» About SGA

Our Mission

The Student Government Association, as part of the greater academic representative voice of the student body, serves as the deliberate and consultative body vested with the power to advocate for students’ rights, needs, interests, and welfare. The Student Government Association advocates for students at all University levels including, but not limited to, the Board of Trustees, the President of the University, the Provost, the Dean of Students, the Faculty Senate, the administrative offices of the University, and the general public.

Structure

The Chapman University Student Government Association (SGA) is comprised of an Executive Council, a Senate containing 17 elected student representatives, a Judicial Branch, and various support staff. Each position maintains, upholds, and advocates for a specific constituency within the Chapman student population. Click below to learn more about the different roles in SGA!

For a comprehensive list of responsibilities for each position, please refer to our Operating Documents.

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President: The President is ultimately responsible for the welfare of the entirety of SGA. They work with other members of the Executive Council and Senate to coordinate their activities and philosophies, and may propose legislation and activities to the Senate. The President, in conjunction with the Director of Finance, oversees all SGA financial operations, and serves as the primary liaison with the University community at large, including the University administration.

Vice President: The Vice President calls and presides over all sessions of the Senate, in conjunction with the Speaker of the Senate, and serves as the primary liaison between the Senate and the Executive Council. The Vice President works closely with the President to serve the University community at large.

Director of Finance: The Director of Finance is responsible for overseeing the financial operations of SGA, including proposing the annual budget, advising the Executive Council and Senate on all financial matters relating to SGA funds and spending decisions, and communicating financial reports to the University community, including information on how to properly and efficiently utilize SGA funding.

Director of Public Relations: The Director of Public Relations is responsible for maintaining all communication channels utilized by SGA and promoting all SGA operations, initiatives, elections, etc. through various media platforms.

Director of Senate: The Director of Senate presides over all sessions of the Senate, disseminates the content of each session’s agenda, coordinates all elections, oversees the Elections Committee, and is responsible for engaging and educating the Chapman community during all voting efforts.

Director of Operations: The Director of Operations role contains much of the background work for SGA, mainly for the Executive Council. They assist in managing technical work for the senate, outreach, trainings, tabling, and other events.

Meet the current Executive Council

Senators: The SGA Senate is the primary consultative body of the student population, voting on all pertinent financial and campus matters. Each Senator serves on an allocations committee and pursues advocacy work relevant to their constituency.

Academic Senators: Each undergraduate school or college has a dedicated Academic Senator responsible for representing the interests of its students. Academic Senators work closely with faculty, administration, and students to ensure that academic policies reflect the needs of their peers. They are a voice for issues such as program funding, academic advising, and opportunities for research or internships, advocating for improvements in the student academic experience.

Student Organization Senators: Chapman's 200+ students organizations have senators dedicated to advocating for their needs. These Senators advocate for access to campus facilities and increased visibility of clubs and organizations, fostering a collaborative environment for event planning, community building, and organizational development.

Class Senators: Class Senators represent the needs and concerns of students from specific years, such as first-years, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. They advocate for their constituents by bringing forward issues that affect their academic experience, campus involvement, and personal development.

At-Large Senator: The At-Large Senator represents the entire student body and focuses on broad campus-wide issues that may not be specific to one class, school, or organization. Their role is to address concerns and promote initiatives that impact the general student population, ensuring that all student voices are included in the decision-making processes.

Meet the current Senators

Director of Justice: The Director of Justice serves as the head of the Judicial Review Board, hearing all SGA related cases, interpreting and enforcing all SGA governing documents and job descriptions, and ensuring that all actions taken by the respective branches of SGA are consistent with the SGA governing documents.

Judicial Review Board: Members of the Judicial Review Board support the Director of Justice as the voting body for any and all decisions relating to Judicial matters.

Meet the current Judicial Branch

Operating Documents

The SGA Operating Documents outline all rules in which the organization follows. They explain the structure and responsibilities of all members of SGA and are the basis of the organization's operations. The operating documents are constantly being reviewed and revised to better serve the student body.

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Constitution
By-Laws
Election Code
Election Processes
Senate Operating Procedures
Executive Operating Procedures
Allocations Operating Procedures
Media Guide
SGA Values and Ethics Code

View the SGA Operating Documents page

» About SGA

Our Mission

Structure

Executive Council

Senators

Judicial Branch

Rosters

Rosters

Operating Documents

Types of Documents

Budget

Organizational Structure