Hello, everyone!
On behalf of the Student Government Association, I am happy to welcome you to the University of North Alabama for yet another fantastic year. My name is Kerigan Mardis, and I am honored to be currently serving as your 2024-2025 SGA President. I am a senior majoring in finance and minoring in management. After graduating from UNA, I plan to attend law school. Also, I am from Leighton, Alabama which is about twenty-five minutes away from Florence. Since UNA is close to home, I was made aware of all the great things that the University has to offer at an early age.
That said, this year, I encourage all of you to take advantage of the opportunities that this University has to offer you. UNA has over 120 registered student organizations that you can be a part of to get involved on campus. Now that I am a senior, I have realized that joining groups on campus is the best way to form connections with your peers and gain experiences that will help prepare you for your future. Therefore, join as many organizations as your schedule allows, create as many connections as you can, and get the most out of UNA! One of my biggest regrets of my freshman year was only plugging into one organization. However, fortunately for me that one organization was SGA, and it has changed my life.
The Student Government Association is an organization that is for the students, by the students. It is an organization that gives to its members by enabling them to serve others – which is why it has so positively impacted my life. Our motto after all is leadership, advocacy, and service. That motto is part of our Declaration of Purpose. Our declaration also states that SGA was created to protect and defend the rights and responsibilities of the University to the students and the students to the University, to advocate the wants and needs of the entire student body, and to assist in University Decision Making through the power granted by Shared Governance.
SGA operates through four branches: Executive, Legislative, Judicial, and Freshman Forum. The Executive Branch is comprised of the four elected officers and appointed Executive Council members and is responsible for leading the organization. The Legislative Branch is made up of elected senators who represent the Student Body and hold the power to vote. The Judicial Branch is comprised of the Student Court, which interprets the SGA Code of Laws and the SGA Constitution. Lastly, Freshman Forum provides education, service, and leadership opportunities for a group of thirty-five to forty freshmen every year.
These branches work together to do three important things for students. Firstly, SGA is the students’ representation to the administration. This means that every member of SGA is a student advocate and strives to ensure student welfare across campus. Next, the organization is responsible for the Student Allocation Funds and distributes over $100,000 to RSOs each year. Lastly, SGA facilitates Homecoming Court elections, SGA elections, and referendums. While two of these important tasks are the same every year, how SGA represents the student body changes depending on the goals of those who are elected.
During our campaign this year, the Vice President and I ran on seven areas of importance that are as follows: Diversity and Inclusion, Mental Health Awareness, Student Advocacy and Representation, Transparency and Accountability, Campus Facilities and Services, Empowering and Educating, and Enhanced Communication. We tasked the senate to select five areas they will specifically focus on this year and build their goals upon. First, they selected Student Advocacy and Representation through our RSO Outreach Initiative, specific student surveys, and by increasing senator visibility on campus. During this year, the senators hope to have Enhanced Communication by the implementation of effective communication pieces and by educating ourselves, so that we are better equipped to share the information with you all. For their third area, the senators chose to focus on promoting Diversity and Inclusion both within SGA and on campus through intentional partnerships and striving to provide students with specific international products. By sharing campus resources and services, advocating for student safety, and providing other food options on campus, the senate believes they can achieve their fourth goal: Campus Facilities and Services. Finally, the Legislative branch chose to focus on Mental Health Awareness through philanthropic fundraising, partnership with Student Counseling Services, and by sharing resources on our platform. These goals were chosen based on what the senators believe will have the greatest positive impact on our campus, community, and organization.
If you are interested in getting involved with SGA, I highly encourage you to attend Senate meetings or join a committee as a non-voting member. Senate meetings are held every Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in the SGA Chambers in the Guillot University Center 163B. On the agenda at every meeting, there is a section titled “Student Forum”. During Student Forum, students can communicate any ideas, questions, or concerns to the Senate. However, if our meeting times conflict with your schedule, please reach out to us by emailing [email protected] any thoughts or suggestions that you may have.
While the Student Government Association will always be a valuable resource for you as a student, it may not be where your interest lies. That said, if you are interested in joining a different group on campus, I also encourage you to do so. Being involved at UNA will greatly impact your college experience and in turn, your leadership will greatly impact UNA.
To stay up to date on SGA and other activities on campus, please continue to read The Flor-Ala during your time as a student. If you have any questions or concerns during your time at the University of North Alabama, please contact me at [email protected] or [email protected]. If you would like to obtain more information on your Student Government Association, visit una.edu/sga.
Best of luck to you this year! Roar Lions!
Kerigan Mardis
SGA President
Psalms 20:4
