What is the Student Government Association?

 

The Student Government Association (SGA) is a student body dedicated to serving the collective interests of the Bridgewater State University community, preparing the community for effective living in a democratic society, advocating for the students rights and needs, and encouraging self-reliance in the Association's search for truth and justice.

The Student Government Association of Bridgewater State University was founded in order to fulfill the following purposes:

• To provide the means whereby the members of the Student Body may express themselves effectively in the programs of the University, which directly affect their intellectual, social, economic, physical, and spiritual welfare.

•  To promote better citizenship by developing and promoting student responsibility and by providing practice in democratic  living.

• To coordinate and regulate the activities of student organizations for the benefit of the entire educational community.

• To fairly distribute and oversee the mandatory SGA fee.

• To provide meaningful social and educational co-curricular programs through the Lecture Series, and through SGA funded groups and organizations.

 

How You Can Make a Difference!

The Student Government Association is an organization dedicated to fulfilling the needs and ideas of the students of Bridgewater State University. This is where YOU come in. Let us know your input! Tell SGA about what you want to see on this campus and how we can best serve you as a club member and as a student.

You can also attend meetings where you can give your opinions on issues, as well as bring up issues that you were having as a student that you would like to be solved. If you want to get even more involved you can join SGA as a senate member and have a direct involvement with SGA.

As a club member, make sure you are receiving contact from your Liaison at least once a month to make sure you are up to date on all of your needs and are well prepared for club reports.

Feel free to stop by the SGA office and take advantage of our free printing and water while being updated on the current progress that is being made and issues that fellow students are facing. Basically, WE NEED YOU in order to be an effective SGA and serve the BSU community well.

 

 

SGA Lingo

Here is a Helpful Key to Help You Out with All of your Student Government Interactions:

SGA The Student Government Association.

Club Liaison

                 Every Club that is SGA recognized is given a senator that acts as a club liaison. They are there to help your club to understand how SGA operates, help you request funding, and give you proper guidance in order to prepare you for all SGA processes and due dates.

SPA-  Student Programming Advisor.

                These are students who work in the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership and help your club program amazing events. They help you reserve a space, conduct effective advertising, and plan a fabulous event. They are not the same as your Liaison.

Club Reports:

                These are progress reports that are reported to SGA at various times out of the semester. These reports give a synopsis of the clubs efforts, programs that the club has done so far, and what the clubs plan on doing in the future. These reports are mandatory for all clubs that are SGA recognized. It is preferred that the President of each club is the representative in case more information is needed.

OSIL Recognized:

                Recognized as a club by the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership. This means that your club is registered with the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership, is registered on the Involvement Network (IN). and has also submitted an anti hazing document for all members of the club.

SGA Recognized:

                You are recognized as a club by the Student Government Association. This means that you have submitted an approved copy of your constitution to SGA and have access to SGA funding. You also receive an SGA liaison, and have to report to club reports at SGA meetings.

Robert's Rules:

                This is the method that SGA uses for its parliamentary procedure.

 

Running Meetings with Robert's Rules of Order

A guide for SGA Meeting Procedure

General Procedures

A meeting wouldn't be a meeting without some general rules of procedure and decorum. Robert's Rules, of course, have many of these. Although the rules may seem at times to be trivial or nitpicky or downright weird, they are essentially just a way of ensuring fairness and common courtesy to all members of the meeting.

Speaking

When you have something to say, you have to be recognized by the chair. This is done by simply raising your hand to get recognized. If the chair then calls on you,

you may speak.

Members who have not yet spoken about the topic at hand always have priority over

those who have. According to the Rules, each member can only speak twice on any given topic. When speaking, you may speak only on the merits of the topic immediately at hand. Anything off the topic is out of order, and you can be made to stop talking if someone points it out.

Terms

Amend: To change the wording of a motion.

Assembly: The people or delegates in a meeting.

The Chair: The chair essentially runs the meeting by recognizing who gets to speak when.

Motion: The motion is the basic tool for getting things done, from proposing a new rule to changing the wording of something being considered to requesting a bathroom break. To make a motion, you simply use the phrase "I move that…" and state what you want.

Second: Before a motion can be discussed, it must be seconded. This just means that someone other than the person who made the motion also thinks it should be discussed, which they indicate by saying "Second!" after a motion is made.

Last Modified: June 7, 2012