Student Organizations and Activities

 

The Student Government Association (SGA)

Hodson Hall, ext. 8742 (8SGA)

Established in 1919, The Student Government Association (SGA) includes all current Washington College students as members. The student-run SGA participates in campus administrative, academic, and social affairs. There are three main branches of the SGA: the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch.

The Executive Branch is composed of three elected members (President, Vice President and Speaker of the Senate) and nine appointed members (Financial Controller, Secretaries of Academics, Student Services and Campus Properties, Social Life, Student Life, Environment, Service and Community Relations, Diversity, and, the Director of Communications and Marketing). All members of the Executive Branch, the Speaker of the Senate, the Honor Board Chair, and the Parliamentarian, as well as the SGA faculty and staff Advisors, meet regularly in Executive Board meetings. All work to represent students in day-to-day affairs, and each Executive Board member holds regular office hours in the SGA Office.

The Legislative Branch of the College, commonly referred to as the Senate, consists of elected residence hall Senators, Class Presidents, and the Speaker of the Senate. The Senate is the voice of the student body, evident in its control over the SGA Platform and other legislative affairs.

The Honor Board serves as the Judicial Branch. The Honor Board Chair and the student Honor Board members are all chosen by the SGA and work alongside appointed faculty and staff to promote and enforce the Washington College Honor Code.

To promote checks and balances of power and to insure fair appointment practices, the SGA uses a Review Board. This Board, chaired by the non-voting Parliamentarian, consists of the President, Financial Controller, Speaker of the Senate and the Honor Board Chair.  The By-laws and Constitution of the SGA are available online at: https://www.washcoll.edu/campus-community/student-involvement/sga/index.php.

 

Office of the Student Government Association

Hours: Published each semester.

The SGA offers the following services:

• Club recognition, funding, requisition processing, and detailed club information (constitutions, histories, officers);
• Posting of student leadership information and opportunities; referrals to Student Affairs and other campus services; referrals to off-campus services;
• Posting and distribution of SGA- and non-SGA-sponsored activities/events;
• Academic resource information/opportunities;
• Copying for recognized student organizations, including the four classes;
• Advocacy for student concerns and issues;
• Student event programming;
• Recognizing distinguished seniors for their efforts to provide a better college community.

The SGA Office also serves as the work area and meeting room of the Student Government Association for use by the SGA Executive Board, Class Officers, Senate Committees, and other organizations and groups as approved by the President of the Student Government Association.

SGA Executive Officers and Staff

Students serve on the following College Committees:

• Academic Resources and Services
• Academic Standing and Advising
• Academic Technology
• Admissions and Financial Aid
• Campus Events and Visitors
• Curriculum
• Diversity
• Honor Board - nine student members
• Off-Campus Study - three students; where possible, seniors personally experienced in off-campus study
• Planning
• Honor Board - nine student members
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
• International Education
• Review Board for Research with Human Subjects - One or two senior students, at least one of whom is majoring in the social or natural sciences.
• Student Life

Students serve on the following Board of Visitors and Governors committees:

• Buildings and Grounds
• Honors and Awards
• Student Affairs

Student Clubs

At the beginning of each semester, the Student Government Association will publish a list of all SGA-recognized clubs om Campus Groups.

Credit-Bearing Performance Groups (1 credit)

Washington College Chorus (MUS 283, 10)

Washington College Symphonic Band (MUS 277, 10)

Washington College String Orchestra (MUS 291, 10)

Washington College Jazz Ensemble (MUS 281, 10)

Washington College Jazz Combo (MUS 475, 10)

Chamber Ensembles (MUS 487, various sections)

Afro-Cuban Song (MUS 289, 10) and Afro-Cuban Drum (MUS 289, 11)

Early Music Consort (MUS 285, 10)

Indian Music Ensemble (MUS 294, 11)

Japanese Music Ensemble (MUS 279, 10, 11 and 12)

Pan Pipe Ensemble (MUS 266, 10)

Steel Pan Ensemble “Steel Revolution” (MUS 278, 10)

Student Publications

The Elm

The Editor-in-Chief can be contacted at: elm_editorFREEwashcoll.

The Elm is the official campus newspaper, published weekly.

 The Collegian

The Editor-in-chief can be contacted at: collegian_editor@washcoll.edu

The Collegian is a creative writing magazine that publishes poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and art several times each semester.

 Washington College Review

The Washington College Review is an online liberal arts journal that publishes undergraduate student writing and graphic art from all disciplines of the College. Find us online at https://washcollreview.com.

Pegasus

The Project Manager can be contacted at: pegasus_editor@washcoll.edu.

The College yearbook is a digital record of the year’s activities and events.  In the autumn, the Board of Publications sends out a call for applications and hires paid student interns to edit the yearbook.

Fraternities and Sororities

Antoine Jordan, Director of Student Engagement, Ext. 7146

Fraternities and sororities at Washington College build community through activities centered in scholarship, social life, service, and leadership. Under the guidance of the Director of Student Engagement, the Interfraternity and Panhellenic Councils are responsible for fraternity and sorority affairs, including the promotion of community relations and the recruitment for all chapters on campus. Washington College recognizes four national fraternities and three national sororities:

Panhellenic Council (Panhel)

Faith Waaraama '22 President

Sororities

Alpha Chi Omega, Beta Pi Chapter

Sydney Walker '25, President

 

Alpha Omicron Pi, Sigma Tau Chapter

Claire Garretson '25, President

                       

Zeta Tau Alpha, Gamma Beta Chapter

Katherine Opielski '25, President

 

Interfraternal Council (IFC)

Nathaniel Beittel '23, President

 

Fraternities

Kappa Sigma, Omicron Phi Chapter

Hunter Frederick '25, President

 

Phi Delta Theta, Gamma Chapter

Jastin Garcia-Mendoza '23, President

 

In order to participate in Greek Life recruitment, a student must have been a full-time student at Washington College for one semester and meet the minimum academic standards as set forth by the Interfraternity and Panhellenic councils as well as the individual fraternity or sorority.