By Olivia Norton
A group of students here at Southern Virginia have made it their goal to make a difference at this school. Who are they? SVSA.
You’re probably wondering, “What the heck is SVSA?” That’s what I asked the first time I heard of it. SVSA stands for Southern Virginia Student Association and it is our university’s student government. The association consists of a group of students who act as a liaison between the student body and administration.
As liaisons, SVSA looks for what students need so they can relay it to the administration. Sometimes it’s hard for the leaders of Southern Virginia to know what students like, dislike, or the kinds of ideas they have… That is why SVSA is so important. SVSA is a leadership group made of students with several respective positions; Executive Council, Campus Relations (Senators), and the Representative Council (Class Officers). If you would like to learn more about these respective roles, you can read the bylaws (rules and guidelines of SVSA) here.
I had the chance to ask our Student Body President, Brinley Pulsipher (‘23), about why she joined SVSA and this was her response:
“I joined SVSA because I was deeply impacted by people in SVSA my freshman year. They were such great examples, friends, and mentors to me. I hoped to be that for other students and help them continue their journey here because of how much I have loved my journey here the past four years and have been changed by this place purely because of the people. I joined because I wanted to learn leadership skills and be stretched outside of my comfort zone. I joined because I live by finding the good in all things and I felt like more people can and need to realize that more than ever.”
As we spoke, Pulsipher listed some of the things that would be important for students to know.
- Class Representatives and Senators cover all aspects of campus
- SVSA has a Knight App page
- SVSA has an email that anyone can contact for feedback, suggestions, questions, or concerns
- SVSA is in charge of planning fun activities all over campus
I personally have felt blessed to be a part of SVSA as it has been such a unique and special experience. When I first heard about it, I had no clue what it was and felt like I couldn’t run because I wasn’t a well known person on campus. But as I talked to Brinley, a close friend of mine, I realized I had an opportunity to make a difference at our school. I spent time complaining about little things about our school but I wasn’t doing anything to try to make things betterl; this was my chance to do that.
As I’ve spent time in SVSA, I’ve had the unique opportunity to speak with our administration and see the love that they have for their students. Administration looks for ways to bring great experiences to students, but they sometimes feel lost when it comes to finding out what our needs are (which is where SVSA has the biggest impact).
Please utilize your student government; they work hard to help you. If you have a complaint, positive feedback, or an idea for change… Find a member of SVSA and tell them! As you speak up for what you want, SVSA will stand with you and push to have those things prioritized. To contact any SVSA personel, email svsa.knights@svu.edu, direct message through the Knight App, or by contacting an SVSA member.
If you are interested in being a part of SVSA, consider running for elections in April (keep a look out for applications)! Members are elected by Southern Virginia’s student body.
SVSA “Directory”
Club Highlight: What is SVSA? was originally published in The Herald on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
