With the semester in full swing, Student Government Association (SGA) President Brandon Henderson is poised to start accomplishing his goals for UMKC.
Despite present circumstances, Henderson is working toward the plans he set for himself before the pandemic, only modified to suit the current state of the world. He aims to bring more attention to student issues and get students more involved in SGA.
“Our other goals include reforming the student senate to ensure it’s more accessible to the student body, increasing engagement of the student body with SGA and getting students to register to vote and [to] know how to do so,” said Henderson.
Henderson also hopes to create a seat in the SGA senate for freshmen and transfer students. This would give a voice to students who usually do not normally have as much involvement within the senate.
He is looking to make SGA more inclusive in the wake of recent societal tensions. Henderson would like the executive leaders of student organizations to attend diversity training, so they are able to properly handle most situations that involve the diverse population of UMKC and its student body.
“The diversity and inclusion requirement might have a few hiccups because it may not be coming into effect this year, but we will try to ensure that it is incorporated in the constitution for future student organizations,” said SGA Press Secretary Krithika Selvarajoo on behalf of Henderson.
Henderson’s main priority is serving students within UMKC, but he is also working to help students elsewhere. Some of his plans include coordinating virtual meetings with legislators and creating an SGA Day in Jefferson City. This would allow students to voice their thoughts to legislators who could directly make a difference in their education and college experience.
He is also working to increase engagement between SGA and the student body. The SGA recently created a newsletter that will regularly be sent to subscribed students. Within these newsletters, SGA will spotlight organizations and resources that could help students.
“We feel like not a lot of people know, and if they know they don’t know exactly [what resources are at UMKC],” Selvarajoo said. “We’re trying to get not only the SGA name out there, but other organizations as well.”
Henderson admits his goals are ambitious, but said he is working on putting them into effect so that even after his term finishes, future SGAs and other student organizations can work to incorporate his campaign’s vision.
