Welcome back to all returning students! To the Class of 2017, we are thrilled to have you on campus. It is an honor to serve you as your Student Government Association President. This year is off to a great start, and I hope to provide you with a brief insight into the Student Government Association and some goings-on of our university.
Structurally, SGA is comprised of four elected officials from each class, five members of the executive board, and five representatives from SGA’s Big-5 organizations: FUSAB, RLC, Religious Council, Diversity Council, and Recreational and Club Sports. Your representatives serve you in two primary ways. First, we act to represent your voice to the faculty, the administration, and the Board of Trustees. If you have concerns, questions, or simply ideas for how to enhance your experience on this campus, please bring them our way!
Second, we represent the interests of Furman’s 150+ student organizations. Whether you are part of a sports club, a political society, or simply want to go hiking on the weekends, we are here to help you find access to the resources that will make your club as successful as possible. We have over a $500,000 budget, and it is our goal to distribute these funds to organizations to host events, create dialogue, and better our campus.
This will be an exciting year of transition and new opportunities for our university.
We are thrilled to have our new Trone Student Center in its final stages of completion. Thursday, Sept.19 will be the grand opening of the building. We cannot thank Scott Derrick and his team enough for their many months of hard work on this project. This new building will be a wonderful legacy for our student experience and will be even greater to enjoy while we are here. If you see Scott or his team, please thank them! Thank you as well to the Trone family for their kind donation.
With changes do come some challenges. The SGA will be monitoring closely the numbers for business at the Paddock, in relation to the new hours for the P-Den and Einstein’s Bagels. We encourage you to give the new restaurant a chance, but we will need your feedback about what works and what does not work. Your educated feedback is the only way that we can seek change with regards to these hours of operation.
We are also pleased to be under the leadership of Dr. Carl Kohrt this year. During his first week on campus, he reached out to the SGA to seek advice on how to best engage the student body. He has a strong interest in exchanging ideas with students in an effort to maintain Furman’s high-quality education and overall student experience. Be sure to look for him from time to time eating in the Dining Hall, walking the tailgates at football games, and hosting discussions in the Trone Center. If you have a chance, take the time to introduce yourself to him.
The search process for Furman’s president is underway, and the excitement of the committee is inspiring. Each member of the committee has an incredible dedication to and love for Furman. They each not only understand the importance of Furman’s culture and history, but also appreciate and value our unique liberal arts experience. Dr. Kohrt has announced that he will not be a part of the pool of candidates. We will be seeking student feedback at a forum led by Vice President of Student Life Connie Carson and other members of the search committee team. It will be held Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. in the Watkins Room. All are welcome to attend.
Freshmen class officer elections are currently under way. Petitions will be due Sept. 11 and speeches will be held on Sept. 12 in Patrick Lecture Hall at 5 p.m. We encourage all freshmen with an interest in representing their class and becoming involved in student leadership to run for a position!
In conclusion, our meetings are always open to members of the student body. They are held on Mondays at 5 p.m. in the Thomas Room of the Trone Center. You can reach me at brian.boda@furman.edu or askSGA@furman.edu. We will also be holding office hours Monday through Friday from 1-4 p.m. in the SGA office upstairs in the Trone Center. Please stop by to say hello! We are looking forward to a wonderful year.
Below are our special guests for September’s SGA meetings:
Sept. 9 – President Carl Kohrt and Connie Carson, Vice President for Student Life
Sept. 16 – Dr. Jason Cassidy, Dean of Students
Sept. 23 – Ron Thompson, Director of Housing and Residence Life
Sept. 30 – Dr. Idella Glenn, Dean of Diversity and Inclusion