Formed in 1954 as the Eastern Kentucky State College Student Council, the Student Government Association today is a multi-faceted organization and the voice of the student body in all campus affairs.
SGA is recognized both as an office of the University and as a Registered Student Organization, and is entirely student led and student run.
As an office of the University, SGA serves a student support service; we assist students with concerns, provide them resources, and offer a wide array of programs and services.
As a Registered Student Organization, SGA's membership is roughly 16,000; any individual enrolled for credit is a member of our organization, making us the largest student group on campus by far.
SGA's authority to operate is granted directly by the Board of Regents in the form of our Constitution, through which they have afforded us a "maximum of autonomy" in our affairs. As such, we do not report to any one administrator; rather, we are accountable directly to the Board of Regents. We understand and take our responsibilties seriously, however, and we hold ourselves accountable to the entire University community of administrators, faculty, staff, alumni, and most of all students.
SGA's fundamental mission is to advocate for the best interests of the student body. We accomplish this mission in many ways, through four different branches, each of which has a distinct role: The Student Senate, Student Court, Residence Life Council, and Student Activities Council.
Though our membership actually includes the entire student body, being "in SGA" refers to holding one of roughly 175 elected or appointed leadership positions within the organization; this corps of student leaders is whom "SGA" refers to in common vernacular, and they make up the various branches. Other positions, such as the Ethics Administrator and our Senior Staff, coordinate and support the branches in their missions. The entire organization is led by the Student Body President, and we receive full-time professional office support from our Office Associate.