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» Student Government Association Initiatives
SGA strives to create a better Chapman experience for students through advocacy and tangible action. Since the organization’s creation, SGA members have worked tirelessly to enact changes that benefit the student body as a whole. Below are just a few of the initiatives that SGA has completed, including details about each project.
2022-2023 Initiatives
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Passport Fund
To mitigate financial constraints for students hoping to study abroad or enroll in a travel course, SGA allocated a fund of $2,000 to support students with passport application and renewal fees.
Sodexo Recipe Request Tool
In partnership with Sodexo, SGA is pleased to have launched the Recipe Request Initiative for students to request special ingredients, meals, or preparation tools from Sodexo for their student organization events.
Universal Travel Grant Application
In collaboration with the CUE, the Universal Travel Grant Application was launched to centralize the application process for academic conferences and extracurricular travel, increasing efficiency and timeliness for students requesting funds.
2021-2022 Initiatives
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YOU at Chapman
In an effort to address student mental health and wellness, SGA invested $19,000 in an online tool called YOU at Chapman. YOU is designed to help students manage stress, set goals, prioritize well-being, and connect with appropriate campus resources.
Career and Graduate Testing Fund
SGA invested $50,000 to support students through entrance examinations for various post-graduate education or career related pursuits. All undergraduate students are eligible for up to $250 of funding to be used for one education or career-related exam per fiscal year.
Representation on the COVID-19 Task Force
SGA secured student representation on the university’s COVID-19 Task Force—the official group responsible for developing policies and protocols related to COVID-19. SGA President Philip Goodrich sits on the Task Force and relays student issues, concerns, and perspectives.
Student Organization Websites and Domains
SGA invested $2,000 to fund free websites and domains for recognized student organizations in good standing with the university. Interested organizations can submit an interest form, receive approval from Student Engagement, set-up with IS&T, and develop and maintain their site.
COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign
To promote a safe return to in-person instruction, SGA launched a social media campaign to encourage members of the campus community to get their COVID-19 vaccine and share resources regarding vaccination.
2020-2021 Initiatives
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Laptops-To-Go Expansion
To assist students in the remote learning environment, SGA partnered with Information Systems and Technology (IS&T) to expand the existing loaner laptops program. SGA invested over $35,000 and, in turn, helped countless students.
2020-2021 Yearbook
SGA funded the 2020-2021 yearbook.
COVID-19 Financial Relief Program
In response to the many challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, SGA took a historic step by investing over $100,000 to provide financial assistance to students in need. The program provided financial assistance for basic need items including textbooks, educational supplies, housing, and food, and in the end, SGA was able to help approximately 282 students.
Representation on the Board of Governors
As part of the larger effort of increasing student representation in institutional governance, SGA secured representation for the President and Vice President on the Chapman University Board of Governors. Going forward, this representation will allow the student voice to be heard by key university officials and board members.
COVID-19 Rapid Test Partnership
SGA partnered with the Student Health Center to provide free rapid COVID-19 tests to students in need of a test. SGA invested $15,000 and advocated for the university to match this contribution, equating to $30,000 allocated for this partnership.
“Hey, SGA!” Podcast
SGA launched the “Hey, SGA!” podcast to discuss key issues and topics at Chapman and within the larger realm of higher education. This podcast was hosted by President Philip Goodrich and Vice President Erin Mason and provided students with important information that affected their Chapman Experience.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Work
SGA supported the Black Student Union Action Items and found a variety of ways to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion across the campus. Some examples of this work include: collaborating with Student Affairs to implement DEI training for students, starting the DEI infographic series to raise awareness and share resources, funding the School of Communication DEI training, and advocating for the creation of the SoC Student-Faculty DEI Task Force, and helping to establish the Campus Expression Task Force in order to find ways to address the harm caused by hateful speech and expression.
Provost Search
SGA interviewed all final candidates for the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs position. After meeting and talking with the finalists, SGA provided an official recommendation to the Chapman University senior administration.
Greek Life New Membership Scholarship
SGA funded $5,000 worth of need-based grants to new members of campus sororities and fraternities. This program was adopted as an official line item and was created to make Greek Life a more accessible and equitable community.
Past Initiatives
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Free Menstrual Products on Campus
In Fall of 2017, Senator Saba Amid worked alongside the Chapman Advisory Group on the Status of Women to encourage Chapman to provide free tampons and sanitary pads in all its women’s and unisex restrooms. As of Spring of 2018, free dispensers will replace all coin-operated machines, and bathrooms without dispensers will be provided with baskets of menstrual products.
New York Times Subscription
In Fall of 2017, Vice President Sarah Tabsh worked to provide all students with a free subscription to the New York Times. This subscription provides students with more resources for research, with access to unlimited articles, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese versions of nytimes.com, and mobile apps for phones and tablets to keep students up to date with today's news. To subscribe, visit http://nytimesaccess.com/chapman/.
OOMF Charging Station
Senator Mitchell Rosenberg heard student concerns that they could not charge their devices when they wanted to study in outdoor spaces or certain classrooms. In the Spring of 2017, SGA purchased an OOMF charging station, housing 9 portable charging units that can be checked out by any member of the Chapman community to charge their laptop, phone, etc.
Crean College Lobby Furniture
In the Spring of 2017, Senator Yasi Sanandaj successfully secured funding from SGA and the Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences to add furniture and study space to the lobby of Crean College. This new furniture gives students the ability to utilize the large space for study groups and independent work.
Student Organization Print Center
In Spring of 2017, Senators Mitchell Rosenberg and Ana Vincente completed their goal of providing free color printing to all recognized student organizations on campus. All student organizations can now visit the print center located in the Union Tech area of the Student Union to print flyers, waivers, and other materials.
Julianne Argyros Fitness Center Improvements
In 2016, Senator Mitchell Rosenberg worked with the Julianne Argyros Fitness Center to address student concerns by adding new and improved equipment to the Center. SGA also funded new equipment and instituted a new check-out program where students who prefer to exercise outside can rent sports equipment and workout equipment to bring to the field.
Laptops-To-Go
In the Spring of 2016, Senator Mia Baybayan worked to get a free laptop rental kiosk in the Argyros Forum Union. The kiosk features six Dell PCs and six Macbook Pros which can be rented using a student ID card for up to three hours at a time. SGA funded around 30,000 dollars of the 50,000 dollar project.
AED Installation
In the Spring of 2016, Senator Gracie Truex successfully advocated for the University to purchase and install 12 new automated external defibrillator (AED) units in areas around the Orange campus, as well as the Rinker Health Science Campus in Irvine. These units are used to automatically diagnose irregular heartbeats in a person and can then treat the patient through electrical therapy.
Smoke-Free Campus
In the Fall of 2015, Senator Henry Callander and SGA president Josh Nudelman worked to make Chapman a smoke-free campus. After approval from the administration, Chapman University became a smoke-free campus on February 1, 2016.
Fall Break Extension
In 2013, Faculty Senate proposed to increase the three-day fall break to an entire week off during Thanksgiving. SGA senators approved a proposal to extend Thanksgiving break to a week long, which was implemented in 2014.
Water Refilling Stations
In 2011, SGA saw a need for water bottle refilling stations on campus, to encourage the use of reusable water bottle by the Chapman community. Since then, SGA has funded numerous stations in order to ensure there is one easily available in all areas of campus.