By: Kayla Mahnke Hargett and Natalie Arneson, Student Activities staff
Student governance positions will soon be accepting applications for next year! There are over 20 positions for students to serve in a wide range of capacities across campus. These roles put certain decision making in the hands of students and are a great way to partake in a deeper involvement in The Evergreen State College’s campus community.
“What is going on around here?”
Have you ever walked around campus and wondered how it all works? Getting insight into the inner workings of an institution can seem like a daunting task, especially when you don’t know where to start. Student governance is a great way to help peel back the curtain and become an active participant in institutional decision making.
Specifically, student governance includes the Geoduck Student Union, Services & Activities Fee Allocation Board (S&A Board), Clean Energy Committee, Cooper Point Journal (bet you didn’t think I’d add you here, Sako, but the CPJ is def a tool of student engagement). Additionally, the Geoduck Student Union appoints student representatives to shared governance committees across the College, including but not limited to: Board of Trustees, Health and Safety Committee, and the Space and Land Use Group (SLUG).
Through student governance at Evergreen, you can decide where the money goes, provide feedback on critical decisions, host college events and activities, and determine the key priorities for the improvement of student life at Evergreen. There are many levels of commitment – everything from 1-2 meetings a quarter to 12-15 hours per week, depending on the role. Find more information about specific job duties, hours expectations, compensation, work schedule, and application process on Handshake.
You can build your skill set in a variety of ways, gaining a deeper knowledge of governance, grant writing, communications, meeting facilitation, non-profit management, event planning, organizational budgeting, building effective working relationships, understanding how large organizations function—just to name a few! Not only will you develop a better understanding,you will also be given opportunities to put these skills into practice. For example, our S&A Board holds budget hearings to decide how student fees will be used and how much funding our student clubs receive.
You are walking down the path that the students of yesterday worked hard to build through student-led and shared governance of the college. These countless Evergreen students carried the voice and needs of students to college administration, to the Board of Trustees, to the state legislature, and beyond. Thank you for your interest in being a part of the student legacy at Evergreen! We look forward to reviewing your applications!
