Run for SGA 2014-2015: Application Open NOW

Thu, 06 Feb 2014 10:51:00 -0500
sga-election

by Craig Berger

In 6 weeks, the UMBC Student Government Association's (SGA's) Election Board will have collected a list of names who made the decision to run for office in UMBC's nationally-recognized SGA. Will your name be on that list?

The process begins now.

Each spring (in 2014, Monday, April 21--Wednesday, April 23), the undergraduate student body at UMBC elects students to 20 positions. You choose 11 Senators, 5 Finance Board Representatives, a Vice President for Student Organizations, a Treasurer, an Executive Vice President, and a President. Each of these positions within SGA presents a terrific opportunity to make a difference on campus and beyond. Please know that no experience is mandatory to apply for a position--participants receive training and guidance as they identify campus problems, bring members of our campus community together, and improve the quality of life of all UMBC undergraduates.

Starting now, the Election Board is launching this website to provide you with as much information as possible on the process of running for a position within SGA. In order to run for office, you must complete a candidate application with some basic information about who you are and why you want to run. All applications will be due before Spring Break, on Friday, March 14th at 5:00 p.m.

After Spring Break, all eligible candidates will receive more information via e-mail regarding next steps, including campaigning. In addition to containing a candidate application, the site has information about the structure of SGA, available positions, eligibility requirements, and more. The Election Board plans to update the site with posts about information sessions, deadlines, and other resources.

I first ran for a student government position in 4th Grade and have always been associated with it, no matter where I have been in my educational journey. What I like about UMBC's SGA is its unique emphasis on using community members' gifts, energy, and relationships to create a platform for both amazing, community-changing successes and useful failures. It takes courage to make yourself vulnerable and to put your name and ideas in front of your peers, but I see so many students who take that risk and never look back, exploring a passion, finding a friendship, and identifying a sense of agency they never knew existed. At the very least, SGA will make you see and think about things differently.

So check out the application, and if you have questions, contact me at berger@umbc.edu. I’ve been advising UMBC’s SGA for two and a half years, and each day I become more and more inspired by all that committed, courageous students can learn and accomplish together.