Student Government: Bridging the Gap Between Students and Administration

The Student Government (SG) is an essential component of student life at the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG). It allows students to voice their opinions and advocate for change. 

"The Student Government at AUBG is the bridge between the student body and the AUBG faculty, staff, and leadership," says Veliyana Georgieva, current SG president.

However, not many students on campus know enough about SG's mission. So, here is some important information about SG that AUBG students should know.

What is SG?

"The Student Government is a directly elected representative body of the students at AUBG. Its main purpose is to represent the voices of the students, raise their concerns, lobby their interests to the administration, faculty, and the Board of Trustees, and create a transparent and well-functioning line of communication between the students and these groups," says Aelita Khusnutdinova, Student Representative to the Board of Trustees of SG.  

The SG is made up of a Student Senate, in which every standing has a representative and the SG Executives. The Senate has 12 members, one of which is the Chair of the Senate. The SG Executives are the Student Body President, Student Body Vice President, Student Government Treasurer, and the Student Representative to the Board of Trustees.

"We are here to represent the students' interests in front of the university, and we try our best to do so," says Veliyana.

SG is also responsible for allocating the budget among the clubs and facilitating administrative functions necessary for clubs to work. Moreover, by working with university officials, SG can help ensure that students’ concerns are addressed, and policies are developed with the needs of students in mind.

Why Should Students Care?

"SG might not be the most powerful organization at the university, but it is highly influential when needed. When students want to demonstrate concern over any topic at university, SG is the most effective way to do it. I think most people really don't understand how important it is," says Mohamad Hachem, current Chair of the Senate of SG.

SG has the potential to positively impact students' experience on campus in numerous ways. From advocating for students’ needs to providing opportunities for personal and professional development, SG can play a crucial role in enhancing the overall quality of the student experience.

"It is important for students to know what SG does because SG is their representation. Through SG, they could propose changes on campus or themselves become representatives in university committees that are open to students. We, the students, even though we have limited jurisdiction, have a voice when it comes to university activities and can create change if we are persistent enough," says Veliyana.

How can you get more involved with SG?

SG holds weekly meetings every Wednesday at 4 p.m. All students and faculty staff can freely join the meeting. 

"For example, in the meetings, we discuss strategies on how to increase the club budgets or how to represent the students' discontent with the new housing policies. For example, we are to discuss the student backlash for the new course registration system and how to deal with it," says Veliyana. 

Moreover, students that meet the eligibility requirements are able not only to be present at meetings but also to apply for an SG position. Eligibility criteria include being enrolled in the institution as a full-time student, maintaining at least a 2.5 GPA, and being in good academic and disciplinary standing.

"To anyone who thinks about running for SG, I would say: don't be afraid to try! Being part of the Student Government gives you numerous opportunities to improve the work of the Student Government and make AUBG better. It also develops your leadership skills, something that could be beneficial in any future work or academic setting," says Aelita.