Presented by Nathan Petrashek, president,
UW-Green Bay Student Government Association

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has been over eight months since I took over the office of president from the honorable Jonathan Virant, who served the students of this University with distinction for two years. Those eight months have spoken volumes about the dedication of our faculty, students, and staff, and I could not be more pleased with the group of individuals that I have the pleasure of working with on a regular basis. Those eight months have also tested us as a nation, as a state, and as a community, and our University has stood up to the challenges it has faced with great merit, only confirming the UW-Green Bay is an outstanding educational environment.

As I begin my statement today, I first want to share a little bit more about what the Student Government Association is and what exactly it is that I do to represent you. The Student Government Association, or SGA, is made up of five individual boards - the Student Senate, chief legislative body; SUFAC, which allocates your student fees; Union Board, which sets policy and programs in the Union; RHAA, who represents housing students; and Good Times Programming, who is responsible for most of the entertainment you see on campus. Together, these bodies comprise the Student Government Association. Obviously, these groups serve a wide variety of functions, and rely chiefly on the input of their members and the student population in general to function, which means they fill a unique niche in our campus community. As governance bodies, it is our responsibility to act in the best interests of the students of UW-Green Bay, and we do this in a variety of ways and on a variety of levels. Our mission is to act with the best interest of the student body in mind. Our job is to serve that group as best we can. Our actions are undertaken only after consideration of the desires of the student population. The administration of the University is always open to hear our ideas, statements, and problems so that they can address them — indeed, I couldn't ask for a more supportive group on campus to work with. There are those who have challenged that supportive relationship, who would advocate for working against administrators and faculty instead of with them. To those individuals, I would simply remind them that we share a common goal, a common vision, with those who are dedicated to higher education — to enrich the student learning experience here at UW-Green Bay and help us to grow as citizens and students.