The Herald Examiner: SGA Senate Meetings

The TSU Herald recently attended one of the most powerful mechanisms of student civic responsibility: Student Government Association weekly senate meetings. Objectively, there are significant imbalances in student participation across these forums. This investigation of the weekly senate meetings serves as a call to action for students to recognize the significance of leveraging their attendance at senate meetings to voice university-wide concerns and witness tangible changes occur on-site.

The general structure of the Senate forum incorporates many segments covering not only university-scale subjects but also topics that affect students individually. The Senate discusses new appointments of officers, new initiatives, and resolutions that are pending to be confirmed.

Many students may question the effectiveness of attending these meetings. The relevance of student presence at these meetings is irrefutable. For example, the Senate meeting will release updates on the appointment or removal of officials in specific student government departments. For example, when SGA appoints or removes internal affairs officers from their positions, that removal or appointment can be the difference between seeing a desired initiative present in current on-campus legislation or not. This event can affect the general student experience at Texas Southern University and the way students are able to engage in campus life.

Another significant component of the student-led senate meetings is the open forum. Here, the senators invite the audience to comment on issues they would like to raise with the student council in person, such as housing, scholarships, or internship opportunities. Open forums provide students the opportunity to express their specific concerns with the SGA administration and its operations at large, thus awarding attendees

a moment to influence the way our Student Government Association prioritizes initiatives that explicitly function to support the student body.

If we have not made it clear thus far, please make it a point to clear your schedules at a minimum of one Wednesday a month to attend SGA’s weekly senate meetings, and, in turn, be in the position to advocate on behalf of not only yourself but the student body as a whole.

November 4, 2025

Zion Martin