History and Overview of the Current SGA

The Student Government Association of Longwood University consists of a 34 member Senate which includes a 6 member Executive Council. In accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Student Government Association Constitution all students of Longwood University "shall be members of this association." Thus, every student is considered to be represented by the senate. However, only the Senate may vote on an issue.

You may ask, "Why should I be involved in the Student Government?" You should be involved in order to improve your school. Assume the university is enforcing a policy that affects yourself and others of the student body; however, you are the only person working for change. By bringing that issue before the Student Government Association, you may be responsible for reversing an unfair policy or streamlining an important process.

The Student Government cannot survive without input from other members of the Longwood University community. Without you, government becomes ineffective.

In order to assure a government which functions properly and assertively, the 1992 Student Government formed several committees encompassing various aspects of student, academic, and social life here at Longwood. These committees include the Student Services Committee, which oversees such services as the registrar and the A.R.A. This committee, in recent years, has grown to encompass all student liberty issues. The Academic Affairs Committee works with the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs in order to assure an honest and functional learning environment. There are also committees which oversee the organization and its own internal functions, for example the Campus Elections Committee. You might also be interested to know that several of our organizations at Longwood began as a branch of the Student Government Association. The Judicial Board, Honor Board, Lancer Productions, and the Residence Hall Association all originated within the Government and are still considered a vital part of the organization.

In order to insure that meetings are run smoothly, we follow Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised. If you'd like to brush up on these, there is a copy in the Library; however it is easy to participate without knowledge of parliamentary procedure. Robert's Rules are intricate, but no prior knowledge is needed when speaking at one of the meetings. If necessary the Vice President or Parliamentarian will assist you.

One of the greatest responsibilities that the Student Government holds is the allocation of your student activities fee. During the Spring semester, the Student Finance Committee (SFC) reviews detailed budget information for each organization and allots them a portion of the total sum of the Student Activities Fee.

So no matter how you are involved in activities at Longwood, you will have some interaction with our organization. The Student Government Association meets Tuesdays at 3:45 in the BC rooms of the Lankford Student Union. If you would like more information on our meetings, please feel free to contact us. Also, please feel free to approach us directly, or at the Student Government Office, Room 218, in the Student Union.