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Editorial: USGA needs to engage student body
Editorial Board
Issue date: 5/2/08 Section: Ed-Op
The Undergraduate Student Government Association elections are just around the corner.
A year ago, then USGA President-elect Jeff Gardosh told The Triangle, "A year from now I'd like to have 3,000 to 4,000 votes in the elections, not 1,200."
In the past three years the number of voters in the USGA elections seems to have plateaued. In 2004, only 600 people voted in the USGA election. In 2005, voting saw an almost 100 percent increase when 1,165 people voted. In 2006, 1,167 people voted, and in 2007, 1,224 people voted.
Additionally, for the second time in three years, the position of student body president is being unopposed.
It seems to be the same old story.
In 2006, only 11 of 24 races in USGA were contested. In 2007, there were 24 races; only nine of those races were contested and another nine were uncontested. The other six had no candidates. This year, there are 25 races; only seven have more than one candidate running and 10 have no candidates running.
Why isn't student interest growing?
Obviously, that's a problem. Our student government is in a unique position to effect change, as they have the ear of our administrators. There's no way they can do that if there's so little interest in the organization.
The USGA needs to be more active in engaging students in the election process and its activities year-round. Students need to show an interest in their government, and the USGA needs to demonstrate what the student government can do and what it has done. Most importantly, the USGA needs to have one ear to the administrators and the other to the student body. Our USGA needs to serve as a mediator between the students and administration at the University. They need to understand the problems and ideas of students and relay them to administrators, but there's no way to do that with so little student interest in the organization.
One solution is loosening the requirements to run for student body president. Currently, in order to run for student body president you must have prior experience in the USGA. This policy excludes many other qualified individuals who are leaders in other student organizations and clubs from stepping up to leading the student body.
So we ask - why not consider other student leaders on campus? They not only have the experience of running large student organizations, but also know the issues students face day-to-day. The leaders of large and active student organizations like CAB, the DAC Pack or a fraternity or sorority understand how to run an organization and how to get things done at Drexel. They will also offer a fresh new perspective on the problems students face. Why not let the voters decide who should lead USGA?
The bottom line is students need to understand what the USGA does and can do on campus. USGA has done great work for the student population; the explosion of new opportunities for student life and campus improvements are largely due to the work of USGA. However, students need to become more engaged, and one way to achieve this could be opening the presidential election to any and all students.
A year ago, then USGA President-elect Jeff Gardosh told The Triangle, "A year from now I'd like to have 3,000 to 4,000 votes in the elections, not 1,200."
In the past three years the number of voters in the USGA elections seems to have plateaued. In 2004, only 600 people voted in the USGA election. In 2005, voting saw an almost 100 percent increase when 1,165 people voted. In 2006, 1,167 people voted, and in 2007, 1,224 people voted.
Additionally, for the second time in three years, the position of student body president is being unopposed.
It seems to be the same old story.
In 2006, only 11 of 24 races in USGA were contested. In 2007, there were 24 races; only nine of those races were contested and another nine were uncontested. The other six had no candidates. This year, there are 25 races; only seven have more than one candidate running and 10 have no candidates running.
Why isn't student interest growing?
Obviously, that's a problem. Our student government is in a unique position to effect change, as they have the ear of our administrators. There's no way they can do that if there's so little interest in the organization.
The USGA needs to be more active in engaging students in the election process and its activities year-round. Students need to show an interest in their government, and the USGA needs to demonstrate what the student government can do and what it has done. Most importantly, the USGA needs to have one ear to the administrators and the other to the student body. Our USGA needs to serve as a mediator between the students and administration at the University. They need to understand the problems and ideas of students and relay them to administrators, but there's no way to do that with so little student interest in the organization.
One solution is loosening the requirements to run for student body president. Currently, in order to run for student body president you must have prior experience in the USGA. This policy excludes many other qualified individuals who are leaders in other student organizations and clubs from stepping up to leading the student body.
So we ask - why not consider other student leaders on campus? They not only have the experience of running large student organizations, but also know the issues students face day-to-day. The leaders of large and active student organizations like CAB, the DAC Pack or a fraternity or sorority understand how to run an organization and how to get things done at Drexel. They will also offer a fresh new perspective on the problems students face. Why not let the voters decide who should lead USGA?
The bottom line is students need to understand what the USGA does and can do on campus. USGA has done great work for the student population; the explosion of new opportunities for student life and campus improvements are largely due to the work of USGA. However, students need to become more engaged, and one way to achieve this could be opening the presidential election to any and all students.
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