By Rebecka Jones, Staff Writer
Strong Leadership on Campus
Few students are aware of the strong leadership team representing the interests of the student body here at Pellissippi State Community College. The Student Government Association (SGA) is a group of elected student leaders here to mentor, advocate for, and facilitate engaging co-curricular activities and programs for students on campus. Additionally, SGA provides a valuable partnership with the college administration regarding student issues and concerns.
SGA makes itself available to students through Engage and Lead events, social media, as well as open in-person and virtual meetings, but many students don’t know about its goals and processes. Thankfully, SGA vice president Maven Dykes was enthusiastic about sharing SGA’s significance to students and hopes to have a better space for more students to join.
Significance of SGA
For those interested in joining, SGA offers students incredible leadership opportunities. The student president goes to presidential meetings for the college, where she engages with other college presidents and even gets to hand out snacks and encourage students to participate in college events. Other members, such as the vice president and parliamentarian, develop strong communication and leadership skills.
The organization also practices government procedures to give members experience. Every year, SGA attends an event called Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature (TISL) in Nashville, where they learn about and assume government roles. Moreover, members model how bills get passed in the real government and experience mock trials.
Professional lobbyists walk them through how to lobby, draft bills and amendments to express their views, argue a case to a petitioner and respondent, and practice journalism that covers and examines state politics. SGA then uses the government processes they learned from TISL and applies them to their leadership roles at Pellissippi State.
Experiencing how a governing body is meant to operate equips the members of SGA to handle issues and concerns among the student body. Students at Pellissippi State can trust that their leaders are willing to help in any way they can.
“We allow students to talk about what they need,” Vice President Maven Dykes explained. As a governing body, SGA is here to listen to student concerns and guide them. They have an event called “Voice Out,” where students can submit concerns and changes they want to see around campus.
The leadership does the best they can to make those concerns into bills and pass them. SGA strives to make genuine changes that students want in order to make Pellissippi State more about the student community. SGA will often set up tables around campus for “Voice Out” because they want face-to-face interactions with students as they express their concerns.
“Our biggest goal right now is making sure that we can serve every student across every campus, including the virtual campus,” Dykes said. “We want students to know that we’re here and ready to help.”
Maven Dykes explained that a common concern they receive from “Voice Out” is about traffic lights. Many students have submitted questions about getting traffic lights moved or fixed, but SGA cannot help in that area. However, they are happy to refer students to the city council so their concerns can be heard.
“If we cannot help them directly,” said Maven Dykes. “We try to turn them to someone who can.”
Getting Involved & Roles of Active Members
Students are always welcome to SGA’s open meetings, which occur every other Thursday in GN 147. However, the current room provides limited space, so SGA encourages interested students to join via Microsoft Teams. Maven Dykes recommends that they listen to how meetings and government processes work first before coming in-person, but anyone is welcome to join.
“We’re working on trying to find a different space so we can bring pizza and snacks and have a fully open meeting,” Maven Dykes said. SGA would be honored to have more students join willing to take leadership roles, which will encourage administration to help the organization relocate to a larger space.
Students can also get involved by responding to SGA’s “Voice Out” events, whether that be through the Google Form posted on their Instagram (@psccsga) or visiting their tables at Engage and Lead events.
“We’re in and around the Engage and Lead events,” Maven Dykes explained. “At least one of us is around to talk to.”
Students pursuing majors related to government and politics, or who simply want to develop strong leadership and communication skills, can get involved and apply for an official role at SGA.
According to SGA’s Constitution, each role on the executive board has a different set of responsibilities within the organization. There are a variety of roles students can be elected for: president, vice president, parliamentarian, secretary, speaker of the house, and treasurer.
The president, Aleena Kokesh, is responsible for overseeing and communicating information back and forth with other college presidents. The vice president, Maven Dykes, on the other hand, focuses on communicating with students and connecting them with the organization, as well as advertising on SGA’s social media accounts.
Furthermore, Parliamentarian Lydia Crooks is responsible for keeping meetings on track and avoiding off-topic conversations so the organization can effectively accomplish its tasks. The secretary, Kayla Crawford’s, is focused on keeping notes and minutes for every meeting so everyone knows their tasks for the week. Lastly, the Speaker of the House and treasurer, Jacob Hunley, coordinates meetings with representatives and handles the money.
