Supplies are being bought, teams are being formed and campaigns are being developed. Filing for Student Governing Association elections ends today at 4 p.m. and candidates will begin campaigning for positions within SGA.
The positions of president and vice president will be up for grabs, along with several other positions within the senate, according to the SGA Elections’ website.
Also according to the website, candidates will begin gathering supplies for campaigning to the student body in preparation for the primary elections, which are scheduled for Feb. 23-24. The primary elections will narrow the candidates who will run for president and vice president in the general election held March 1-2.
Heather Reed, assistant vice president and associate dean of students, said running for SGA requires time, and potential candidates need to able to devote time to get to know and listen to the students being represented and the issues concerning them.
It is important for the potential candidates to get out there and talk to students across campus and from many different perspectives, Reed said.
Throughout the elections process, candidates will work closely with Logan Britton, elections commissioner and graduate student in agricultural economics, to make sure rules and regulations are followed.
“Making sure candidates are informed about what procedures they are suppose to follow, when they can start campaigning and sending out materials to potential voters are all things I oversee,” Britton said.
Candidates running for president will be expected to have an expense report that shows every expense they will spend on their campaign and party, as well as the platforms they will run on.
“The process every year is that candidates identify generally three items that they hope can improve campus life,” Andy Hurtig, SGA president and senior in accounting, said.
Hurtig said during his campaign for SGA president, he decided to focus on three things to help improve the student experience: Student Success Collaborative, a technology platform designed to help students find the right major; the Open Textbook Initiative, an initiative aimed to make textbooks more affordable; and K-State 360, a program geared to help students track their activities outside the classroom for potential employers.
Hurtig said the new president will also have the duty of selecting a chief-of-staff and cabinet members.
Reed said the new president and executive board will work closely with her since she advises the board and meets with them weekly. She said discussion of any upcoming events or any problems are worked out during these weekly meetings.
When elected, the new president will be be able to spend some time shadowing the current president to discuss expectations before taking over the position full time, Reed said. She also said the current president will write a transition document to the next president.
“This gives info about any of the committees that are still working on certain issues or those things among their platforms that they may have made progress towards but maybe aren’t totally finished,” Reed said. “If the incoming president is wanting to pick those issues up to finish, they know where they are in the process.”
After all elections are over, a leadership kickoff will be held. At this kickoff, the newly elected president and vice president, along with other elected officials, will meet with administration and gain some leadership information over a meal, Reed said.
Reed said a previous SGA president will come and speak about leadership in general and about what was accomplished in his or her time as a student leader. She said it is also a time for the whole executive board to get together.
