The Student Government Association is now sharing monthly updates on our initiatives and progress to further our transparency and accountability. They will be published on the first of every month, detailing the activities of the previous month and our goals for the upcoming month. We thank the Vermont Cynic for supporting this idea.
We began the semester by electing eight first-year representatives and appointing four new members. To support our new senators, we launched an SGA mentorship program this year, teaching them how to be effective representatives. We also held our Fall Leadership Retreat from Sept. 19 to 21, which was attended by President Tromp and other University leadership.
Last semester, we outlined three goals for this session: expanding student support amid the current U.S. political climate, leading efforts to foster a culture of consent at UVM and reforming SGA operations to engage more directly with students. Our initiatives leading into the school year centered around these goals.
Goal #1: Expanding support amid the current political climate
We have partnered with the Connect, Assess, Refer, Engage Team and the campus club UPRAWR to bring direct assistance to students in the SGA Galaxy Space. The CARE Team will hold monthly office hours starting on Oct. 3 from noon to 2:00 p.m. UPRAWR visited on Friday, Sept. 26, and we are finalizing the concrete dates for October.
Our Student Action and Well-being and Public Relations Committees are collaborating to plan this semester’s Week of Kindness, which will take place from Nov. 10 to 14.
We have established the Federal Actions Committee to address student concerns during this time, and there will be opportunities for student involvement. Please reach out to [email protected] if you are interested in being involved.
Goal #2: Leading sexual violence prevention efforts
We have partnered with the Office of Equal Opportunity to provide care packages to individuals involved in the Title IX process. We are hoping to launch these packages in October.
We are holding Sexual Violence ClubSigner Training on Oct. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. for all current ClubSigners. This year, we are working with the Preventing Interpersonal Violence via Outreach and Training peer educators to further promote consent at UVM. The PIVOT peer educators will be in attendance.
Goal #3: Enhancing SGA operations and increasing our visibility
Internally, we have worked to reinstate our operational documents, created a semester calendar posted on our website, implemented accountability forms and underwent a goal-setting process.
Externally, we created “Welcome to Campus” dormitory door flyers, hosted “Grilling with the Government” and organized various pop-up events to reach more student groups.
Our Finance and Club Affairs Committees are continually improving our procedures for clubs and ClubSigners through initiatives such as virtual club signer training and creating comprehensive documents for all processes.
Our Committee on the Environment spearheaded an initiative to bring more water fountain stations to dormitory halls. Stations were installed in Christie/Wright/Patterson and Wing/Davis/Wilks over the summer, while those in Marsh/Austin/Tupper and Coolidge Hall will happen over winter break.
Our Academic Affairs and Legislative and Community Affairs Committees have established regular contact with deans, academic resources and community members to bolster our presence and engagement.
How to reach us
Please stop by our office, located on the third floor of the Davis Center in the SGA Galaxy Space, with any questions or concerns. We hold office hours every Tuesday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Additionally, our weekly meetings take place on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in the Livak Ballroom, and these are open to all students.
SGA is just getting started. We are eager to hear feedback on our current initiatives and/or suggestions for future endeavors. Please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact us at [email protected] or [email protected] at any time.
We look forward to another great month ahead.
