LETTER: What Does Student Government Do?

By Student Body President Zack Golden

Whenever people find out that I am involved with Student Government the first question that they ask is, “What exactly does Student Government do?” The answer to this question is important because the success of Student Government is tied directly to the level of participation among Mason students.

In explaining what Student Government does, it is useful to first explain what Student Government is not. First, Student Government is not an independent policy making institution. We cannot pass a bill or resolution to change a University policy on our own. We have to work with our University Administration to change policies. Second, Student Government is not an organization that puts on social programs on campus. Third, Student Government is not a political organization. We do not support candidates or parties, we serve students.

Put simply, Student Government serves as an advocate for Mason students to the University Administration and to the outside community.

This advocate role makes our most important job knowing what issues, both on and off campus, are concerning Mason students.

The next part of understanding what Student Government does is knowing how we respond to the concerns of Mason students. At Mason, we operate under a system of shared governance. We have a University Administration that understands hearing concerns and receiving input from faculty, staff, and students allows them to make policies and decisions that are best for the entire Mason community. On the faculty side, University administrators look to the Faculty Senate to hear concerns and receive input from Mason’s faculty members on University policies and decisions. The Staff Senate serves the same purpose for Mason’s staff members.

Student Government is the institution that allows University administrators to hear concerns and receive input from students.

By working with University administrators, Student Government can advocate changing a University policy that students are dissatisfied with. Student Government can propose solutions to problems that Mason students face. We can put on programs that raise awareness or seek solutions to issues that concern Mason students, and, in some cases, Student Government can start or continue traditions for Mason students.

All of these tools available to Student Government to respond to the concerns of Mason students are most successful in achieving their goals when Mason students actively participate in events and contribute ideas and feedback. As we open this new school year, we hope to hear from you often so that this can be an exciting and successful year for Student Government and the entire Mason community.