SGA Elections | Photo by Monica Brutto | The Wright State Guardian
After creating a new position to represent the student body, the leaders of the Student Government Association discuss how they structured the organization with goals for the upcoming year.
President and Vice President
SGA President Stephanie Buettner and Vice President Aliesha Knauer have already presented changes to the governing body with a new position: Director of Student Health and Wellness.
Buettner expressed hopes for an additional new position, Director of International Student Affairs. Buettner commented on the potential role this new position could play in SGA.
“We have such a large international population here that I would really like to have an international student on SGA. [The Director of International Affairs] could advocate for those students because their needs are very unique,” Buettner explained.
Director of Student Health and Wellness
In a new role this year, Director of Student Health and Wellness Deyavion Washington plans to collaborate with students to understand their needs for education and resources.
“Being a listening ear is something that a lot of people need to make programs that are actually going to work to be beneficial for different populations instead of assuming what somebody needs,” Washington said.
Washington plans to facilitate these changes by getting involved, directing people to proper resources and building relationships to help foster and improve mental health initiatives. In this new position, Washington hopes to learn from and educate fellow SGA members and the student population.
Director of Student Organizations
Angela (AJ) Allen, new Director of Student Organizations, plans to focus on collaboration between smaller organizations on campus. To Allen, special interest organizations are especially beneficial for new students looking to find opportunities to get involved in activities that interest them.
Allen also hopes to have monthly meetings with the coordinating organizations—organizations with large memberships and impacts on campus, including Rainbow Alliance and the Fraternity and Sorority Council—as stated in the proposed SGA bylaws.
Allen plans to accomplish these goals in multiple ways.
“I think it's important to be a presence in the meetings and in the club[s] themselves,” Allen said when discussing coordination of meetings and increased energy toward smaller organizations. “Being there, being a face for student government and somebody that people can talk to, I think that'll be really helpful for keeping that area of communication open.”
Looking ahead
With the new position and restructuring, student government leadership hopes to be more actively engaged with the student population to serve student-specific needs, as Buettner expressed.
To stay updated about SGA, including about meetings, bylaws and the constitution, visit the organization’s Engage page. The first SGA meeting will be on Sept. 5 at 8 p.m. in the Student Union Atlantis A/B room.
