Legislative Branch

The Student Senate serves as SGA's main legislative body, handling most of its business and filling committee positions. Senate members are elected each fall or appointed by the Student Government President outside the election period, serving a one-year term. To represent your fellow students, you must be an enrolled Georgia College student, maintain a minimum GPA of 2.75, and be in good academic standing. For inquiries about future elections or appointments, contact the SGA President at sga.president@gcsu.edu.

What is an SGA Senator?

In brief, the SGA senator is a liaison between the students and SGA.  They represent their constituency, which may be a particular class at Georgia College or the whole campus community in an "at large" position, depending on what seat they are elected to. If your RSO wants funding through SGA, you have a complaint about the campus or anything that affects you as a student it is the Senator's job to take that complaint or request and make sure that it is brought to SGA's attention. The Student Senate is 25 strong and we're listening.

What does a Senator Do?

A Senator's primary responsibility is to represent their constituents at SGA Senate meetings, held on Friday afternoons during the school year. While these meetings are open to all students, only Senators may vote. Senators serve as the vital link between the student body and SGA, ensuring student concerns are heard and addressed.

Beyond Senate meetings, Senators actively participate in committees where they draft legislation, create policies, and work on special projects. These efforts may include allocating SGA funds to RSOs, proposing changes to university policies, or passing resolutions to address student needs. Additionally, Senators play a public-facing role by representing students at university events, orientations, and social functions, as well as assisting with homecoming and SGA elections.

SGA Constitution
Article III, Section A - C

SECTION A
The Legislative Officers of the student body shall be chosen by the direct vote of the student body by the first twenty-eight (28) days of the Fall semester and will begin their one-year Senate term upon taking the “Oath of Office” as a senator.
 
SECTION B
Membership

The membership of the Senate shall be apportioned by class status.
There shall be five senators from each of the following classes: freshman, sophomore, junior and senior.
In addition, there shall be five (5) at-large positions, which shall be open to any qualified candidate regardless of class rank.
Classification shall be determined by the number of credit hours earned at the time of the Senate election.

SECTION C
Qualifications  

Any enrolled student at Georgia College & State University with a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher and in good academic standing, shall be eligible to run for election or be appointed to the Senate. If a senator’s GPA falls below the requirement, he or she shall be automatically removed from office at the end of the current academic semester.
If any senator should fall into poor judicial standing with the university, they shall be subject to a mandatory hearing with the Student Judicial Board. The Judicial Board will have the authority to remove any senator who the justices deem unfit to hold office, due to his or her judicial standing, by way of a simple majority vote.

There are five standing committees created by the Constitution of the Student Government Association. Most of SGA's tangible work is done through committees. Each committee is comprised of SGA senators elected by the students and may contain an executive officer as well.

Appropriations Committee

The Appropriations Committee deals with bills referred to them by the Senate. They consider, review and recommend allocations on senatorial bills to be approved by a vote of the full Senate. This committee is chaired by a senator appointed by the SGA President.

Campus Issues Committee

The Campus Issues Committee is a collection of ad-hoc committees that seek to gather information on issues important to the student body while suggesting and implementing policies that will better the lives of students at Georgia College. This Campus Issues Committee includes University Community Affairs, Retention, Student Emergency Fund, Public Safety & Wellness, and Sustainability & Infrastructure. These committees have been created to deal with issues that the students have voiced concern about and that can be dealt with immediately. This committee is chaired by the SGA Vice President.

Diversity and Inclusion Committee

The Diversity and Inclusion Committee is committed to representing all students on campus and promoting an inclusive environment on campus. They work closely with the HUB and the Office of Inclusion and Belonging, as well as strive to institute collaboration between all representative student organizations. The committee is chaired by a senator appointed by the SGA President.

Senate Rules and Oversight Committee (SRO)

The Senate Rules and Oversight Committee deals with the internal workings of Student Government as well as assisting with public relations and elections. The committee also oversees the approval process of Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) on Campus. To view a complete list of all RSOs, please follow this link to Campus Life's RSO Management Site, GC Connect. This committee is chaired by the SGA President Pro Tempore.

Student Travel Fund Committee (STFC)

The Student Travel Fund Committee provides limited financial support to students who are presenting scholarly research or a project presentation at and academic conference or workshop. This committee is chaired by the SGA Treasurer.

University Student Affairs Committee

The University Student Affairs Committee deals primarily with matters and services provided by the Department of Auxiliary Services. They work closely with the department to help determine business hours of on-campus dining facilities, parking and student concerns among other tasks. This committee is chaired by a senator appointed by the SGA President.

Bills are documents passed through the Student Senate to allocate funds to approved Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) usually for special events, travel, or one time purchases.  If your RSO would like to request an allocation of funds through SGA please contact your senator or complete the Application for Student Senate Bill (PDF) to start the process.  Please be aware that the legislative process will take a minimum of two full weeks, allow adequate time for such before the funds are needed.

Prior to applying for funding, please be aware of the following terms and conditions:

• Only RSOs with current credentials on file with the Office of Student Engagegement are eligible.
• The Student Government Association allocates money strictly on a reimbursement basis only. No money will be compensated upfront. Some exclusions apply.
• The Treasurer of the Student Government Association must receive the original itemized receipts within 5 business days for non-event usage and 10 business days for event usage. Failure to do so will result in the forfeit of your allocation
• You will be required to provide documentation and support for your bill in the Senate Committee on Appropriations and at the 2nd reading before the Student Senate.
  • It takes a minimum of two weeks or two Senate sessions to approve funds, please allow adequate time for the legislative process.

If you have already received funds through a bill in the student senate and are looking to receive your reimbursement please contact the SGA Treasurer at sga.treasurer@gcsu.edu.

Resolutions are documents passed through the Student Senate that affect policy or make a statement or stance on a particular issue.  Resolution's content can range from parking space assignments to constitutional revisions. If there is an issue that is of high concern to you, talk to your senator about introducing a resolution to have the Senate discuss the matter.

Past resolutions are available for review in the SGA archives. Contact the SGA Secretary at sga.secretary@gcsu.edu to set up an appointment to view the records or visit the SGA Directory. For the most recent years, please see the "SGA Directory" link in the dropdown.

The SGA Secretary records the minutes at each Student Senate session for accurate record keeping. If you would like to review the minutes of any recent session, please contact the SGA Secretary at sga.secretary@gcsu.edu to schedule an appointment.

chairs of each ad hoc committee are to be determined once senate is in session. 

The chosen committees for the year of 2024-2025:

Student and Community Welfare Committee;

Retention Committee;

Public Safety & Wellness Committee;

Student Culture Committee;

Sustainability & Infrastructure Committee.

Managed by the Secretary, SGA has catalogued its records into one place. Containing past bills, resolutions, and minutes among other resources.

Linked here is the: Student Government Association Directory

Contact the Secretary at sga.secretary@gcsu.edu to schedule an appointment with any questions or concerns regarding the SGA Directory.