NEW ORLEANS (April 13, 2017) – The Student Government Association Constitution has been revised to eliminate on- and off-campus representatives and to rename the position of historian to public relations director with added responsibilities after a vote of less than 5 percent of the student body.
The number of community service hours required to run for Mr. and Miss Dillard was also clarified. Two-hundred hours each are needed to seek the offices.
SGA Vice President Joseph Caldwell said, “For us, the most important change for us was to cut off unnecessary positions that were a part of SGA, such as on- and off-campus representative and historian,” said Vice President Joseph Caldwell. “We took away certain positions and changed some to be more updated.”
For the past several years, very few students have actually run for the on- and off-campus slots.
Amendment One listed the SGA positions: president, vice president, executive secretary, treasurer, parliamentarian, Miss Dillard University and Mr. Dillard University, chief of staff, public relations director and chaplain.
The second amendment described which would be elected and which would be appointed. All will be elected except the positions of chief of staff, PR director and chaplain, who will be selected by the president through an interview process.
The first amendment was approved by 41 respondents with an 85.4 percent approval rate. The second was approved by 37 with 77.1 percent approval.
Amendment Two stated which positions would be elected.
Members of the SGA met for six weeks in the fall to discuss possible revisions. A student body hearing was held Jan. 26 to hear student comments on proposed revisions. After another meeting Jan. 31, students voted online Feb. 23. Forty-eight students voted.
The student body did not vote on compensation. The per-semester pay ranges from $1,000 for the president; $750 for vice president, secretary, treasurer and parliamentarian; and $500 for PR director, chaplain and chief of staff. Mr. and Miss Dillard are compensated according to the Royal Court official document, according to the SGA email of Jan. 31.
