Student Association Applications

Dear leaders,

Thank you for taking the first steps toward making a difference at our university. The next few weeks will be busy and stressful, but by choosing this path you are ensuring that Southern continues to be a place where we enjoy studying at. If you are not sure if you should apply, just do it! You have nothing to lose. You may be discouraged from running by those around you. Don’t listen to them. Believe in yourself, put in the work, and you will succeed! I will be praying for you all. If you need any information or would like to talk over the decision with me, feel free to reach out. I would be more than happy to support you in this journey.

Blessings,
Jared Chandler
Student Association President
Email: chandlerjared@southern.edu

All potential Student Association officers must meet the following criteria:

• Have a cumulative GPA of 2.25 and maintain a minimum of a 2.50 GPA during each semester in office.
• Have attended SAU as a full-time student for a full academic semester and be currently enrolled.
• Abide with Southern's Community values, Code of Conduct and Student Handbook Policies. 
• Reside within a 30-mile radius while holding office
• Committed to being on campus by 8am on Monday, August 12, 2024

Election Timeline

Monday, January 8: Election season starts. Petitions are available to candidates online.

Thursday, February 1: Applications, platforms, and petitions are due in the Student Development office by 5pm. An electronic copy of your platform must also be sent to Alexis Grentz at agrentz@southern.edu for publication.

Monday, February 5: Student Development Committee meets to approve potential candidates. A list of approved candidates will be posted on the SA website. 

Tuesday, February 6 (mandatory): Candidate Orientation Meeting, 6pm, Dr. Negron's office. Candidates will be briefed regarding their obligations and rules throughout the campaign. This meeting is mandatory for all approved candidates. Campaigning begins after the meeting. Posters may be put up within guidelines set forth in the Election Petition and the Candidate Orientation Meeting. 

Thursday, February 15 (mandatory): SA Election Speeches and Press Conference, 11am, Iles PE Center. All eligible candidates must speak before the student body at this Convocation.

Thursday, February 15: If there are more than two candidates running for a given office, a primary election will be held this day to narrow the race down to two for the General Election the following Thursday at noon.

Thursday, February 22: SA General Election. Elections will be held online. Winners will be notified as soon as the Election Management Taskforce tabulates results.

Friday, February 23: At midnight, election results will be posted on the Student Association website. 

Campaign Rules and Regulations

To ensure a fair and efficient election season, these are guidelines set forth in the SASAU Constitution that all candidates must follow:

• Campaign Conduct: SASAU candidates shall conduct their campaigns in the spirit of good Christian sportsmanship, and should encourage their supporters to conduct themselves similarly. Campaign misconduct may subject SASAU candidates to disqualification.
• Running Unopposed: Any SASAU candidate slated to run unopposed must receive a "yes" vote of more than 50% to hold the SASAU office. Otherwise, the SASAU Elections Management Task Force will organize a special election.
• Posters: No posters may be attached to wood, glass, or dry-wall. Only removable tape may be used. The SASAU Elections Management Task Force shall yearly designate specific areas for campaign posters and release it to all SASAU candidates before campaigning begins. All posters not meeting these standards are discarded. All posters must be removed within twenty-four (24) hours of the end of the SASAU elections. The use of paint, ink, or chalk shall be limited to the SASAU candidates' posters.
• Voting: Voting will be done online

**Additional guidelines will be presented at the Candidate Orientation meeting on Tuesday, February 6, 2023, at 6pm in Dr. Negron's office.

