Committees

The Student Government at the University of Vermont is made up of 42 senators, as well as a President, Vice President, and Treasurer. Each of the 42 senators are placed on one of eight standing committees. These committees focus on several areas of student experience ranging from academic policy to social equity.

Mission Statement

"WE, the students of the University of Vermont Student Government Association, in order to establish the official representative voice of the undergraduate student body: to realize student power, to have a major role in the decision-making process at the University, and to promote the welfare of the academic, cultural, and social aspects of the University of Vermont Community, and, with the authority recognized and vested by the Board of Trustees and by this Constitution, we do hereby establish an association of governance.

The University of Vermont Student Government Association, as a representative of The University of Vermont community, values and upholds the pillars of Our Common Ground: Respect, Integrity, Innovation, Openness, Justice, and Responsibility. This association or any part thereof shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, sex, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, veteran status, age, economic or social class, major, or minor.”

SGA Committees

Executive Officers

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OfficeIncumbentEmail
PresidentMahder TeferraMahder.Teferra@uvm.edu
Vice-PresidentLiv BednarikOlivia.Bednarik@uvm.edu
TreasurerMatt Sorensensga.finance@uvm.edu
Speaker of the SenateKennedy Connorssgaspeaker@uvm.edu

Academic Affairs Committee

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The Academic Affairs Committee (AA) addresses matters of student interest regarding academic policy, curriculum, and faculty-student relations and brings concerns to the Senate. Committee members sit on the Curricular Committee and the Student Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate and address student concerns at meetings. The committee formed and oversees the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board: a group of twelve undergraduate students that advise the Dean on student concerns. The committee engages in projects intended to improve academic life and accessibility across all colleges. Recent projects include efforts to include course descriptions in registration information, increase the number of credits allowed per semester, and review academic advising.

Chair: Lauren Knopp
Senators: Patrick Toomey, David Richardson, Nora Carroll-Millins, and Celia Chapman

Find out more on the Academic Affairs Committee's UVM Clubs page or contact Committee Chair: Lauren.Knopp@uvm.edu

Club Affairs Committee

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The Club Affairs Committee is responsible for overseeing all activities related to SGA organizations. They consider all requests for new club recognitions and submit them before the SGA Senate for approval.  This committee is responsible for keeping close contact with club officials to ensure that things are running smoothly and that they are correctly following all SGA and UVM policies and guidelines. The Club Affairs Committee will assist in conduct violations in conjunction with Student Conduct and Student Life.

Chair: McKenna Halvorson
Senators: Robert Demeo, Rebecca Torres, Jaden Grace, Peyton Paquette, and Kennedy Connors

Find out more on the Club Affairs Committee's UVM Clubs page or contact Committee Chair: McKenna.Halvorson@uvm.edu.

Submit your feedback for the Club Affairs Committee!

Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity

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The Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity (CODIE) is committed to ensuring that all students on our University’s campus are heard, supported, and included. There is always room for improvement within the realm of Social Justice, and CODIE’s job is to continue this work in a variety of ways. They strive to never ignore, and always act on the issues facing UVM students pertaining to their identities.They are not only a resource to guide students in the right direction, but they also serve as the official liaison between the students and the UVM Administration when dealing with such matters. CODIE is always eager to hear how we at UVM can do better, along with what we can continue to work on to make our campus climate better for everyone.

Chair: Rubi Espejo
Senators: Michelle Osei, Hannah York, Kevin Denny, Leah Theroux, and Chiara Petracek

Find out more on the Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity's UVM Clubs page or contact Committee Chair: Rubi.Espejo@uvm.edu

Committee on the Environment

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The Committee on the Environment (CoE) is responsible for making UVM's campus a truly environmentally aware space through their many sustainable clubs and events. CoE encourages these clubs to take action through a monthly meeting called ECO (The Environmental Collaboration Organization) where together clubs collaborate and engage on different environmental concerns. They work on planning different events on campus and communicate to administrators ways to make UVM climate ready, sustainable, and a healthy ecosystem that includes campus in an overall environmental ecosystem.

Chair: James Surak
Senators: Matisse Arnone, Kelsey Lynch, Rawley Gottfurcht, and Maddy Forrest

Find out more on the Committee on the Environment's UVM Clubs page or contact Committee Chair: James.Surak@uvm.edu

Committee on Legislative and Community Affairs

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The Committee on Legislative and Community Affairs (COLCA) acts as the student link between UVM and the local, state, and federal communities. One of COLCA’s main priorities is to cultivate the unique, dependent relationship between UVM, Burlington, and the state of Vermont, and to include students in conversations between these entities. COLCA works closely with the Office of Student and Community Relations (OSCR) to plan community clean-ups, assist with off-campus outreach, and to help chair the Community Coalition - a space for both students and community members to talk about previous work, progress, and complaints that involve the university and/or the Burlington community. Utilizing all of its relationships, COLCA will foster amicable, productive relationships between the UVM, Burlington, and Vermont communities.

Chair: Emily Garcia
Senators: Nathan Reeder, Cameron Laychak, Omar Talhouk, Paige Lee, and Tess Oreck

Find out more on COLCA's UVM Clubs page or contact Committee Chair: Emily.A.Garcia@uvm.edu

Committee on Student Action and Wellbeing

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The Committee on Student Action and Well-Being (CSAW) is dedicated to helping the student body navigate the many facets of campus life by aiding in propelling students’ initiatives and by spreading awareness of the resources available to them. CSAW engages with many different issues and conversations on-campus, such as transportation, residential life, counseling, and dining. Our focus is on student health and well-being, specifically working to normalize the conversation around mental health, and by facilitating an environment of mindfulness, good health, and self-love.

Chair: Cat Jones
Senators: Carter Purple, Magda Keppel, Meg Steele, Rachel Bibens, Lily Onorato, and Willa Sharrar

Find out more on the Committee on Student Action and Well-Being's UVM Clubs page or contact Committee Chair: Catherine.A.Jones@uvm.edu

Finance Committee

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The Finance Committee is responsible for managing the SGA’s club budgets. They make decisions and recommend allocation actions to the Senate on proposed funding of SGA organizations.  It is the goal of the Finance Committee to assist clubs in funding events and provide them with resources to fulfill their club’s mission, while enhancing the UVM student experience. The Finance Committee makes decisions with careful calculation, by considering the club’s reach to their members and affiliates, the longevity of their group, current and past actions, and SGA Financial Documents. The committee works in conjunction with the SGA Treasurer and Business Manager to ensure that all financial information is accounted for and transparent to the clubs.

The committee meets weekly with clubs and organizations requesting supplemental funding and manages the budgeting process that occurs each February.

Chair: Eloise Murphy
Senators: Maddi Rice, Andrew Ranallo, Cole Esbin, Thomas Peterson, and Polina Zubarev

Find out more on the Finance Committee's UVM Clubs page or contact Committee Chair: Eloise.Murphy@uvm.edu

Public Relations Committee

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The Public Relations (PR) Committee is responsible for branding, marketing, and outreach to the UVM student body. The committee works diligently to inform the student body of UVM and SGA events, activities, and policies. The PR committee creates enticing promotional materials for SGA events, drafts statements to local organizations and media outlets, and manages SGA social media outlets to ensure awareness and accessibility of SGA.

Chair: Merrick Modun
Senators: Jaden Grace, Celia Chapman, Chiara Petracek, Matisse Arnone, Nathan Reeder, Lily Onorato, and Polina Zubarev

Find out moreon the Public Relations Committee's UVM Clubs page or contact Committee Chair: Merrick.Modun@uvm.edu