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Student Government Association

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Mission Statement:

Loyola University New Orleans’ Student Government Association promises to promote student welfare, establish an effective and representative student leadership body, exchange transparent ideas between students and the administration, advocate for student interest and needs, encourage students to be educated on important issues that impact our university, and to assume our position in SGA with the fullest power, and responsibility to lead a trustworthy self-government.

Purpose:

Loyola University Student Government Association is an autonomous entity and operates in the form and standing of a university department. It is the principle representative voice of the student body that protect student rights, articulate student responsibilities, assist in the establishment, formation, and application of institutional policy and procedure, aid in the academic and social development, grant charter recognition to student organizations, budget and allocate the revenue received from student fees for student services and organizations and provide those services which are deemed useful and necessary to the student body.

Vision:

Our vision is to enhance students daily experience by improving conditions that lead to student success and preserving student rights. In addition to maintaining collaborative professional relationships with faculty and administrators and advocating student perspectives that are considered at University decision makings.

 

SGA Cabinet Members:

President: Diamond Dixon

Vice President: Rowan Sawyer

Chief of Staff: Rediate Sander

Chief Justice: Kalena Myers

Director of Finance: Chanelly Rodriguez Cruz

Director of Equity & Inclusion: Damari Esqueda

Director of Communications: Melody Perez

Director of Programming: Kaitlyn Kite

Executive Branch:

Loyola University New Orleans’ Student Government Association promises to represent the students' needs and interests to upper administration, as well as encourage students to be educated on important issues that impact our university and community, We are an entity led by and for students, advocating for a more inclusive campus, supporting students to have an exceptional experience and help prepare them for life after Loyola.

The SGA President chairs the Executive Cabinet and serves as the primary liaison to upper administration by serving on several University Committees. The Executive Cabinet consists of the directors of each committee or SGA branch outlined in our Constitution. Each serving a specific purpose, these individuals are designated to further student quality of life and promote their well being in one way or another.

Committees under the Executive Branch include:

  • Finance Committee
  • Equity & Inclusion Committee
  • Communications Committee
  • University Programming Board (UPB)

Finance Committee:

So, what happens with your money?! As the Director of Finance, I am responsible for overseeing and distributing your student fees through our allocations processes. At the beginning of each semester, I am provided with a budget from the University, in which, I, along with the President determine how those funds should be distributed. Line items you may be most familiar with include, General Allocation Requests, Senate Initiatives, Iggy’s Cupboard, and University Programming Board funding just to name a few. Many of you rely on allocations requests to fund your events, activities, and community service endeavours. Of course, I cannot do this work alone, so with the help of the Finance Committee, a vote is held for each allocation request during our weekly meetings. I DO NOT vote on allocation requests. I simply ensure that the requests were filled out with the appropriate documentation and provide the Finance Committee with all the materials they need to make an informed decision. Weekly meetings are open to organization representatives!

 

Equity & Inclusion Committee:

The Director of Equity & Inclusion along with the Equity and Inclusion Committee serve as the entity that ensures that social justice and equity is a priority within the Student Government Association. They also serve as an advocate and liaison for all students, especially those whose identities have been historically underrepresented, such as those detailed in the Executive Branch Bylaws. Director of Equity and Inclusion works and engage with Loyola University New Orleans on institutional-level issues as they relate to the realms of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

 

Communications Committee:

The job of Communications is to create a solid connection with our student body. The communications department's goals are to bringing fresh, cohesive and streamlined ideas to all communication avenues we have currently and or will implement. and also engage with the student body via social media and put forth Loyola and SGA across multiple platforms and keep a big presence on them. We have three different entities in the committee: photographers, social media managers, and publicists. All these entities come together to create the best experience and connections with the student body while also having fun through merch drops and monthly events!

 

University Programming Board (UPB):

The University Programming Board (UPB) is the official programming board under the Student Government Association for Loyola University New Orleans. UPB is a student led programming board that is dedicated to the coordination and implementation of campus-wide events that are educational, social, and entertaining. Some of these events include Third Fridays, Sneaux, Crawfish in the Quad, Countdown to Carnival, bingo, and paint nights. These events not only give students the opportunity to engage with each other, but also fosters a sense of belonging at Loyola and university traditions. UPB strives to develop experiences that meet the needs of Loyola students with an executive board of student programmers. 

Legislative Branch:

The Loyola Student Government Association’s (SGA) Legislative branch is responsible for acting as a support system for a plethora of areas on campus. We oversee the approval of the budget for SGA (including allocations to student organizations), enact resolutions relevant to student interest, address campus policy issues and concerns, and work collectively to foster an inclusive environment for the Loyola student body. The Legislative branch consists of the Senate, which consists of a Speaker of the Senate, senators-at-large, and college specific senators. Within the Senate, there are various committees that are specific to vulnerable areas within Loyola’s community.

Judicial Branch:

The Court of Review is the judicial branch of student government. This means that it works on issues regarding the student government constitution and bylaws, interpreting said governing documents,as well as deciding appellate cases when necessary. The Court of Review also oversees Iggy’s Cupboard and the distribution of the Social Justice Grant. We love to engage the Loyola community in social justice endeavors from service to raising awareness for Domestic Violence. Justices’ time commitment is around three hours a week on average, broken up into meetings, time serving at Iggy’s cupboard, and any events being organized and put on or court cases being handled at that point in time. The Court of Review allows students to not only help plan events and serve in both our campus food pantry and service events but also helps students gain experience writing and reading documents of a more legal nature. Moreover, gives students the opportunity to become more involved in social justice issues within a legal scope.