Swarthmore Student Government

About SGO

We, as the Student Government Organization of Swarthmore College, seek to serve as the representative voice for all students within the Swarthmore community. We exist to empower the student body and ensure participation in the college decision-making process. As SGO, we seek to enhance the student experience by supporting and drafting policy promoting student welfare, interests, and needs. We want to serve as liaisons between the students and faculty, staff, alumni, and the administration at large.

We are governed by our Constitution which outlines the duties of student government at Swarthmore including the allocation of the Student Activities Budget, management of the student group chartering process, appointments to Swarthmore College committees, and the preservation of SGO structure and yearly processes.

In 2015 we codified our Bias Response Policy which instituted a protocol for timely and appropriate student response in incidents of bias within the Swarthmore College community.



Structure

Executive Board

The Executive Board meets on a weekly basis to make decisions regarding campus policy and student initiatives.

The President and Vice President head the Executive Board, which consists of the appointed SBC Chair and seven elected SGO committee chairs:  
  • Academic Affairs
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Internal Affairs / Appointments
  • Student Life
  • Student Organizations
  • Outreach

Senate

The Senate meets on a weekly basis as a part of the full SGO to review decisions made by the Executive Board and to offer support and ideas for SGO initiatives.

The Senate is comprised of up to 20 elected senators (3 from each class year and 8 elected at-large).

This body may propose amendments to the Constitution and work with the Executive Board to initiate referenda and pass resolutions. The Executive Board committee chairs head committees comprised of members from the Senate.