SGO Committees
Standing committees are headed by the Executive Board committee chairs and are composed of members from Student Senate. These committees are designed to carry out projects and initiatives pertaining to their respective chair’s title on behalf of SGO. Standing committee members are expected to work directly with dean’s staff and/or the student body to positively influence college policy. Formal committee updates are shared once a month during SGO meetings. If you want to reach out to current members, please see the members tab.
Academic Affairs
The Academic Affairs Committee is responsible for assessing the academic life at Swarthmore as well as the college's academic policies. Members of the committee are expected to inform students of the college's academic resources and encourage participation in special academic programs and opportunities. How to best handle any issues regarding academic policy is at the discretion of the Chair of Academic Affairs.
Student Outreach
The Outreach Committee works with the other standing committees to make the student body aware of SGO procedures, initiatives, and events. Members of the Outreach Committee are responsible for reaching out to campus news sources and communicating directly with the student body to offer a transparent view to the inner workings of SGO
Appointments/Internal Affairs
The Appointments Committee consists of five SGO members including the Chair of Internal Affairs. The primary task of Appointments Committee is to fill all positions in student committees and college committees. This process involves advertising open positions, interviewing qualified candidates, and voting to fill the positions. The appointments process occurs once per semester.
Student Life
The Student Life Committee focuses on promoting mental health on campus, organizing social events, resolving concerns regarding parties/hosting, and improving campus dorm life. Members of the Student Life Committee are expected to work directly with members of the dean's staff on behalf of the student body to address issues in student life. How to best tackle these issues is at the discretion of the Chair of Student Life Policy.
Diversity
The Diversity Committee ensures that the needs of affinity groups across campus are met by the college and student government. Additional responsibilities of the Diversity Committee include administering the SGO Bias Response Policy and pursuing campus initiatives that educate the student body and induce productive community dialogue.
Student Organizations
The Student Organizations Committee (Student Orgs) consists of five SGO members including the Chair of Student Organizations. The primary task of Student Orgs is to work with student groups in the chartering process. Each member of Student Orgs is expected to monitor and assess groups that are seeking a charter, and report to the Chair of Student Organizations. Once per semester, Student Orgs will approve the charters of new student groups.
College Committees
College committees allow students to serve alongside faculty and members of the Dean’s staff. Student positions on these committees are open to any student who applies. Applications for college committees are called for once per semester by the Appointments/Internal Affairs committee. Direct any questions about college committees to the Chair of Internal Affairs
Admissions & Financial Aid Advisory Council
The Admissions and Financial Aid Advisory Council is an oversight committee on admission and financial aid policy, and it advises the President on related issues that arise. The committee is not directly involved in individual admissions or financial aid decisions.
Council on Educational Policy (CEP)
The Council on Educational Policy, headed by the Provost and also including the President, six elected faculty members, and three students, is concerned with long-term, broad matters of curriculum, curricular change, and introduction of new programs.
Cooper Foundation Committee
The William J. Cooper Foundation Committee works with academic departments and student organizations in arranging single lectures and concerts by distinguished scholars or artists. The committee also focuses on bringing to the college noted speakers who remain in residence for a period long enough to enter into the life of the community.
Housing Committee
The Housing Committee helps plan and run the December Housing Lottery, the Spring Housing Lottery, lottery info sessions, and the blocking calculation process. It also reviews and ranks student parking applications, makes recommendations about parking assignments, and advises other housing policy decisions.
Off-Campus Study Committee
The Off-Campus Study Committee advises the Off-Campus Study Office regarding changes in policy and practice; participating in regular reviews of Swarthmore College study abroad programs; reviewing approved and proposed study abroad programs; reviewing appeals of student petitions to attend non-approved programs; and in general overseeing the educational quality of all supported programs while contributing to the effort to remove unnecessary institutional barriers to participation.
Student Health Advisory Council
The Student Health Advisory Council serves to provide guidance, communication, student representation, and leadership to Swarthmore's student health services. SHAC is actively involved in health service program planning and development, especially in the areas of illness prevention and wellness.
