Statement from SGA President

Many members of the Trinity community have recently inquired about what it means for an organization to be recognized by the SGA. When a club is recognized by the SGA, that club is given a BantamLink page, which allows them to book space around campus, reserve tables in Mather, and access the S.A.I.L office resources. Only recognized clubs have access to the SAF (Student Activities Fund). New Organizations are not given any funding when they are first recognized, and organizations are only eligible to request funding if they have been recognized by the SGA by the end of March of the previous academic year. At the end of each year, the Budget Committee reviews all organizations funding and decides the next yearly allocation. Groups may come to present to Budget Committee and request a yearly allocation at the end of the year, but otherwise they will be required to come in to request funding during the year. The Budget Committee makes all decisions on allocations in an unbiased manner based on the process outlined in the Finance Manual.
It is important to understand that when SGA recognizes any organization, this means precisely that we acknowledge that there is an organization of students that exists on campus, and we should do our job as the SGA by governing them. It is our job as a Student Government to govern all students (and organizations) on campus. SGA holds all recognized organizations accountable to both SGA and Trinity College policies. When an organization presents to the SGA, they are essentially requesting to be obliged to all SGA and College policies in exchange for the benefits of having a BantamLink page and access to the SAF. If an organization violates College and/or SGA regulations, SGA reserves the right to remove SGA recognition and all benefits associated with it. SGA votes on all decisions in an unbiased manner based on the above information. Voting members of the SGA include all members officially elected by the student body except the SGA President unless the vote is a tie (Vice President, VP of Communications, VP of Finance, and the First Year, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Class President and Senators).
By definition, an SGA recognized organization is some number of full-time undergraduates (not restricted on the basis of age, sex, sexual preference, handicap, race, color, creed, religion, or national or ethnic origin) engaged, under their own direction, in the systematic pursuit of one or more common purposes which are consonant with the educational objectives of the College and stated in the purpose section of the organization’s constitution on file with the SAIL office and the SGA. It is required that all recognized organizations know both SGA and College regulations. It is expected that the officers will firmly discourage breaches of these regulations and of local, State, and Federal laws within their organization and/or the officers and/or the membership and/or particular members. An organization’s officers and its members may be held responsible for the consequences of the organization’s negligence.
Kristina Miele ’19