Navigating Campus Democracy: Understanding Undergraduate Student Government Roles and Responsibilities

Within the vibrant ecosystem of a college campus, student government stands as a beacon of democratic engagement, advocating for student rights, amplifying voices, and shaping the student experience. As a cornerstone of campus life, the student government plays a multifaceted role in representing the diverse interests and needs of the student body.

The Essence of Student Government

At its core, the student government serves as a powerful advocate for the collective interests and concerns of the student body. By serving as liaisons between students, faculty, and administration, student government leaders ensure that student perspectives are heard and considered in the decision-making processes that shape campus life. The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) aims to serve as a bridge between undergraduate students and various governing bodies of the university including administration, faculty, and graduate students as we advocate for the needs of our peers.

Fostering Leadership and Civic Engagement

Beyond advocacy and representation, student government plays a pivotal role in fostering leadership development and civic engagement among students. Through hands-on experience in governance, students gain practical skills in decision-making, consensus-building, and conflict resolution, preparing them for future roles as leaders and advocates in their professions and communities. Student governments are usually extracurricular activities available to students within schools. They present opportunities for student leadership and are one possible facet of school-based management. Students who participate in student government tend to have higher GPAs and fewer unexcused absences, and tend to be more informed about politics.

Enhancing Campus Life

In addition to its advocacy and leadership development roles, student government plays a crucial role in enhancing campus life through programming, events, and community-building initiatives. By sponsoring student clubs, organizations, and activities, student government creates spaces for students to pursue their passions, explore new interests, and forge meaningful relationships with their peers. The ASUC and GA are involved in a number of projects and programs that benefit the student body, many of which go beyond just student group funding or spaces for student group usage/storage.

A Historical Perspective

Student participation in governance of their educational institution has a long and diverse history. In K-12 education there are a variety of examples throughout educational history in which students have been involved in school management. Vineyard and Poole (1930) note that at Plato's Academy, pupils elected students for certain school tasks every ten days. Other European schools decreed that students be allowed to participate in school governance side by side with the administration. Structures included senates made up of representatives elected by students in 16th century Germany, schools that assigned "monitors" (an older student as an assistant teacher) in 18th century India, and assemblies that were chosen each month in 18th century America. Monitorial schools also found their way to America, and became a tool to teach students how to handle affairs that would prepare them for life after school (McGown, 1944).

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Student governance in higher education began as university learning expanded. Universities in their early days were very loosely organized - interested students traveled to those individuals who were willing to teach them. By the 13th century, the numbers of students and teachers had increased so dramatically that improved guidelines and management was necessary, and began within the institutions (McGown, 1944). The convening of student nations at universities in Bologna beginning in the 12th century, which brought together students from similar regions, is one of the earliest examples of student governance. These nations elected representatives who helped run the day-to-day activities of the school (McGown, 1944).

In the history of American higher education, the first institution known to encourage student participation was the College of William & Mary, in the late 18th century. The students elected representatives to a council who handled discipline issues. Other examples of student governments were established at Oberlin College, founded in 1833, which not only gained recognition for admitting all students, regardless of race, but also allowed significant participation from students regarding management issues (McGown, 1944).

In the 1900s, student governments began playing a larger role in the social aspects of colleges and universities, and by the 1960s students at many institutions were demanding increased student participation regarding the decision-making process at schools across the country (Hodgekinson, 1971, as cited by Miller & Nadler, 2006). After World War II, the rapid growth of colleges and universities in the United States fueled the expansion of student governments to help operate these schools (Mackey, III, 2006).

The Structure of Student Government

There are many permutations of student government organization - it is unlikely there are two student governments in the entire country that are the same. Student governments may differ in the number of people involved, the types of responsibilities and tasks that they are responsible for, and the configuration of the organization (McGown, 1944).

