The current Student Government Association (SGA) executive board started the year with a commitment to reinvent the SGA, which calls for much work.
After accomplishing a lot this past summer – such as re-establishing relationships with various organizations and creating more opportunities for legislator involvement – the board has not slowed down.
However, they are short a treasurer. Former Treasurer Heather Francis, who started the semester emphasizing the SGA’s need for increased transparency, announced in a memo that she would be resigning from the executive board.
Her resignation officially began Nov. 2. In the memo, Francis cited “ongoing personal issues,” as the reason for her departure. While she did not go into detail, she encouraged legislatures to speak with her one on one for clarification.
The SGA is holding a special election for a new treasurer later this month. Campaigning began Nov. 5 and voting takes place from Nov. 19 to Nov. 21. In the meantime, SGA President Serafina Genise is fulfilling the treasurer’s responsibilities.
Despite the increase in work, Genise said that she and the SGA have been able to handle the change so far.
“I have my board and we have our support system, our advisers, along with Pam, our bookkeeper. We have policies in place,” Genise said. “We’ll get through the two weeks no problem.”
Francis will help oversee the transition once the new treasurer is determined. She will also serve as the student representative on a recently established committee working with the board of trustees to help Montclair State divest money from fossil fuel companies and find more environmentally friendly investments.
Still to come, the winning designer of the organizations search for a new logo crest will be revealed Friday.
Secretary Jillian Royal explained the need for a new crest that will represent students, even if they are not involved in the SGA.
“The idea is to have a logo that is more inclusive. We want to see what the students think of us so that it can be well-represented,” Royal said. “It can’t just be something from the internal club. We need external because all students are a part of the student government.”
Royal has also been working to use the SGA’s social media accounts, @sga_msu on Twitter and Instagram, to give students outside of the SGA more insight in to what the org does.
Vice President and long-time SGA member Emma Rush talked about the increased involvement of the organization’s legislative body.
“Our numbers have gone up in the legislative branch, but more specifically, their involvement has increased, and that’s the biggest thing,” Rush said. “You can have the 65-person, which is our cap, legislature and if you have about three of them that are active, then it doesn’t do anything to the SGA or the students it’s supposed to serve.”
One of the SGA’s points this year was to create a new constitution. After drafting one, they decided not to move forward with it, but there are plans to make changes this spring.
