SGA Working in Tandem with University Administration

The Student Government Association (SGA) works to make the university administration aware of student complaints and make the school a better place for everyone. Both the Longwood administration and SGA Senators agree that there is a balance that's important to maintain.

Dr. Wayne McWee, Vice-President of Academic Affairs and University Provost, explained the administrators wanted to hear what students have to say but in the end the decision-making process still resides with the adults who have to make the decision. "I think that's appropriate because while you can express an opinion you don't have any responsibility for the decision and I end up with responsibility for all those decisions. By that I mean if I decide to open up the university and someone slips and falls I'm the one who gets sued," explained McWee

McWee said he thinks the SGA should be able to have input, but he would appreciate it if it was polite input or thoughtful input, rather than emails that just holler and scream. "If you were trying to have input into any decisions it should be thoughtful input. Emails that just accuse me of being stupid or express how mad you are aren't thoughtful," said McWee.

"I would say that it is appropriate that the administration allows the SGA to have input on those types of situations however there is an expectation from the student body that the administration is going to do what's best for the students, for the faculty, for the staff in light of those types of situations we expect the administration to make the right decisions that would ensure that the student body and those on campus are going to be safe," said Senator Keenan Crump.

"I think the SGA needs to have their point of view because if they are not going to listen to us what's the point in having it? Of course we should never be the decision makers. I mean there are certain things the SGA needs to not be concerned about but when the SGA feels the needs to make a suggestion it needs to be something that the administration takes seriously as the voice of the student body," said Senator Nathan Cooke.

McWee explained that, with the incident of closing school, SGA President Cameron Patterson personally contacted him about the issue. "In Cameron's case he said this is what we are hearing. You need to be aware. I really did appreciate that. No problems at all," said McWee.

McWee explained that he thinks Longwood is very unique in the way students and staff work together. "You always have a vice president sitting in the room, Tim Pierson.you have a student, Keenan Crump who sits on the Faculty Senate. You have Cameron who actually sits on the Board of Visitors," said McWee.

"One of the things I would say is that Longwood.has a very long and special relationship with how we actually do involve students at all times and at all levels of those decision processes," said McWee. Cooke said he has heard from people at other schools in which their presidents could care less about their student body. Cooke stressed that this is something Longwood needs to avoid. Longwood need a president who wants the student bodies' opinion.

Crump said the students who get involved are put on the inside track and have the opportunity to work with administrators like Pierson. Crump said that Pierson is a liaison between the students and the administration. "There are students who don't get involved and they are the ones who go around and say the administration is not being transparent enough, whereas as its usually the students not being proactive enough, unfortunately," said Crump.

McWee said that when student government has wanted to hear from administrators, they ask, and he thinks the administration has always come to talk whenever they have been asked. "I think that's really great because I think it's also a matter of trying to create transparency," said McWee. He says it helps students understand why the administration makes the decisions they make.

Cooke said this premise of accessibility comes from President Dr. Patricia Cormier's long history of putting a lot of faith in the student government. Cooke said Cormier really valued the students' advice and there is a fear that the next president is going to completely change that.

Cooke said the most important thing is that the lines of communication remain open. "Dr. Cormier's open door policy has been amazing and positive. Even if she is not communicating people know she's there," said Cooke.

Cooke explained there us a line of how far student input should go, and that became clear with the budget issues. He explained that the SGA Academic Affairs Committee started diving into the budget process, only to realize that it was too much. "We started to realize we were getting way in over our head. These were decisions that we don't have all the information for we probably shouldn't have all the information for and of course we have a major bias," said Cooke.

Cooke also said that while it is important for students to have input, they do not have invested interest in the school. While a lot of students may be eager to talk about the changes that will happen at Longwood, they won't be here to be affected by the construction. Cooke said students only have a four-year investment in the school, whereas administrators have a much longer investment period.