Student Government Association

Senior Class Cabinet

The Senior Class Cabinet remains in its position for five years post-graduation, and helps plan the first- and five-year reunions. They are responsible for organizing all senior class activities, including teas, pub crawls, wine and cheese socials, senior ball, and senior week. The senior class president also sits on the committees for Rally Day, Ivy Day and Commencement and is responsible for giving an address at Commencement. Advised by the Director of the Office of Student Engagement.

Junior Class Cabinet

The Junior Class Cabinet strives to connect those juniors who are abroad with those who have chosen to spend their year on campus at Smith. In conjunction with the Lazarus Center and OSE—which provide instructive workshops, seminars and lectures—the Junior Class Cabinet works hard to prepare for senior year and beyond. The Junior Class Cabinet looks forward to the return of their fellow students from their many exotic study-abroad locations, so they can be reunited for their final year at Smith. Advised by the Assistant Director of Student Engagement.

Sophomore Class Cabinet

The Sophomore Class Cabinet is responsible for fostering class cohesion by planning events and other community-oriented activities. Previous events have included game nights, movie screenings, and hot chocolate and ice cream socials. Advised by the Student programs Coordinator in the Office of Student Engagement.

First-Year Class Cabinet

The First-Year Class Cabinet organizes events for the first-year class. The first-year class president remains in that position for the following academic year until the incoming class elects a president of its own. Advised by the Assistant Dean of Students, Director of the First-Year Experience.

Ada Cabinet

The Ada Cabinet advocates for Ada Comstock Scholars' needs on and off campus, organizes social activities for Adas (and their families when possible). The Ada President and Ada Coordinator also sit on the Ada Stakeholders Committee with members of the administration. Overall, the Ada Cabinet serves to connect the Ada Class, the rest of the Smith student body, and the administration.

Have an idea for an organization at Smith that would have lasting relevance to the community? Is there enough student interest to support such an organization? How do you get an organization started at Smith College? The SGA Chartering Committee can help. 

Submit a Proposal

1. Gauge interest among your peers. Start a list of interested members for your organization. If the list is greater than 10 people, you can start the process of chartering or recognizing your organization.

2. Decide if you want to charter or recognize your organization. The difference between these two types of student organizations is further explained on the SGA Website under “Chartering Committee”.

A recognized organization is able to have a Smith email address, have space on the Smith Student Social Network, reserve space in campus buildings, and use campus vans for transportation.

A chartered organization has all of the same resources as a recognized organization. In addition, a chartered organization is able to submit funding requests to the Finance Committee for events, projects, supplies and equipment.

3. Start a charter for your organization using the sample charter provided. We encourage building off of the current format and not taking away any of the pieces currently in the sample format. In the charter you must:

Fill out organization name and information where it says ‘xxx’

• Describe the goals and purpose of the organization
• Describe the frequency of meetings and specifically what will occur during meetings
• Choose to be funded or not funded by the Finance Committee (recognized or chartered)
• Choose a nondiscrimination policy (will you allow 5 College Students to join)

4. Schedule a meeting with the Chartering Committee Chair. They will offer advice, explain the chartering process, and answer any questions about the charter that still remain or pertain to your student organization. Use this calendly link to schedule a meeting. 

5. Share your charter Google Doc with the Chartering Committee for review. The Chartering Committee will help you revise your charter, so that you can be approved. If you want to be a recognized organization, you are now done with the process and are now officially recognized by Smith College. Congrats! Once approved, the Office of Student Engagement will be in touch about the Smith Social Network and Organization Leader Training.

6. If you are looking to be chartered, you will be scheduled to attend a hearing at a SGA Senate meeting; this is your opportunity to present and defend your charter. You can set up an additional appointment with the Chair of rules committee to go over your presentation and answer any last questions about chartering, the hearing, and the process.

7. The week after your hearing, the senate will vote on your student organization. Once approved, the Office of Student Engagement will be in touch about the Smith Social Network and Organization Leader Training.

Fall 2023 Election Timeline

Registration: September 6-16
Campaigning: September 17-20
Voting Days: September 21 and 22
Results: September 23
First Senate Meeting: September 28

More Information

All questions about the elections should be directed to the SGA Elections Chair

Appointed Positions

Academic Honor Board Class Representatives
Contact: Alexandra Keller, Dean of the College

One representative from the Sophomore, Junior, Senior, and Ada Comstock class is chosen by the Academic Honor Board each spring to fill open vacancies on the board. All class representatives are selected through an application and interview process, and have tenure until their graduating year.

Advisory Board for the Resource Center on Gender and Sexuality
Contact: The Office for Equity & Inclusion

The Resource Center on Gender and Sexuality provides a space for many different communities at Smith to come together. This board is looking for students who would like to help foster a space for queer community and focus on activism here at Smith. The board is very interested in supporting the queer organizations on campus as well as forwarding and expanding discussions on diversity at Smith.

Bookstore Advisory Committee
Contact: Jill McGrath, Controller

The Bookstore Advisory Committee deals with issues regarding the Smith College bookstore. Student representatives will engage in conversation with the bookstore management team along with other members of the administration and faculty. Through this committee, students will learn more about the bookstore industry and its constituent roles and responsibilities. The committee meets two times per semester.

