Reflections of Student Government Association Leaders: Implications for Advisors

Through participating in student organizations, college and university students can gain leadership skills and become engaged with the campus community. One such organization is a student government association. Student governments, which represent the needs of students to faculty and administrators, are considered high profile organizations and are charged with many responsibilities. The purpose of the current study was to describe the experiences of presidents of student government associations. Thirteen students were interviewed in this qualitative study. Data analysis revealed three themes, including working with student government advisors, learning from experiences, and serving the student body. The perceptions revealed in this study may affect how student government advisors, including administrators, faculty, and student affairs staff, approach their advising responsibilities. Introduction Student government associations serve as formal structures for student involvement in decision-making at colleges and universities. Student governments serve the students and the institution of higher education as a whole (Laosebikan-Buggs, 2006). Student governance benefits the institution by giving students a structure through which to express their voices (Kuh & Lund, 1994) and opinions (Terrell & Cuyjet, 1994). Student governance bodies are typically charged with allocating student fees, representing students to administrators, and recognizing student clubs and organizations (Laosebikan-Buggs, 2006). Student governance units are typically one of the governing bodies in place at a college or university. All of the governance bodies have a role in making institutional decisions. In some cases, the units have a great deal of power. In other situations, they are simply in place to carry out the decisions of administrators (Miller & Nadler, 2006). Student governments can serve students and administrators by representing the needs of students to on-campus and off-campus constituencies (Mackey, 2006). The expectations of administrators affect the success of student governments. When administrators know the challenges student governments face, they can help the students work through those challenges (Laosebikan-Buggs, 2006). The purpose of the current study was to describe the experiences of student government association presidents. Thirteen students were interviewed. The information gathered has implications for administrators, staff, and faculty members who advise student governments. Review of Literature Advising Student Organizations Participating in student organizations can assist students with their personal development (Foubert & Grainger, 2006; Rainey, 1995; Schuh & Laverty, 1983) and increase their overall college experience (Abrahamowicz, 1988). Staff members serve as advisors to a wide variety of clubs and organizations, including fraternities and sororities, residence hall associations, honoraries, academic clubs, and student government associations (Love, 2003). In order to effectively advise a student organization, advisors need to be familiar with the rules and policies that regulate how they advise and interact with students. Advisors of student groups should also have an understanding of group dynamics and student development theory (Love, 2003). Student organization advisors must fulfill many roles, including those of mentor, teacher, leader, supervisor, and follower (Dunkel & Schuh, 1998). Group advisors need to be able to lead the group, but also must recognize when to step back and take the role of follower. Failure can be a way for students to learn. Advisors need to know when to allow a group to fail and when the situation can not fail. It is up to the advisor to handle the events in a sensitive way and utilize those failures as teachable moments (Love, 2003). Unique Challenges of Student Government Associations Student government associations are entrusted with responsibilities that fall under four main areas (Torok, 1999). …