Students can still get involved without filling one of these roles. Representative positions are available to students, where they will have separate meetings with the Speaker of the House and can apply to run for office. SGA’s qualifications for any position, excluding president and vice president, include a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester and serving a minimum term of one academic year.
All candidates must remain in good standing with Pellissippi State Student Code of Conduct Policy No.04:02:00 within one year of election. Furthermore, all candidates and SGA members must have a Pellissippi State GPA of 2.5 to hold the position, except for students running for office in their first semester. All students must also be degree-seeking and may not serve for more than 2 terms.
For presidential, vice-presidential, and House positions, candidates are nominated by a petition bearing the signatures of 12 students and 3 members of staff or faculty. On the other hand, the secretary, treasurer, and parliamentarian will apply for consideration for appointment and require a faculty nomination.
Positions are all agreed upon; the president and vice president are voted on by the student body, and the other positions on the executive board are appointed by the two. Student votes are taken on Google Forms, which will be posted on flyers around campus, Monday morning news, and social media around election time.
Students who are interested in becoming a member of SGA can apply here!
Once candidates are selected to be on the executive board, they will receive the charges of their role, repeat the pledge to uphold the SGA Constitution, and be officially declared as members in the Installation Ceremony. On September 16, SGA held the ceremony in the Alexander Building for the new members of this academic year.
How SGA Operates on Campus
There are certain issues on campus where SGA can step in; otherwise, they will refer students to administration. Maven Dykes explained an issue they solved last year, where overseas military students were under the impression they could pursue a degree completely virtually due to how it was advertised. However, SGA informed them that not every class has virtual options.
“Little things like a false advertising issue or technology issue are more our forte,” said SGA’s vice president.
There might also be scheduling conflicts between clubs that are trying to access a meeting space, and SGA could step in and find a solution by directing them to a different space or meeting time. They will also inform students of higher contacts, such as Dean Loveday, assistant vice president of student affairs, who is willing to help.
Likewise, SGA can only initiate or change certain policies at Pellissippi State. They first assess whether an issue is something they are able to change and is worth making a change before taking it to higher leadership when they could solve it themselves. One of SGA’s wonderful advisors, Dr. Couch, assists them in determining whether the issue is relevant to the organization’s capabilities.
“One way or another, we try to address the problem,” Maven Dykes explained. “Typically it doesn’t get to the point of taking it [to a higher power] or changing policies. We can if it is necessary.”
Recent & Upcoming Events
Whenever there are ongoing political issues such as free speech rights, SGA makes it their mission to stand politically neutral because they want to focus on community. It aims to create an environment where students can safely share their opinions without being discriminated against or physically harmed, so the representatives have organized events to provide students with opportunities to be open about their beliefs.
September 17 was SGA’s Constitution Day, where representatives gave out free Constitution packets so students could learn about the document that has shaped the nation. They also allowed students to anonymously write what they believed freedom meant on boards posted around the campus walkways.
Allowing students to voice their opinions builds their confidence and helps them become more open about what they believe. Rather than being afraid to stand up because of potential hate, students will be more willing to rise and fight. As the world struggles with political conflicts, society needs a generation that is strong and confident in what they stand for in order they can make the world a better place little by little.
SGA is also involved in many Engage and Lead events. Panther Pop-Up is an information table where students can stop by and get snacks while catching a quick break from class to engage with their peers, which will be happening in GN 100 on September 23. Another event SGA may be attending is a Leaders Who Lunch training session, where students can connect with others and strengthen their leadership skills. This event will be held in BL 147 on September 29.
There are many more upcoming events for students to participate in and find out about SGA. More Engage and Lead events can be found on the Calendar.
Become A Leader Today
Students, don’t miss the chance to become one of Pellissippi State’s leaders! SGA offers many opportunities to develop leadership skills, whether that be through exciting field trips, handling issues and concerns around campus, or organizing engaging events where students can voice their opinions.
Leadership training is not only an excellent resume-booster, but it will also help you handle situations and stand up for what’s right in your professional career. Nowadays, we need powerful voices who will make changes in the world by impacting the people around them. You can start by being a leader at Pellissippi State, where a strong and compassionate community is emphasized.
Next time you see a flyer or booth about SGA, don’t be afraid to speak with the representatives. They will be more than happy to connect you with the organization and begin your journey in becoming a strong leader.
