Interested in our organization but confused about how things work? Down below are some frequently asked questions and answers that might help:

Q: How do I know whether or not I’m registered as an official member of Student Government at UConn Stamford?

A: You’ll need to fill out either the senator/committee form or finance form (or both!). After you’ve done that, you should request to join “Student Government Association” on UConntact. Depending on the part of SGA you’ve joined, your official status as a member is determined by the following the requirements.

Q: After attending the Involvement Fair, do you know when new students will find out about the status of their acceptance as a member?

A: You will most likely see the record of your acceptance on our UConntact roster once you’ve attended your chosen meeting(s) and filled out the corresponding form(s).

Q: As a new member, which meeting do you suggest? Senator, Finance Committee Member, or Programming Committee Member?

A: It really depends on where your interests lie. If you prefer the financial aspect rather than voting or planning events, then Finance Committee is probably the best choice for you. And that rule applies to all of the other meetings as well. If a suggestion were to be made, it might be to join all of them and see if you like them (schedule permitting). If you attend all meetings, you’ll be sure to have a working knowledge of all things SGA and by extension, all the events happening on campus, since all clubs that have events usually go through SGA for funding.

Q: If I have a scheduling conflict at the same time as a Committee, Finance, or General Senate Meeting, can I still attend? Can I come late?

A: With respect to the Programming and Finance Committees, it’s perfectly all right to come late as long as it’s not after the meeting has taken place. However, being a Senator requires regular, on-time attendance. This is because in order to start the meeting, we must have quorum, which is 50% of voting members plus one. Occasional absences will be excused, as long as you email our CAO ahead of time that you won’t make it (StamfordSGA@uconn.edu). If a Senator misses two meetings in a row without notifying us, we will have to resign them.

Q: How do I become a Program Director?

A: Program Directors are appointed for a semester at a time. To be eligible, you must be an SGA member for at least one semester prior. To apply, fill out the form listed in the drop-down menu.

Q: How do I run for an Officer position?

A: Section 8.01 (c) of our Constitution details the eligibility requirements for Officer positions:

(c) To be eligible to run for an Officer position, an individual must:

(i) Be a member of the Association at the time of nomination and during their term in office

(ii) Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 (current semester and cumulative) at the time of nomination and at all times during their time in office

(iii) Meet the following involvement/leadership criteria:

1) For the positions of President, Vice President, and Chief Financial Officer the individual must have been a member of the Senate or serve as a Stamford Tier-II RSO leader (President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer) for at least two semesters.

a) If the individual is currently in the process of completing their second term in one of the aforementioned offices, they are eligible to run for either of the three positions.

2) For the position of Chief Administrative Officer the individual must be a member of the Senate or serve as a Stamford Tier-II RSO leader (President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer) for at least one semester.

a) If the individual is currently in the process of completing their first term in one of the aforementioned offices, they are eligible to run for the position.

The election cycle for the following year starts early in the spring semester. We typically start nominations in early February during our General Senate Meetings. You can be nominated for any position (and more than one) by anyone (including yourself), provided you meet the requirements to run. However, you may only accept one nomination and run for one position at a time. After accepting, you may campaign in any way you would as long it doesn’t harm your fellow candidates. The election is typically held in the first week of March.

Q: If the UConn Fee Bill is what we’ve been paying for, does that mean our Student Activity Fee is already covered?

A: Your UConn Fee Bill includes your student activity fee bill, so if it’s been paid then your Student Activity Fee has been paid for. The Student Activity Fee is paid by undergraduate students at UConn Stamford. Those fees comprise the budget that we have to spend on SGA programming and RSO events (including the virtual ones!) The standard fee is $40 per student.