Get to Know SGA

The SGA Cabinet consists of the seven heads of the SGA departments and the Chief of Staff who is in charge of overseeing the Cabinet. The Cabinet has a part in the functioning of all aspects of SGA from legislation to clubs to the public face of SGA.

Each Cabinet department has a different role, but they all function as a team that advises the Student Body President and Vice President on the best courses of action for Liberty University and its Student Government Association.

The Cabinet, overseen by the Chief of Staff, runs seven Executive Departments with varying functions in SGA:

• Chief of Staff – oversees the Cabinet while ensuring the Student Body President and Vice President stay true to the vision of SGA
• Director of Internal Affairs – manages the relationship between the Executive and the Representative and Judicial Branches
• Treasurer – oversees the finances and budgets of SGA and all of its clubs
• Director of Clubs – manages the policies, procedures, events, and inquiries of all SGA clubs
• Director of Communications – manages all of SGA’s marketing and official communications with the Liberty student body
• Director of Events – plans, prepares, and executes fun, engaging, and informative events for the student body
• Director of Community Affairs – focuses on the health of Liberty student community through frequent outreach
• Director of Spiritual Affairs – encourages a positive spiritual culture within SGA and the student body

While the rules and procedures of the Student Body Presidential Election are decided through the legislative process, the Student Body President appoints an Election Commissioner, along with members of the Election Board, to manage all of the specifics and logistics of the Student Body Presidential and Vice Presidential elections in April. The Student Body President and Vice President, as part of the Election Committee with the Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, and Chief Justice, manage and administer the Hall and Commuter Representative Elections in the early fall.

Learn more about SGA Elections.

The House of Representatives is composed of Hall Representatives and Commuter Representatives. Each residence hall is apportioned one Hall Representative, while the commuter student body elects Commuter Representatives at-large. Hall and Commuter Representatives work together in the House of Representatives to create, debate, and vote on legislation to make Liberty University and its Student Government Association a better place.

Almost all pieces of legislation are resolutions. Resolutions are pieces of legislation aimed at making some aspect of Liberty University, outside of SGA, better. Resolutions must go through an eight-step process before implementation.

1. When a thoughtful Representative or Senator sees a deficiency in some aspect of Liberty University, they will come up with a creative solution through the form of a resolution.
2. Resolutions must first be introduced in a House or Senate committee tasked with that particular type of legislation.
3. The next step in the process is for legislation to be introduced, debated, and voted on by the entire House or Senate.
4. Next, they are sent to the other legislative body, either the House or the Senate, to be introduced, debated, and voted on.
5. Resolutions that pass both legislative bodies are then sent to the Student Body President for signature or veto.
6. If the Student Body President signs a resolution, he then presents and recommends it to the Senior Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Mark Hine, who will conduct research and decide whether to sign or veto the resolution.
7. If signed by Dr. Hine, he will present the resolution to the President of the University, Dr. Dondi Costin, for signature or veto.
8. If Dr. Costin signs the resolution, it will be implemented by the University.

Bills are pieces of legislation that aim to change a particular governing document of Liberty’s Student Government Association. Constitutional Amendments are pieces of legislation that aim to change the Constitution of the LUSGA. The process for both is similar to the process for resolutions, except with fewer steps.

Bills only have to pass those legislative bodies that the document that it seeks to alter controls. For example, a bill changing committee bylaws only has to pass through that particular committee, while a bill modifying the Senate Bylaws or Parliamentary Procedure would have to pass through the Senate’s Committee on Oversight and then the Senate itself. Constitutional Amendments must go through all of the processes that a resolution must pass through, except that it does not need to be signed by the President of the University and requires a 2/3 vote in both legislative bodies for approval.

Another responsibility of the of the Judicial Branch is to serve as a Traffic Court in ruling on students’ appeals of parking and traffic citations issued by LUPD. The Court rules on these cases either through in-person hearings or summary judgment before issuing written rationales from Justices. Justices may vote to uphold, reduce, or overturn citations.

Learn more about Traffic Appeals Court.