*These positions are hired by the Elected SA Executive Cabinet

Executive Secretary

• Assist the SA President in creating and maintaining schedules
• Take minutes of all SA proceedings including SA Senate, post in select locations, distribute to SA Executive Officers
• Prepare an agenda for meetings where the SA President chairs (SA Cabinet / SA Presidents Council)
• Purchase office supplies
• Arrange for equipment repair if necessary
• Write inner-office memos, business letters, develop contact directories and schedules, file as necessary
• Coordinate the weekly production and distribution of the Campus Chatter and other potential publications as needed

Finance, Vice President

• Sit in on Senate Finance committee meetings
• Review the validity of SA purchases
• Keep inventory of SA assets
• Review expenses of publications

Marketing Director (PR Director):

• Design artwork
• Has full control over all of SA’s social media accounts.
• Promote the SA as a whole as well as specific events.
• Submit budget to the SA Financial Vice President.
• Coordinate public displays announcing any SA events.
• Serve as the liaison officer between the SA Executive Branch and the University Officer of Public Relations in matters of mutual concern.
• Maintain the SA Webpage keeping it current and informative.
• Maintain the SA social media pages, including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
• Coordinate and oversee the public relation activities of the SA.
• Participate in and support SA functions.

Communication Director:

• Control Direct Messages from students.
• Overview postings.
• Ensure there is no double posting with other SA accounts.
• Communicate between the different parts of SA and their accounts.
• Come up with ideas to get students to express their ideas and concerns.
• Help with productions to reach out to students.
• Overview changes in the SA Website.
• Work with the Marketing Director to brainstorm ways to promote SA.
• Participate in and support SA functions.

Parliamentarian

• Set-up/be present at each SA Senate meeting, uphold/enforce Robert's Rules of Order
• Record attendance, count and call votes at SA Senate meetings
• Work with SA Executive VP on organizing SA Senate
• Conduct an annual review of the SA Elections manual and the SA Constitution and Bylaws

CULTURAL LIASON

• Work alongside the Office of Student Life and Activities
• Work with Student Association (SA), clubs, and campus initiatives to "enhance multicultural inclusion and awareness"
• Connect with students to address concerns related to international and cultural inclusivity and belonging
• Connect and coordinate with cultural clubs to aid in cultural month programming
• Plan and coordinate at least two (2) cultural initiatives/events per year from Student Association
• Plan and organize International Food Festival
• .Work with the SA President to plan DEEP Sabbath
• Serve as a member of the Diversity Committee
• Serve as a member of the International Committee
• Participate in and support SA Functions

Media Positions

Editor, Southern Accent
     The Southern Accent is the student produced newspaper of Southern Adventist University. It's published weekly during full weeks of school from September through April. It includes the voice of the student opinion and activities as well as general information and discussion of issues about the university and surrounding community. Editors are expected to organize a creative team of writers, copy editors, layout and photo editors. The editor is also expected to oversee finances and manage the Accent's website and social media accounts. The editor and the Southern Accent should be in accordance with the SAU Student Media Policy. Editors are expected to have significant journalistic experience preferably on a newspaper, completed advanced journalism courses, and developed a portfolio of published writing. The Southern Accent editor functions under the direction of a faculty/staff advisor.

Editor, Southern Memories
     The Southern Memories is a narrative and pictorial depiction of the year in a book form presented in harmony with the requirements of the  SAU Student Media policy. It's published in Mid-April and the release date must be set for the night of Strawberry Festival. The editor is expected to demonstrate strong graphic design and/or publication editing experience preferably by completing journalism, art, or desktop publishing courses or commensurate work experience. The Southern Memories editor functions under the direction of a faculty/staff advisor. 

Producer, Strawberry Festival
     The Strawberry Festival, usually stages in mid-April, is SAU's annual multi-media year-in-review entertainment program that coincides with the release of Southern Memories, the university's yearbook. 
     The university's Screening Subcommittee must review Strawberry Festival prior to its public showing. At all times, the producer is expected to comply with the Student Media policy.
     The Festival Studio's producer is expected to have experience in photography, video shooting, and editing using dSLR cameras, the ability to organize and manage a creative team. The producer functions under the direction of a faculty/staff advisor.      

