When you think of Student Government you perhaps think of those charged to advocate your concerns on your behalf. Hopefully, those elected to represent you have your issues at heart. What if the legislation passed by Student Government was changed by a board of non-students that greatly increased your student fees but most of it went against what Student Government had originally intended?

This is exactly what happens each year with Student Government.

Some students I spoke with have trust issues and reservations about the effectiveness of Student Government in general. Mostly, students have very little understanding what Student Government actually does. However, to have a non-student body to interrupt the good work that Student Government does hurts Student Government as a whole. In fact, some student senators mentioned that they would not seek a return to Student Government — because Student Government doesn’t seem to have the voice and authority it should have.

Recently, Student Government recommended various student fees and passed resolutions after many long hours of committees, debate and discussion. Instead of the recommendations going straight to the University Board of Trustees, like many other Student Government universities do, the legislation heads to another non-student committee called the Fees and Tuition Committee. In this meeting anything can change without a veto or intervention. In this case fees were increased against the will of Student Government — and the sprit of the student body.

The Fees and Tuitions Committee should relinquish its oversight in the area of student fees and focus primarily on tuition only. The reason is simple; the Mary Easley scandal on our campus focused on ethics and public trust. This committee violates the public trust of those student senators elected to represent their constituents’ wants and needs. Instead, fees increase without any ethical challenge or chance to dispute the end result.

Student Government should have the empowerment and authority to perform the duties like any other representative organization. Of course, there is Student Government advising, a student constitution and checks and balances, but if Student Government is to be taken seriously in the future, it should be granted direct legislation access to the board of trustees — not the slight of hand tactics of backdoor legislation imposed by the University. Many former Student Government leaders have voiced that there needs to be change to best represent students.

Despite what your feelings are about Student Government, understand that those elected do care about you and the University. They work many hours behind the scenes to hopefully provide you a greater college experience. It’s time for the University to allow Student Government to prove its fiscal responsibility and ethical legislative process by allowing direct access to the Board of Trustees instead of side-tracked legislation that further reduces student voices. The motto of the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs is “student first.” Perhaps now is the time they should live up to that motto.