allocates to student organizations, events, and initiatives that enhance student life. The following survey is provided for you to submit your organization's request for A&S funding in Fiscal Year 2026-2027. Budget Request Applications are OPEN as of Monday, February 09, 2026 and will CLOSE on Friday, February 20, 2026 at 11:59 PM. Budget Requests for 2026-2027 are due NO LATER than Friday, February 20, 2026 at 11:59 PM. Each organization submitting a budget request will be required to submit a short 5-10 minute video explaining their request and how it will impact the student body. Additional details surrounding these meetings will be sent to requesting organizations in the near future. Any additional materials, including but not limited to, quotes, PowerPoints, or anything else that you would like the Senate Finance Committee to consider, can be attached to the application.
Representation: Senators represent their respective colleges or divisions, ensuring that the diverse perspectives and concerns of the student body are heard and addressed.
Programming and Events: SGA sponsors and organizes a variety of programs and events that enhance the campus community and provide opportunities for student engagement.

Student Senate: The Legislative Voice

The Student Senate is a crucial component of FSU's SGA, acting as the primary legislative body. Each of the 80 Senators represents one of FSU’s 20 divisions. Senators are elected in the fall and spring about five weeks after classes begin. To run for the Senate, you must file your candidacy application with the Supervisor of Elections office by the advertised deadline, usually four weeks after classes begin. Campus political parties usually help their candidate’s complete candidacy applications and submit them for their candidates. Most parties interview students to choose those whose campaigns the parties will support. To run with a party, promptly contact the party in which you are interested to be sure you meet its deadlines. The Student Senate President Pro Tempore leads a program that offers current Florida State University students an exclusive opportunity to gain hands-on experience with the Student Senate. This program is designed with flexibility in mind, enabling participants to complete it within one semester, tailored to their own schedules and availability. Applications are now accepted on a rolling basis, providing students with the flexibility to apply at a time that best suits their academic and personal commitments.

Senate Committees and Their Roles

The Student Senate operates through various committees that focus on specific areas of concern. These committees play a vital role in researching issues, drafting legislation, and making recommendations to the full Senate. One such committee is the Judiciary Committee. As the Senate Chairperson of the Judiciary Committee and liaison to the Pride Student Union, one senator felt that they had to file the complaint against the OGA Director.

Read also: Empowering Student Voices

The Importance of Transparency and Accountability

Transparency and accountability are paramount in student government. The Florida Sunshine Law requires that meeting minutes be posted; Additionally, the law entails that public comments must be allowed at the beginning of meetings. This law is important because it allows public officials to be held accountable. When meeting minutes are accurate and detailed, the public has the opportunity to read exactly how decisions are made. If the small things are not being taken care of correctly then it allows the big things to not be taken care of correctly. Access meeting information and materials for upcoming meetings of Student Government organizations.

Legacy at FSU: A New Political Party Emerges

Since the dissolution of FSU’s Surge Party in February 2025, FSU’s SGA has seen only ForwardFSU and Independent candidates running for the past two election cycles; many elected positions were also uncontested. The introduction of Legacy at FSU changes this dynamic. Legacy at FSU, a new student government party, hosted its inaugural launch party at Bowden’s in College Town on Tuesday, Jan. Miranda Ojea and London Jackoboice, co-directors of Legacy at FSU, want the new party to fix election issues at FSU. “We saw a big decline in the voter turnout when the [SGA] elections went from two parties to one,” Ojea said to the FSView. “Two-party elections are just more competitive, therefore more people vote, which is extremely important for our student government.” One of Legacy at FSU's goals is to start a new mentorship program at FSU to increase overall student campus involvement.

Goals and Platform

Ojea and Jackaboice say one reason for forming a new party was their dedication to increasing input from underrepresented parts of the student body. “Every party has some sort of connection to the greater student body,” Ojea said. “I think that we just saw a lack in general of making sure that there was a person for every organization … for example, we have a list of every [identity-based] agency, and we went down that list, and we said, ‘okay, who should we contact to kinda be our liaison, our delegate, to bridge us to them.’ I think that is something that hasn’t been done before.” With this mentorship program, they want to have a group of freshmen and sophomores [be put] in a professional development program. Every single week, they would be learning about different activities on campus. They’d be meeting with student leaders to humanize [them].

Party Switches and Affiliations

In light of Legacy at FSU’s recent launch, there has been a large number of members from ForwardFSU who have switched their affiliation from ForwardFSU to the Legacy party. One of these individuals is FSU Student Body President Carson Dale. Dale points to Legacy at FSU’s new plans for student outreach to explain his decision. Despite a dedication to outreach, the student body does hold concerns about Legacy due to rumors about its potential affiliation with Burning Spear, FSU’s not-so-secret society. These rumors potentially result from the movement of alleged Burning Spear-affiliated SGA members from ForwardFSU to Legacy. These members can be seen by their Burning Spear insignia, which they sometimes wear while conducting SGA business.

The Office of Governmental Affairs (OGA) and its Role

The Office of Governmental Affairs (OGA) plays a specific role within FSU's Student Government. OGA is the only body on campus that can officially lobby on behalf of the student body and student government. The OGA Executive Director is required by statutes to regularly meet with the Agency Advisory Council which is made up of a member from all the SGA identity-based agencies to get their input on important matters and the legislative agenda. Agencies at FSU help protect vulnerable populations, and the Agency Advisory Council assists OGA in crafting the legislative agenda. In statutes, OGA is required to meet twice a month and a report of that meeting is made during Senate announcements. Statutes require the Board to survey a diverse population of students to gain insight into concerns relevant to the mission of the office; at the time of the proposed Legislative Agenda, this had not been done. Statutes also require OGA to have an Agency Advisory Council that meets once a month.

Recent Controversies Involving OGA

Recently, FSU day at the Capitol could have been the perfect opportunity for student voices to be heard. However, the legislative agenda was not properly expressed and OGA missed out on a clear opportunity to ensure that student concerns were properly lobbied for. Due to Florida’s current political climate, this complaint is even more important today. Therefore, when they go to the Capitol and are explicitly not allowed to mention any of the bills that disenfranchise our students it can send the message that we tolerate bigotry and hate. Especially when every other university in the state of Florida is sending students to lobby against these bills. Both parties ended up reaching a settlement that is a matter of public record. Puwalski has agreed to resign from his position as OGA Director but has not legally admitted fault.

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