Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar
The past school year left the University’s Student Government Association disbanded. After the administration ordered a cease of operation for SGA, nothing was heard until Aug. 23, two days before the start of the semester.
The summer was supposed to be spent reconstructing the constitution, but little was known about the process until recently.
Last semester, Vice President of Student Affairs Paul Kittle announced that candidates were to be recruited from Aug. 25 to Sept. 12, and the new SGA administration would have started on Sept. 26.
However, the UH administration changed the dates and said elections are now being pushed to February 2026 through a press release. Throughout the document, there were statements explaining how the UH administration tried to save SGA, yet it failed to mention how it made students feel unheard. The reason the student body rejected the constitution was that they feared near-total UH administrative control, rather than student-focused initiatives.
There have been no public or student-wide advertisements on these possible elections. UH administrators need to be louder in their attempts to pursue student representation and make it clear that SGA is seeking to fill their Senate.
SGA also needs students from all backgrounds, both new and experienced. With few people informed about SGA, the variety of students involved won’t represent its student population.
UH administrators are expected to reconstruct the constitution, yet with school starting and no notice of what the constitution entails, students are left disappointed and confused.
The administration has a responsibility to communicate to its students about essential information regarding their student representation. A cold shoulder to students’ concerns is not what UH nor SGA needs.
Importance of SGA
The concern lies with the mission of SGA, or lack thereof. SGA is supposed to be a voice for the students, having a hand in the University administration. This allows them to have more influence on solutions to changes or issues the student body might have.
“The Student Government Association exists to serve as the official voice through which student opinion may be expressed and empowered in the overall policy, decision-making process and services offered at the University of Houston,” said the SGA mission statement.
UH sits in a time where students feel ignored, helpless and overwhelmed not only by things happening locally, but nationally as well. This is when a student government association is supposed to be called to action. However, people have not heard a word.
Additionally, SGA is supposed to be an outlet for students to experience the real workings of a government, and the effects of SGA are impactful up to the admin level. From making decisions on parking prices, meal plans and campus safety, they play a vital role in raising awareness of important issues like suicide and sexual assault prevention.
For the University to have a successful student government, the administration needs to start communicating with its student body. If they are concerned about the betterment of students, then students need to be involved in the conversation.
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