The Student Government Association’s (SGA) Executive Board answered students’ questions about transparency, communication, budgeting and the recent election during a town hall on April 6.

Through questions at the meeting and submitted before, several students asked about the winning party’s eligibility to fill their elected positions. The students were referring to a decision the association's Supreme Court made during election season about newly elected Student Body Vice President Fatima Malik’s initial ineligibility to run.

“Many people feel that the upcoming executive board is not eligible to run and manipulated the judicial branch,” outgoing Student Body President Akua Acheampong said.

According to Article VI, section 2, clause (d) of SGA’s bylaws, justices on the branch cannot “hold an elected SGA office until they have ceased to be Justice for at least one semester.” Malik resigned from the judicial branch in January. She was elected as vice president in March.

Elections Director Carson Cooley said Malik asked the judicial branch for clarification on this bylaw prior to challenging it through a case. The two associate justices on the branch at the time ruled she was eligible to run. The student body president appoints associate justices, Malik said.

“We started the semester off with interpreting the bylaws,” she said. “And according to the bylaws, the judicial branch decided that I was eligible to run.”

Because the Elections Committee initially deemed her ineligible to run, it filed an appeal to this decision through the court, which upheld its original decision. Cooley said the committee respected the ruling and didn’t seek to challenge it further.

“We did the due diligence of taking our case to court prior to signing up to be a ticket for the elections, and we did everything very much in advance, and things worked out in our favor,” incoming Student Body President Zainab Naaz said.

After the candidates were made aware of their eligibility, Malik’s opposing presidential candidate, Aiden Partenio, filed a third case asking that the party be disqualified. The judicial branch ruled 4-1, stating Malik was still eligible to run.

At the town hall, students asked Acheampong why SGA leadership didn’t interfere and why there isn’t a check on the Supreme Court's power. Her response was that the Executive Board is a separate branch of government from the Judicial Branch.

“If anybody had concerns, they should have voiced it very much in the beginning, and not now,” Naaz said. “So that just shows the intention that you're coming forward with, and it speaks louder for them than it does for us.”

Cooley said he and the elections committee certified the election’s results and congratulated all candidates on their victories.

A report can be found on SGA’s Engage Central page under the title “2026 Spring Election Report.”

Acheampong, outgoing Student Body Vice President Kathryn House, and outgoing Treasurer Christian Dunn each also gave reports on the work they have accomplished this semester.

Acheampong’s report

Acheampong described her day-to-day responsibilities this semester, including meeting with the university's administration and planning a cabinet retreat in January.

She addressed having to step down from the 105th anniversary planning committee and the postponement of other events because of planning challenges and a limited timeframe.

House’s report

House began by thanking each cabinet member individually for their hard work and dedication. She addressed the challenges that come with leadership and her role representing student voices in the SGA and Academic Senate.

“It has truly been a privilege to serve in this role, to represent students, work alongside such dedicated leaders and contribute to something bigger than just myself,” she said. “It is something that I will never, ever take for granted.”

Dunn’s report

Since January, the Student Budget Allocation Committee (SBAC) has allocated about $60,000 to student organizations, Dunn said.

“Since day one in office, I have focused on making the SBAC process more accessible, transparent and easier for student organizations to navigate,” he said.

He did this by introducing SBAC orientations for Registered Student Organizations and meeting with representatives one-on-one to make the application process clearer. He thanked the SBAC committee for their work.

The Executive Board ended the town hall by giving advice to next year’s board and sharing their personal plans after they finish out their term.

In other news:

SGA will be hosting a Drop the Mic student and staff open mic night on April 16 at 6 p.m. in Pearce Hall.
The association gave away another graduation cap and gown at the general board meeting on April 6.