Swarthmore Clery Act Compliance Committee
The Swarthmore Clery Act Compliance Committee (SCACC) is responsible for overseeing the College's compliance with the Clery Act.
Academic Assessment Committee
The Academic Assessment Committee is responsible for creating and implementing plans for assessing the academic program of the college. Work includes monitoring and analyzing college-wide assessments (e.g. writing courses, honors); supporting departmental assessment of student learning; and coordinating assessment processes with other areas of the college.
Committee on Investory Responsibility (CIR)
The Committee on Investor Responsibility advises the Investment Committee on how to exercise social and environmental responsibility with respect to Swarthmore’s endowment as shareholders in U.S. corporations primarily through proxy voting, or in filing shareholder resolutions.
Crum Woods Stewardship Committee
The Crum Woods Stewardship Committee works to develop and evaluate policies to guide decisions affecting the woods with the goal of maintaining the well being of the flora, fauna and functioning of the Crum Woods.
Dining Services
Committee
The Dining Services Committee works to strengthen the ties between the student and Dining Services communities by promoting a healthy dialogue and initiating special projects.
RA Selection Committee
The RA Selection Committee participates in all aspects of the resident assistant selection process, including overall planning, promotion, and interviewing. The committee meets throughout the Spring semester, and its overall goal is to provide recommendations to the Office of Student Engagement for hiring RAs for the following year.
Sustainability Committee (SusCom)
The Sustainability Committee makes recommendations to the President and to the College community regarding policies to promote environmental sustainability on campus. The Committee focuses on identifying policies and practices that promote the most efficient and responsible use of College resources; monitoring funds and grants pertaining to environmental sustainability; and coordinating and support campus sustainability initiatives and efforts.
Swarthmore Working Activities Table Time (SWATT)
Swarthmore Working Activities Table Time works collaboratively with the Swarthmore community on identifying upcoming events and activities that impact multiple departments and student groups on campus.
College Budget Committee (CBC)
The College Budget Committee provides input and feedback to the President on the annual budget recommendations.
College Judiciary Committee (CJC)
The College Judiciary Committee is chaired by the Director of Student Conduct and adjudicates student disputes involving academic dishonesty. Each hearing consists of two students, two faculty members , and one staff member.
Curriculum Committee
(CC)
The Curriculum Committee deals with immediate questions of the existing curriculum, approving new minors to be offered by departments or programs, reviewing interdisciplinary programs, and providing oversight for academic issues such as writing courses, the calendar, registration, etc.
Equal Opportunity Advisory Committee (EOAC)
The Equal Opportunity Advisory Committee supports the Director of Equal Opportunity by ensuring and monitoring the equal opportunity in Swarthmore's implementation of educational and employment programs. Typically, the committee will meet a minimum of once per semester, depending on whether there are any significant issues for committee consideration.
Library Committee
The Library Committee, chaired by the College Librarian, assists in establishing broad, general policies pertaining to the libraries. The Committee functions in an advisory capacity and acts as a liaison between the library, other faculty members, and the student body.
Sager Fund Committee
The Sager Fund Committee reviews and makes determinations on proposals for funding for programs that will be part of the next year's Sager series. The Sager Series is supported by the Sager Fund, which was created in 1988 by Swarthmore alumnus Richard Sager '73 and awards funds to support speakers and programs related to current topics for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community.
Social Responsibility Committee of the Board of Managers (SRCBOM)
The SRCBOM is charged with reflecting upon the College's commitment, in association with the fulfillment of its institutional mission, to prepare and motivate students to engage issues of social responsibility facing our communities and societies and to set their own paths as responsible citizens toward shaping a more inclusive, just, and compassionate world. The committee will suggest, encourage, evaluate, and facilitate the development of internal community practices, educational programs, and institutional outreach initiatives, which build on the distinctive strengths of the College in meeting these ends.