Campus Safety Advisory Group
Contact: Julianne Ohotnicky, Associate Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students

The Campus Safety Advisory Group is made up of students, faculty, and staff to help guide the policies and practices of the Department of Campus Safety. The committee meets monthly.

Committee on Missions and Priorities (CMP)
Contact: Elena Palladino, Secretary of the Board of Trustees and Assistant to the President of the College

The Committee on Mission and Priorities is made up of two student representatives and members of the faculty and administration who advise the president on strategic, financial, human and physical resource planning for the college's next decade. The committee solicits, generates, and reviews proposals for major projects and initiatives; assesses progress in achieving the goals of current initiatives; and recommends priorities for the allocation and reallocation of resources. The committee meets regularly with the Committee on Academic Priorities, the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, and the appropriate committees of the Board of Trustees, both to be informed by and to be informed of the work of those committees. Periodically the CMP reports its findings and recommendations to the Smith community at large. Meetings are generally held once a month on Wednesday or Thursday afternoons. Two students (a junior and a senior) serve on the committee, each with staggered terms of two years. Time commitment: two years. Only rising juniors are eligible to apply.

SGA Curriculum Committee
Contact: the SGA Vice-Chair of Appointments

The Curriculum Committee is responsible for keeping the student Senate and the campus at large informed of curriculum concerns and changes. The committee assists the administration with the college's mandatory faculty teaching evaluations and holds forums to discuss timely educational policy issues. The Curriculum Committee serves as a resource for academic representatives, department liaisons, and the student body at large - traditional and non-traditional students alike.

Library Advisory Committee
Contact: Susan Fliss, Dean of Libraries

The Committee shall review the Library operating budget, capital budget requests, space, staffing, long-range planning, and other Library matters. The Committee may make recommendations on these matters to the Provost and Dean of the Faculty. It shall consider the way in which the Library's policies and practices can best meet the curricular and scholarly needs of its users. 

Finance Committee
Contact: Contact: the SGA Vice-Chair of Appointments

The Finance Committee consists of the Chair of Finance (aka the Vice President for Finance), the Vice Chair of chartering (aka the Vice Chair of Rules Committee), the SGA president, and ten liaisons. The Vice President for Finance is elected by the student body in the spring of each year. The Vice Chair is elected internally by the Finance Committee in the fall. Eight liaisons are appointed in the fall through the Committee on Appointments. Two Senator liaisons will be elected in the fall through the Senate.

Serving on the ORC is a one-year commitment. Organization chairs, presidents and treasurers cannot serve on the board.

Technology Steering Committee
Contact: Samantha Earp, Chief Information Officer and Vice President for Information Technology and Service

The Technology Steering Committee (TSC) is the senior governance group for technology issues at the college. The committee guides and advises Information Technology Services and senior management on strategic information technology matters. In collaboration with the CIO, the committee recommends IT priorities, policies and strategies. Throughout the year the committee will: evaluate, review, and recommend changes to IT policies; recommend annual technology investment priorities; provide guidance on the balance of central and departmental responsibilities for technology; monitor ITS plans to sustain the necessary capacity, security, and recoverability of the college's technology infrastructure; and review and make recommendations on new opportunities for Five College technology collaborations. The TSC is co-chaired by the provost and the vice president for Finance and Administration, and is staffed by the CIO.

Campus Planning Committee
Contact: Matthew Tomaszewski, Associate Vice President for Campus Planning and Sustainability

The Campus Planning Committee shall consist of, the Provost or the  Associate Provost, the Dean of the College (or designee), the Vice President for Finance and  Administration (Chair), the Associate Vice President for Facilities and Operations the Associate Vice President for Campus Planning and Sustainability, the Director of the  Botanic Garden, five members of the faculty, two staff members, and one student. Faculty, staff and student members are appointed by the president and serve three year terms when possible 

The Committee provides feedback and makes recommendations to the president on campus landscape and exterior design, including considerations of accessibility. The committee shall review all building and renovation projects with exterior design  changes, make recommendations related to implementation of the Landscape Master Plan, recommend standards for campus signage and outdoor furniture, inform decisions regarding campus traffic and parking  matters, and make recommendations about the installation of outdoor works of art.  

Inclusion Council
Contact: Floyd Cheung, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion

The mission of the Inclusion Council is to offer grounded perspectives on how inclusion, diversity and equity -- inherent in the relationships, practices and activities of students, staff and faculty -- are playing out at Smith College. The members of the council shall advise the Vice President for Equity and Inclusion on what’s working well and how the College can improve. The Council has a student from each class year represented and new members are appointed as positions are vacated.

Vendor Code of Conduct Advisory Committee
Contact: TBD

Smith College is committed to conducting its business affairs in a socially responsible manner consistent with its educational mission and commitment to diversity. To this end, this code of conduct is a working document to guide vendor and institutional purchasers of apparel. The vendor code is a work in progress and will be revised through an active participation in the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) and the Fair Labor Association (FLA). Smith College recognizes eight cardinal principles as the basis for effective performance under this code of conduct: full public disclosure of factory addresses, commitment to fair wages, independent monitoring, freedom of association and collective bargaining, safe working conditions, no forced labor, no child labor, and women's rights. Smith College expects affiliated vendors and institutional purchasers to conduct their business in a manner consistent with these principles and to follow workplace standards that adhere to this code of conduct.

Please contact the SGA Vice-Chair of Appointments with any questions or concerns.