Why i Want to Run for Student Council

Introduction

The Student Council is the primary organization for the self-governance of students, and as such is an important partner in the governance of any shared learning community, the school. Its central role is the representation of collective student views to the school administration and faculty, expertise in community-building, and support for individual student complaints and concerns. Because it is involved in representing others, the Student Council is also influential in areas of advocacy. The most important council function is as a representative assembly promoting effective student voice in shared governance.

The Student Senate and Student Assembly represent all students of their respective institutions and the major functions and topics affecting them. They may deal with the internal affairs of students, advise the administration on a large variety of topics, and are very concerned with the development of leadership and management skills.

The primary role that emerges from that opening is one of representing or informing, or both, dealing with the students' voice. Many councils are responsible for creating change or for finding multiple avenues for affecting the student environment. Additionally, many students learn through the activities their student councils sponsor. Leadership styles and opportunities are as numerous and varied as there are schools, but much of the focus is on building strong, actionable items that develop an understanding of themselves and the environment. Research also shows the potential to develop young citizens. Historically, student ownership of schools has grown in America in the past century. At schools in New England in the early years of the 20th century, the principal was completely responsible for the operation of the entire school. Suggestions from local community councils were heard. Only 12 percent of schools in the United States had student councils in their operational plans. At the U.S. Secondary School Principals Convention, the first official recognition of student councils in the U.S. was made. The National Association of Student Government may set high standards, increase interest in student government, and promote a spirit of cooperation, unity, and helpfulness among member schools and others interested in student councils. Student motivation is often critical to their level of involvement in council activities.

Personal Motivation

Students join Student Council for different reasons. These may be intrinsic, like a desire for leadership or a desire to be of service to others. “I think I would be a good candidate for the Student Council representative because I want to help, I want to listen,” commented one candidate. “I know some people don’t talk much, and I can figure out what they want to voice.” Some run because someone asked them, and they want to help. “I felt like making a change, and if not that, at least making a difference in some of the small things that could be altered so the days at our school could be even better,” said one hopeful. Others see the run for Student Council as a personal challenge where they see very little chance of success. “The reason why I want to be a representative is that it is both a learning and an ‘impossible’ experience for me,” says another.

Broader missions revolve around wanting to serve their community by “showing them that they do care about their issues and their concerns.” These students see seminal roles as representatives. “To share information with our school is to be a Student Councilor,” offers one patriot. Another student wrote, “One of the reasons I would like to be on the Student Council is that I would like to represent everyone like I did in the eighth grade.” Another writes, “I would like to take part in the Student Council to represent the student body and see what issues the students have to deal with and to get the issues resolved.” Student Council hopefuls also rely on their values and beliefs. “My values and beliefs have always been very important to me, and it is this fact that has led me to run for Student Council,” says one. “I truly believe that high school should be the best years of your life, and I think being part of Student Council can help each and every one of us make that come true.” While their values and beliefs do drive them to want to do what is best for all, some of their beliefs are at odds with the school policy.

Setting Clear Goals and Objectives

When it comes to a robust and successful campaign to run for a seat on a student council, a vital element is to have clear goals and objectives. An effective tool to aid in establishing the objectives surrounding the role and responsibilities of the Student Council can be using the S.M.A.R.T. goals and objectives as a guide. Goals should be: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Council candidates may wish to focus on the issues that are priorities in their campaign, but when defining their goals, they must ensure that these will stand up to the scrutiny of being SMART. Developing your objectives (what you would like to achieve) is another tool that will help define your goals. Once the objectives have been established, strategies to achieve these will need to be developed.

Developing these objectives can be assisted through communicating with peers to gain an understanding of their likes, dislikes, and requirements and what they may wish the college to provide to meet these stated needs. This can also provide you with information on what your campaign issues are. Taking a more collective approach to your objectives can also make them stronger and more worthwhile as it demonstrates that your objectives represent 'the view' of the student body and not just your own personal aspirations. It needs to be acknowledged throughout this process that to be truly effective in your role on the council, you must focus on not only those objectives that have your personal interest but also those that demonstrate the key responsibilities of the Student Council. This symbiotic balance can sometimes be a challenge to reach, as it's important that you are motivated by your objectives and the prospect of achieving them, but at all times your area of interest must be delivered as a collective goal, as this will represent the best interests of the student body at large. It is therefore relevant and important advice to suggest that talking to students you may interact with on a regular basis demonstrates inclusiveness and a tangible commitment to being an effective councillor. It would also make sense to align your objectives with the long-term objectives of the Student Council and the college. It is useful to ask peers a simple question: “What do you think has already been achieved and what should it focus on next?”

Strategies for Achieving Goals

When striving to build a better, more engaging student council on campus, student council leadership must not only look at broad, overarching plans, but also at strategies that will help the current student council members implement that plan on a day-to-day basis. Similarly, we have found that in higher education, one of the most important aspects of achieving the original goals of a project is to determine the strategies for accomplishment through the process. Many of the goals we decided on were group goals, meaning that they required cooperation and collaboration from the full body of council members to complete the tasks. This intentional decision demonstrates our faith in the necessity of collective efficacy in these matters and stands apart from many of the goals in our project updates that primarily discuss the initiatives and scholars that made those decisions and completed the work.

As multifaceted, creative problem solvers, we used these strategies when dealing with funding and fairness issues by creating transparency and clear communication within our team and then with the full organization. It was easy to connect individual communication and leadership qualities with the success of this strategy. For instance, on our council’s birthday, student council members intentionally sat with new scholars, alumni, and Inclusive Education Reform Scholars, and de-prioritized council members made and stocked grab-and-go lunches available for residents on their way to orientation coach meetings. Another aspect of intentional programming and event planning is timing and longevity. For example, we surveyed our scholars about the timing of our annual talent show, and now after four years of history, we continue to avoid conflicts and can guarantee a good audience and a critical mass of acts for talent show performers. These are simple examples for our student activities on a small scale that we believe most new student council members are capable of leading, but are infinitely satisfying to follow through on. For this guiding sheet, you can choose an initiative and discuss how you planned, implemented, and celebrated reaching the goal.

Experience and Future Aspirations

Thoroughly Reflecting on Your Experience At the end of your time in council or as a senator, we typically set aside time to reflect on the experience. This activity goes through and asks you to quantify your personal growth. How have you become a better leader, and what did it take to get there? As you are answering these questions, I want you to address the challenges that came your way. Exploring those challenges helps you and guides the type of feedback you have for your peers. You could also use this information later on for a resume or to help guide your future goals. The reflection should help to answer the question, “What do I want to do next?” If you want to continue your involvement, make sure to share your intentions with the candidates running to replace you. They are a great resource, and who knows, you might even find yourself directing them towards council. Some questions to help guide your reflection: What were some lessons learned as a result of your experience in student council? How have the formal and informal mentorship you received helped shape your next steps? Are there other community opportunities you’d like to pursue now that you’ve had your first experience in student governance? How ready do you feel to pursue those opportunities? What kinds of additional support would you need to achieve your goals? Can you use your new experiences and goals to better answer questions in future applications? If so, which ones? Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years? Do you plan on including items on that list that were inspired by what you learned as a result of your student council involvement?

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