Titles and Offices

Titles and offices organize student governments internally. Possible offices or titles include President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, and representatives. Individuals involved may also include leaders from various clubs, living quarters, or homerooms. All of these individuals will have specified roles depending on the responsibilities of the student government:

The President and vice-president are most often responsible for planning meetings and running them in an efficient manner while delegating duties.
The secretary will record minutes, attend to correspondence needed, and create documents.
The treasurer is responsible for overseeing any financial activities of the student governments or the groups that the student government manages and oversees. For example, in many colleges, student governments are responsible for distributing money from student activities budgets to various clubs and organizations. The treasurer acts as the point person for all of these discussions and transactions.
Other officers may represent the interests of their homeroom, club, or housemates.

A student government may be made up of officers through election or appointment. When student government officers are elected, they may be elected at the beginning of a year for that year, or at the end of the year, to be inaugurated the following year. Schools may also hold elections twice, to account for the cyclical nature of education institutions (McGown, 1944).

The structure of a student government will depend upon the school and its needs. In K-12 student governments often elect representatives from homerooms or classrooms, or by grade. In a more complex institution, such as a large university, there may be many other representatives from clubs, sports teams, or fraternities and sororities. The organization of a student council may be very simple to very complex. They may involve only a few students, or hundreds of students. Student governments may be directly overseen by faculty or administration, or may be largely unsupervised. These distinctions are different from school to school and grade level to grade level (McGown, 1994).

Responsibilities of Student Government

The responsibilities afforded to student governments can vary from informal to very specific. Informal councils are marked by limited authority and a lack of power to determine policy. Other councils may be extremely detailed in their duties (McGown, 1944).

The scope of responsibility of student governments can include:

Managing clubs and student organizations
Fundraising
Social activities planning
Student discipline
Settling disputes
As a forum for discussion of changes within the school.

College & University Student Government

The organizational structure of student governments in higher education institutions often have characteristics similar to that of the United States government, other nation's governments, or roles similar to what one might find in a corporation or business. The responsibilities of student governments in higher education institutions today may include, but are not limited to:

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Representing the ideas and beliefs of the student body while acting as a liaison between students and teachers and administrators
Distributing money to various student organizations from a budget
Organizing and sponsoring social and entertainment activities
Acting as the governing body for student organizations (Love & Miller, 2003; Miller & Nadler, 2006).

Public School Student Government

The majority of elementary, middle, and high schools across the country have some form of student government. These governing bodies are often loosely modeled after the American system of government. More senior positions are usually reserved for older students, and younger students may act as class representatives. An adult - most often a teacher or faculty member at that school, may oversee a student government in K-12 schools (McGown, 1944).

The Election Process

The process by which students are elected or designated to serve on student governments differs from institution to institution. Often, elections occur on campus in which the student body may vote on they deem best to represent their interests. Campaigning is common, at all levels, but procedures may differ school to school.

Addressing Changing Student Populations

Another important role of many student governments today includes representing changing student bodies. Today, many college campuses house increasingly diverse student bodies whose requirements and views adjust with each new generation of students. Student governments often bridge the gap and school administrations often look to these councils to represent these changes (Miller & Nadler, 2006).

Challenges and Criticisms

Researchers do not necessarily agree upon the benefits of participation in school government for students and educational institutions. The evolution of student governments and their roles in schools has been a long process. Today, allegations are often heard that student governments have many flaws: they do not represent the student body, they have no real power, and that elections have degenerated into a popularity contest more than an exercise in democracy (Mackey, 2006; Miller & Nadler, 2006).

Student Government in Action: Examples

ASI (Associated Students, Inc.): An example of a student government committed to representing, advocating for, and serving students by enhancing the overall student experience. The ASI President aims to ensure that every student feels connected, supported, and empowered. Goals may include alleviating financial burdens faced by students, expanding and strengthening resources for student parents, and building upon support on various campuses.
RIT Student Government: This governance group represents and serves students. It utilizes a shared governance structure to voice student opinion and concern and aims to be at the forefront of change within the university.
Undergraduate Student Government (USG) at Bowling Green State University: Envisions a campus where every undergraduate student is empowered to thrive academically, socially, and personally.
ASUC (Associated Students of the University of California): Has eight Commissions and many committees who work on advocacy, resources and programming for students.
Graduate Assembly: Project Directors are initiatives created to address specific equity and inclusion issues relevant to graduate students.

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