* These positions are interviewed and selected by the SA Executive Cabinet 

Eligibility

• Have been a full-time student at Southern for at least one full semester or attended SmartStart
• Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 per semester as well as a previous semester of a 2.50 GPA or above
• Submit a petition for candidacy signed by at least 20 members of the student body
• Abide by the policies stated in the Southern Handbook
• Be approved by the Student Services Committee

Senator Responsibilities

• Be present at all Student Association Senate meetings and any emergency sessions called. Regular sessions will be held bi-weekly on Wednesdays at 7:30pm (subject to change)
• Conduct yourself as a professional during all meetings, refraining from disruptions and distractions. Business casual is the MANDATORY attire for SA Senate meetings
• Get to know your constituents, as it is your job to represent their best interests, not necessarily your own
• Email your constituents bi-weekly with the Senate minutes attached in a timely manner. Emails sent to constituents should be cc'd with the Executive Vice Presidents
• Engage your constituents in creative ways by reaching out to them on social media, visiting them in the residence halls or Village, and building intentional relationships with them
• Be willing to assist with SA events such as the Smile Initiative, Senate Surprise Days, and more
• Build personal relationships with your fellow senators
• Be engaged and active in the research and proposals of legislation for the improvement of Southern Adventist University
• Serve as a member of at least one (1) Senate committee and attend all meetings called by the chair of the committee
• Be a part of at least one (1) University committee

Committees and Taskforces
If elected as a senator of the Student Association Senate, you will be expected to serve on at least one (1) committee or taskforce. Committees are used to delegate senator responsibilities and also to give proposals a place to go before they are voted on during Senate meetings. Taskforces are created to put forth specific initiatives that will be worked on throughout the year. If selected, you will be assigned a committee or taskforce at the discretion of the Student Association Executive Vice President and will be informed personally according to the preference you have given on the application or on the need for that committee or taskforce. 

• Social Activities
  • Plan and organize Senate social events (Spirit Week, Senate Surprise Day, Smile Initiative, etc.)
  • Collaborate with the PR committee for Senate advertisements
  • Chair to meet monthly with PR chair
• Public Relations (PR)
  • Assist SA PR Director with making and distributing Senate publications
  • Promote Senate-initiated projects and events via both publications and social media (Spirit Week, Scholarship Run, etc.)
  • Correspond monthly with the Accent (newspaper) 
  • Market individual Senators to their constituents
  • Create an online version of the Senate Minute
  • Update SA website bi-weekly with a copy of the latest Senate minutes
• Projects
  • Examine and research Senate projects as brought forward by Senators
  • Approve or deny projects submitted for Senate review
  • Work to coordinate project teams and check on the progress of the ongoing projects throughout the semester
• Finance
  • Determine appropriations for student organizations each semester
  • Annually review club allocations form to maintain relevancy
  • Work with SA Finance VP to educate Senate of the SA budget as a whole
  • Keep committees informed of the state of the Senate budget
• Elections
  • Oversee SA Election procedure for the year
  • Join the Judicial Council in at least one meeting per semester to review the elections process
• Scholarship
  • Develop and incorporate methods and strategies for advancing the SA Senate Merit / Leadership scholarship fund
  • Plan for and organize the annual Scholarship Run as hosted by Senate
  • Chair to meet bi-monthly with faculty coordinator for fund updates and correspondences on scholarship strategies
  • Must bring at least one scholarship idea to Senate by end of school year

Additional committees that require student participation:

• Campus Safety Ticket Appeals
• Distance Education
• Diversity Committee
• Film Committee
• Honors (Southern Scholars)
• International Student Committee
• Public Arts Committee
• Retention Committee
• Screening Committee
• Spiritual Life Committee
• Student Activities Committee
• Writing Committee

Dates for Senate Application Process

March 31 - Senate applications due by noon. SA office will notify accepted potential senators

April 10-12 - Senate interviews

April 19 - Senate orientation, Testing Room, Bietz Center, 3rd Floor, 7:30pm

**Dates and times subject to change. Further information will be given after Senator selections