For students, by students

Every student deserves to be heard. No matter their major, age or background, they should have a positive college experience. This matters as much in a student’s academic life as it does in their social and recreational life. One of the many organizations at Southern Utah University dedicated to this goal is the Southern Utah University Student Association.

What is SUUSA?

Student leadership has always been a part of the university. Shortly after its founding, SUU, then known as Branch Normal School, created “The Self Governing School System” in 1898, where student leaders operated endeavors much like a city council, including a mayor, a judiciary and even a police force. As the university continued to grow and develop, so did the student government, gradually transitioning into a traditional student government system of organizational and student representation. By 1969, this became known as the Associated Studentbody of Southern Utah State College, or ASSUSC. After SUSC changed its name and status to Southern Utah University in 1991, the student government has since become the Southern Utah University Student Association, commonly known among the student body as SUUSA.

SUUSA now has several different positions and leadership opportunities, including but not limited to the Executive Council, Student Senate, Student Programming Board and Involvement Captains. Each position within these and other groups has a unique but important role in meeting the needs of SUU’s students, both collectively as well as individually.

“Broadly, student government here at SUU represents student voices and listens to what students want here,” said Hunter Bosgieter, SUUSA’s Executive Council vice president of programming. “Then, we work to make a lot of these changes that the students themselves want actually made on campus.”

For example, some SUUSA members ensure budgets based on student fees are properly allocated within different student organizations and departments. Others write and pass bills to improve student education and campus life. Additionally, varying types of student activities covering different interests are planned and put on by SUUSA.

“I think the main goal is to engage students and get them involved and feel like they have a place where they belong,” said Alexis McIff, the School of Business senator. “I really like connecting with the students and helping them find opportunities to develop themselves and be prepared to enter the workforce.”

A student-run university

SUU is a very “student-centric” school, with the student to faculty ratio being 19:1. However, this is not the only way students are the prominent force.

“SUU, specifically, is mostly student run,” said Merrick Webb, Executive Council vice president of marketing, when discussing what sets the school’s leadership apart. When one looks around the SUU campus, they may notice that students staff almost every office and store on campus from the President’s Office to the Bookstore. They also contribute as teacher assistants, organization and club leaders and campus maintenance workers.

“It gives the students genuine real-world experience,” said Bosgieter. “It gives students here on campus more to do and feel connected here at the university and feel like they are part of what makes SUU so great because they truly are.” By collaborating with advisors and by working as liaisons with administration through the President’s Cabinet, SUUSA ensures that, in a university that primarily focuses on the well-being of its students, the best people to run the ins and outs of student life are the students themselves.

“It’s more beneficial to have student leaders because we are with the rest of the students,” said Executive Council Vice President of Marketing Merrick Webb. “We are able to listen better; we are able to understand the problems more. We are able to put more personal interest and want into fixing those problems because we are all in the same boat.”

Student-run organizations also have the benefit of fresh faces and new ideas every year as more students join the T-Bird family. New perspectives and objectives help the university grow alongside its students.

“Who better to improve the student experience than students?” McIff added. “I think that we as students have a lot of ideas that should be heard and can help make SUU a better place.”

Why student elections matter

One of the biggest goals of SUUSA is to understand and act on the needs of the students at SUU. As SUU’s spring semester continues, we quickly approach the time of SUUSA elections. These elections, according to SUUSA officers, are crucial to making sure the students are properly represented.

Like other official elections, SUUSA holds a variety of events including campaigns and debates. These proceedings give the general student body an opportunity to hear from their potential future representatives and what they can contribute to the future of their own education.

“The big reason why people should care about the election process is because we will be your student voice,” said Webb.

The best way that a student can ensure their voice is heard is by using it to choose and support upcoming leaders who will represent them.

“People really want to make changes at the university,” McIff said. “I would just encourage everyone to vote because we want to help make SUU better.”

The ongoing legacy

SUUSA not only contributes to but also strives for continuing the legacy of a school led by its students. By listening to students and applying their ideas into the various aspects of their lives during college, SUUSA ensures that the students’ success is also the driving force of the university’s success.

“Our biggest goal is to make sure that every year we keep growing and working harder for the students,” Webb said.

Even though faculty and staff can provide certain resources and learning experiences, much of the advancements in student campus life like providing cultural, practical and social learning opportunities have come from the contribution of students. Had students not used their voice to express themselves, many of the positive changes at SUU would not have been made. It is the students, members of SUUSA and otherwise, who help make Southern Utah University the school it is today and what it can be in the future.

-Written by Andrea Rodgers

Students can vote for members of the Executive Council and for Student Senators.

The Executive Council overlooks the entire student body, regardless of major or college. Students can vote for the following positions:

• President

• Vice President of Academics

• Vice President of Clubs and Organizations

• Vice President of Finance

The Student Senators represent each of the university’s colleges and schools, including: • Education and Human Development

• Engineering and Computational Sciences

• Humanities and Social Sciences

• Performing and Visual Arts

• Science

• Health Sciences

• Business • Graduate Program

Students are invited to prepare to vote by participating in the campaigning process.

Campaigning starts mid-March. This will include a debate session between the various candidates. Elections will be held during the second half of March.

All students are invited and encouraged to vote! Students can vote through their mySUU account or through the SUU app. Detailed information about campaigns and candidates can be found on the SUU app, the SUU Student Life social media sites and on fliers around campus. This and additional voting information can be found on suu.edu/stil/elections or at the Student Involvement and Leadership Office (Student Center Room 177).

To learn more about leadership and involvement opportunities at Southern Utah University, visit suu.edu/stil or visit the Student Involvement and Leadership Office). Applications for these positions will be open from midMarch to the beginning of April.

To learn more about the history of SUUSA and student government, visit SUU’s Special Collections (Sherratt Library Room 005).