Isabella Decana/ The Cougar

Student representation and advocacy will always be important. It can be difficult to determine whether the University administration is hearing our concerns and listening. The way to ensure that our voices are being heard is through the Student Government Association. 

History of the shutdown

Last year, the 61st administration of SGA shut down after they failed to pass a new Constitution. They were originally put under a mandate to rewrite their bylaws and constitution on Nov. 6, 2024. After the mandate was lifted, students didn’t approve the rewritten document.  

On April 2, 2025, Vice President of Student Affairs Paul Kittle sent an email to students about the shutdown. The email stated that they will reestablish the SGA to better serve students moving forward. 

UH’s administration is trying to show us its dedication to rebuilding SGA to be less corrupt and more representative. However, SGA has had a rocky history, which makes it hard to trust that the new organization and leaders will actually advocate for us students. 

The 61st administration was overall ineffective in benefiting our campus due to their internal conflicts. SGA was able to operate fully about half the time due to the mandate, but they also had other controversies, such as multiple unfilled positions and the recommendation for impeachment of the president and vice president. 

These issues were a result of the 60th administration’s changes made in the Spring of 2024, according to the administration. The changes that were made mostly had to do with shifts in power.

When it came time to vote for the new Constitution in the Spring of 2025, the document had continued to lack student representation. 

Trust in SGA moving forward

For approximately a year, SGA had significant difficulties providing for us, which could be attributed to issues that arose with the election code, bylaws and the Constitution. Moving forward with a fresh start will not be successful if we can’t trust the organization. 

SGA’s full purpose is to be the voice for students. They are supposed to be involved in campus life, advocate for concerns, listen to what we have to say and demand change from the administration for the sake of UH and our student body. 

The way to earn students’ trust is to be fully transparent. SGA needs to do a better job of providing as much information as possible. Especially since they have been inactive for about a year, most freshman and sophomore classes likely know little about them. 

There should be greater encouragement for students to be involved and informed about the SGA and its activities. In the election for the Constitution, only 457 students voted. With only two official emails sent, many students weren’t informed about it or didn’t know how much it mattered to them. 

The SGA election season has already begun. While campaigning already began on Feb. 9, voting for the 62nd administration will last from March 2-5. I doubt that many students were aware of these key dates. 

SGA are our representatives. They give us a voice and serve as our direct point of contact with the administration. To continue to improve UH in every aspect, we must be able to trust them fully. There needs to be more communication and transparency. We deserve to be excited, hopeful and have confidence in SGA and their advocacy. We shouldn’t have to be doubtful about the relaunch. 

opinion@thedailycougar.com