Student Government

Structure and branches

Executive Branch: President (elected campus-wide, 1-year term, $8K stipend), Vice President (running mate), Chief of Staff, Cabinet (Directors of: Finance, Communications, Campus Life, Academic Affairs, DEI, Sustainability, Governmental Affairs, Technology). Legislative Branch: Student Senate (30 senators: 20 by college/school, 5 at-large, 3 graduate, 2 first-year). Meets Tuesdays 7 p.m., Founders Hall 210 (public, streamed). Committees: Finance (budget), Student Life, Academic Policy, Campus Safety, Sustainability, Technology, Rules & Ethics. Judicial Branch: Student Supreme Court (5 justices, appointed by President, confirmed by Senate, serve until graduation): interprets Constitution, hears election disputes, club recognition appeals, fee appeals. Staff support: 2 full-time advisors (Student Activities, Student Governance), 1 parliamentarian (faculty, ex officio).

The budget: $1.2M student activity fee

Source: $85/semester per student (full-time), $42/semester (part-time) — $1.2M/year. Allocation process (spring): 1. Clubs/orgs submit budget requests (Feb). 2. Finance Committee holds hearings (Mar). 3. Finance Committee recommends to Senate (Apr). 4. Senate passes Appropriations Bill (simple majority). 5. President signs/vetoes (Senate can override 2/3). Major line items (2025–26): Club/organization funding ($420K), Late-Night Breakfast ($35K), Sustainability Innovation Fund ($50K), Student Venture Incubator ops ($75K), Rec Center late-night expansion ($60K), Mental Health Peer Support ($40K), Emergency Grant Match ($30K, doubles Porter Cares grants), Capital Reserve ($100K, multi-year projects), Contingency ($60K). Transparency: All budgets, expenditures, and contracts published at sg.uwporterfalls.edu/budget (updated monthly).

Shared governance seats

Student Government appoints/elects students to 27 university committees with binding vote:

• Board of Regents Student Representative (1, elected campus-wide, 2-year term, sits on UW System committee)
• University Senate (3 senators, voting)
• Faculty Senate Committees (Curriculum, Academic Standards, Graduate Council, Research Policy — 1 student each, voting)
• Administrative Committees (Parking Appeals, Food Service Advisory, Library Advisory, Rec Center Advisory, Technology Fee, Sustainability Council, Campus Safety — 1–2 students each)
• Search Committees (Deans, VPs, President — student seat guaranteed by Regent policy)

Key initiatives (2025–26)

Textbook Affordability Act: Mandates open-textbook adoption review for all 100/200-level courses; funds $15K OER development grants (faculty + student teams). 24/7 Library Pilot: Extended Halvorsen Library hours (Sun–Thu 2 a.m. close, Fri–Sat 24 hrs) funded by $40K reallocation from contingency. Menstrual Equity: Free period products in all gender-neutral + women’s restrooms (120 dispensers, $18K/year, Aunt Flow partnership). Transit Equity: Free regional-coach rides for Pell-eligible students (negotiated with coach operator, $25K subsidy). Climate Accountability: Student Government operations carbon-neutral by 2027 (offsets + solar on SG office roof). Student Voice Dashboard: Real-time sentiment analysis (pulse surveys, Senate feedback forms, social listening) presented to admin monthly.

Elections and how to run

Spring Election (first Tuesday in April): President/VP ticket (campus-wide), 20 college senators (by college), 5 at-large, 3 grad. Fall Special Election (first Tuesday in October): 2 first-year senators, any vacancies. Eligibility: 2.5+ GPA, good disciplinary standing, enrolled 6+ credits. Filing: Nominating petition (100 signatures for President/VP, 25 for Senate) + platform statement (500 words) + financial disclosure (any outside income >$500). Campaign rules: $300 spending cap (President/VP), $100 (Senate); no university resources; no slate coordination with outside orgs. Debates: SG-hosted, moderated by Porter Press editor, streamed live. Voting: Online (portal, ranked-choice for President/VP, single transferable vote for Senate). Turnout: 22% (2025), 19% (2024), 24% (2023). Term: 1 year (May–April); no term limits.

Graduate Student Association (GSA)

Separate but affiliated: Own constitution, own budget ($180K from grad activity fee: $40/semester), own executives (President, VP, Treasurer, Communications), own Senate (15 reps by program). Focus areas: Graduate stipend benchmarking, health insurance dependent coverage, dissertation/thesis formatting support, TA/RA workload policy, professional development travel grants ($1,000/year per student, competitive). Shared governance: GSA President sits on Student Government Cabinet (ex officio); 3 GSA senators on Student Senate. Joint initiatives: Grad-Parent Childcare Subsidy ($200/month, funded jointly), Graduate Research Showcase (annual, April, cash prizes), Mental Health Tailored Programming (imposter syndrome, isolation, advisor conflict).