Politics on Campus

If you are now a University student then the odds are probably good that you are in some way involved in student politics on campus. Maybe not the Student Council, but even as the Treasurer of the math club you are part of student government. If any of us watches the news, the entire outcome of the 2008 national elections rested on the voter turnout. If the students in the United States had not turned out we might have had a different President.

We are political animals and moving from High School to University will not make any difference. Fortunately, there are still many opportunities to get involved on some level in the world around you. All universities have various forms of university government from University Senate to Class Councils, and The Greek Councils used in the fraternity and sorority systems. The more you know about your schools, and the more you know about politics in general, the easier this transition will be. Remember, politics does, to a large extent, determine our quality of lives and to some extent, how we lead our lives. Even many of the accredited online colleges have some form of student government.

·       Student Senate/Council: This body often meets with representatives of the University and handles mostly administrative matters. Sometimes this body is considered to be on the side of the student but sometimes it represents the schools side, like in disciplinary proceedings against students or student organizations.

·       Class Council: There are several types of class council. Some degree programs have class council major area. If you are a computer science major this council will take dues and use the money to benefit students in that school. Usually each year will have its own council as well. The freshmen will have a Student Council as will each subsequent year after that.

·       Fraternity Councils, popularly known as “Greek Councils”, work for the benefit of the Greek Fraternity system. This system is subject to the jurisdiction of both the class council and the University Student Council. They are also of course subject to the Administration.

·       Democratic and Republican Student Parties: These groups bring politics to an entirely new level for most students. While they have many activities on campus, they are usually heavily involved in both local and state politics and sometimes in national politics, a fact evidenced by the previously mentioned election. Most of the members of these groups are also involved in other student groups and student government as well.

The recent attacks on education in American makes it vital, now more that even, for students to get involved in what is going on in the world around them. The recent cuts in government loans and grants have made it a certainty that most students today are struggling for financing. The only way this will change for students, and universities can offer quality educations, is through either increasing tuitions or students getting involved in politics and speaking out for our future.