The Student Government Association is gearing up for another year of serving Ferris State University.
In previous years, the fall semester has served as a planning period for SGA, with events and volunteer opportunities sponsored by the organization making an appearance in the spring semester.
This year, SGA had the opportunity to plan over the summer, starting the fall semester with big organization changes.
President of SGA Jake McGaha stated that the organization has big marketing plans for the 25-26 school year.
“While SGA does have a lot to offer, we need to focus on pushing out what we have to students,” McGaha said. “We’re finding all the social media to get more connected with the Big Rapids population as well, because we need to get our outreach.”
Formerly the Director of Operations and Vice President for the organization, McGaha was elected as president last spring.
In addition to advanced marketing, there are additional plans in place to promote organization of the association as a whole, with the intention to host a greater number of events that way.
Another big change for SGA this year is the implementation of the organization into larger discussions surrounding Ferris.
“In other universities, student government is so pivotal that when they’re sitting down to make a decision, if the student government president is not present during that meeting, they cannot make a vote,” McGaha said. “We are looking to try to integrate us more into the system and focus on that student perspective.”
McGaha also stated that SGA has created a feedback forum for students to use as an outlet to voice their opinions about things happening around campus.
The goal of the forum is to open the opportunity for more students to be heard and allow SGA to further their student representation efforts.
SGA holds several events throughout the year, most notably the Big Event.
Typically held in the spring, the Big Event returned last year after a hiatus the year before.
Planning with SGA has historically been on and off, with events popping up last minute and lacking in engagement from students.
The new plans the association is implementing this semester are intended to reverse this trend, allowing for greater engagement among the Ferris State community.
Television and Media Production freshman Annah Ford expressed appreciation for the representation that SGA provides to students on campus.
“I think that it is very important that everybody can feel heard,” Ford said. “It is important to feel like there are other students that are also working hard to change things and see the change that they want as well.”
Ford added that representation from her high school student government was lacking and expressed hope that the student government body at Ferris would do a better job of making her feel represented.
The Big Event has big changes planned as well, including changes to the sign-up process and changes to clientele eligibility.
Students will now be required to sign up individually rather than as whole groups to prevent groups from not participating as intended.
Clients will also be more carefully sorted to ensure that students are assisting those in the community that are truly in need.
Construction Management freshman Missy Knopf explained that student government is essential for voicing the needs of students.
“It’s important to have a body of students putting their voice out there for those who don’t have the confidence to use their voice,” Knopf said. “They are more likely to relate to you, since they’d probably be around the same age and have been in your shoes before.”
The Student Government Association meets on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Founder’s Room, located in the David L. Eisler Center.
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