Senate Applications

* These positions are interviewed and selected by the SA Executive Cabinet 

Eligibility

• Have been a full-time student at Southern for at least one full semester or attended SmartStart
• Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 as well as a previous semester of a 2.50 GPA or above
• Submit a petition for candidacy signed by at least 20 members of the student body
• Abide by the policies stated in the Southern Handbook
• Be approved by the Student Services Committee

Senator Responsibilities

• Be present at all Student Association Senate meetings and any emergency sessions called. Regular sessions will be held bi-weekly on Wednesdays at 7:30pm (subject to change)
• Conduct yourself as a professional during all meetings, refraining from disruptions and distractions. Business casual is the MANDATORY attire for SA Senate meetings
• Get to know your constituents, as it is your job to represent their best interests, not necessarily your own
• Email your constituents bi-weekly with the Senate minutes attached in a timely manner. Emails sent to constituents should be cc'd with the Executive Vice Presidents
• Engage your constituents in creative ways by reaching out to them on social media, visiting them in the residence halls or Village, and building intentional relationships with them
• Be willing to assist with SA events such as the Smile Initiative, Senate Surprise Days, and more
• Build personal relationships with your fellow senators
• Be engaged and active in the research and proposals of legislation for the improvement of Southern Adventist University
• Serve as a member of at least one (1) Senate committee and attend all meetings called by the chair of the committee
• Be a part of at least one (1) University committee

Committees and Taskforces
If elected as a senator of the Student Association Senate, you will be expected to serve on at least one (1) committee or taskforce. Committees are used to delegate senator responsibilities and also to give proposals a place to go before they are voted on during Senate meetings. Taskforces are created to put forth specific initiatives that will be worked on throughout the year. If selected, you will be assigned a committee or taskforce at the discretion of the Student Association Executive Vice President and will be informed personally according to the preference you have given on the application or on the need for that committee or taskforce. 

• Social Activities
  • Plan and organize Senate social events (Spirit Week, Senate Surprise Day, Smile Initiative, etc.)
  • Collaborate with the PR committee for Senate advertisements
  • Chair to meet monthly with PR chair
• Public Relations (PR)
  • Assist SA PR Director with making and distributing Senate publications
  • Promote Senate-initiated projects and events via both publications and social media (Spirit Week, Scholarship Run, etc.)
  • Correspond  monthly with the Accent (newspaper) 
  • Market individual Senators to their constituents
  • Create an online version of the Senate Minute
  • Update SA website bi-weekly with a copy of the latest Senate minutes
• Projects
  • Examine and research Senate projects as brought forward by Senators
  • Approve or deny projects submitted for Senate review
  • Work to coordinate project teams and check on the progress of the ongoing projects throughout the semester
• Finance
  • Determine appropriations for student organizations each semester
  • Annually review club allocations form to maintain relevancy
  • Work with SA Finance VP to educate Senate of the SA budget as a whole
  • Keep committees informed of the state of the Senate budget
• Elections
  • Oversee SA Election procedure for the year
  • Join the Judicial Council in at least one meeting per semester to review the elections process
• Scholarship
  • Develop and incorporate methods and strategies for advancing the SA Senate Merit / Leadership scholarship fund
  • Plan for and organize the annual Scholarship Run as hosted by Senate
  • Chair to meet bi-monthly with faculty coordinator for fund updates and correspondences on scholarship strategies
  • Must bring at least one scholarship idea to Senate by end of school year

Additional committees that require student participation:

• Campus Safety Ticket Appeals
• Distance Education
• Diversity Committee
• Film Committee
• Honors (Southern Scholars)
• International Student Committee
• Public Arts Committee
• Retention Committee
• Screening Committee
• Spiritual Life Committee
• Student Activities Committee
• Writing Committee

Dates for Senate Application Process

Accepting all applications - SA office will notify accepted potential senators.

**Dates and times subject to change. Further information will be given after Senator selections