Keeping Student Government Associations Viable
Duration: 1 hour
Facilitator: Dr. Aaron Hughey
Price: $50.00
Overview:
“The Student Government Association (SGA) was established to be an avenue through which student interests and needs may be expressed. It provides students the opportunity to work with college administration officers in matters affecting the welfare of the student body. The SGA works with all student organizations to maintain and improve the quality of student life both on and off campus.” ― Volunteer State Community College (Tennessee)
This webinar is designed to give participants a greater appreciation for the role student government associations continue to play on the contemporary college campus. More than just a programming body or an organization devoted to sponsoring various activities and events, the student government association is designed to give students a true voice in the everyday affairs of the institution. Given the current and still-evolving political climate in this country, combined with the immense challenges currently facing higher education, the role of the student government association has never been more necessary or important.
This interactive presentation will provide a roadmap for keeping your student government association responsive to the needs of the students on your campus given the immense challenges – financial, cultural, and existential – currently facing higher education.
Outline:
- A Brief History of Student Government Associations in the United States
- The Role Student Government Associations Have Traditionally Played
- Challenges Currently Facing Student Government Associations
- Student Government Associations and the Administration: Collaboration or Competition
- Student Government Associations and the Courts: Flashpoint Issues
- The Future of Student Government Associations: Preserving the Past, Creating the Future
Learning Outcomes:
Those participating in the webinar will learn:
- The history and the traditional role of student government associations in the United States.
- The challenges currently facing student government associations and how to effectively respond to those challenges.
- How student government associations can work with campus administrators to better support the students they both exist to serve.
- How the role of student government associations continues to be shaped by the dynamic legal environment (increased litigation, unpredictable court decisions) that characterizes higher education.
- How student government associations must change if they are to continue to be relevant over the coming decades.
Who Should Attend:
This webinar would be of benefit to student affairs professionals who work with student government associations, especially those who are responsible for advising these organizations.
Presenter:
Dr. Aaron W. Hughey is a Professor in the Department of Counseling and Student Affairs at Western Kentucky University, where he oversees the graduate degree program in Student Affairs in Higher Education. Before joining the faculty in 1991, he spent 10 years in progressive administrative positions, including five years as the Associate Director of University Housing at WKU. He was also head of the department of Counseling and Student Affairs for five years before returning to the faculty full-time in 2008. Dr. Hughey has degrees from the University of Tennessee at Martin, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Western Kentucky University, and Northern Illinois University. He has authored (or co-authored) over 70 refereed publications on a wide range of issues including leadership and student development, counseling, standardized testing, diversity, legal issues, and educational administration. He regularly presents at national and international conferences and consults extensively with companies and schools. He also provides training and professional development programs on a variety of topics centered on student success; advising student government associations is one of his specialties.