Assembly Meeting Dates

SGA Chambers (MSC 3rd Floor)

12:30 PM – 1:45 PM

SGA Chambers (3rd Floor)

11:30 AM – 12:45 PM

Business Conducted

• Roll Call

Roll call was taken and official business was approved by Speaker Carson Howe.

• Oath of Office

Grace Desjardins took her oath of office as the 65th President of Student Government Association. 

• A Vote to Fill Vacancy in the Vice Presidency

Vote was approved in favor by Chair Carson Howe.

• Executive Board Endorsed Candidate Kaine Koehler to fill Vacancy

The vote was approved by Speaker Carson Howe in favor. Kaine Koehler filled the position of Student Government Association Vice President, but will maintain duties of Treasurer until a suitable replacement is found.

• Max Bender is Recommended for the Position of Treasurer

Vote is tabled until December meeting.

• OSI Student Staff Recognition ER2253

The vote was approved by Speaker Carson Howe in favor.  OSI Student Staff are to be presented with a certificate honoring their service to campus.

• Partnership with Kraft Heinz EB2512

The vote was approved by Speaker Carson Howe in favor. SGA in conjunction with Kraft Heinz will provide the Triton Pantry with Kraft Macaroni and Cheese on a monthly basis.

• Executive Housekeeping

President Desjardins updates the assembly on roadblocks with Aunt Flo rollout. 

In addition, the assembly was updated on the Adopt a Game initiative, planning a roll out soon.

Discussions on the next meeting to be held December 3, 2025.

Presidential Office Hours are provided as MW - 10AM-12PM and TTH - 12PM-3PM.

• SABC Report

Kaine Koehler informs students that SABC request are now open, and how they will now be conducted on a semesterly basis. 

SABC requests will be due November 30, 2025 per OSI requirements.

• Vietnamese Student Association

Informed the assembly of various upcoming events:

Game night on November 19 at 4PM

Year end party on December 1 at 6PM

Study night collaboration on December 8 at 4PM

Check Triton Connect to sign up today!

• Old Business

Contact SGA in our new office MSC 366A, at SGA@Umsl.edu and at SGA.UMSL on Instagram.

• Open Forum

No new business was conducted in open forum.

• Dismissal 

Speaker Carson Howe dismisses the assembly to be reconvened on December 3. 

Canceled due to weather.

SGA Chambers (3rd Floor)

11:30 AM – 12:45 PM

Quorum was not met to conduct offical business, however an emergency virtual vote was sent out to fill Treasurer Vacancy.

Century Room C (3rd Floor)

2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Presidents Report

• The Revised Constitution shall be taken to a student body vote next week
• All changes shall be transparent to the student body
• The Constitution changes have been made with the guidance of the SGA Advisors, and follows all University Policies and Procedures

  Students can:

• Students now have binding referendum power

• The new Constitution gives more power directly to students, not just student leaders.

• Overrule Senate decisions

• Overrule Executive Branch decisions

• Direct SGA priorities

• Require budget changes

• The new Constitution gives more power directly to students, not just student leaders.

• Students now have binding referendum power

  Students can:

• Overrule Senate decisions

• Overrule Executive Branch decisions

• Direct SGA priorities

• Require budget changes

• The Constitution is much more student-centered

  Before:

  • The structure of SGA focused more on internal offices and procedures
  • There was less direct language centering student needs and access

  Now:

  • The Constitution explicitly centers:
  • commuter students
  • transfer students
  • working students
  • graduate and professional students
  • students who are often left out of governance spaces
  • The new Constitution creates stronger accountability 

• Accountability often depended on leadership culture or informal expectations

Now:

• There are clearer expectations for officers and legislative members
• Failure to do the work can be treated as nonperformance of duty
• There are stronger structures for compliance, reporting, and follow-through
• A stronger Judicial Branch was created

• The Court structure had less clearly defined authority and less proactive power

Now:

• The Student Court can review actions by Senate or the Executive Branch for constitutionality
• The Court can act on its own initiative
• The Court can stop unconstitutional actions before they cause damage
• Senators and Representatives now have equal voting power

Before:

• Some roles had more formal power than others, even if both represented students

Now:

• Senators and Representatives have full voting parity
• Representatives are no longer treated like second-tier members
• More student voices have equal power in legislative decisions
• Transition and continuity are now taken very seriously

  Before:

  • A lot of knowledge could be lost from year to year
  • New leaders often had to figure everything out on their own

  Now:

  • Transition requirements are built into the system
  • There are written playbooks, documentation expectations, and continuity procedures

  • Executive roles were redesigned to improve function

    Before:

    • Some roles were not clearly built around continuity, compliance, or long-term student support

    Now:

    • New or strengthened roles include:
      • Chief of Staff
      • Director of Sustainability
      • Senate Advising Coordinator
    • These roles are designed to make SGA more organized, more accountable, and more durable

    • The Constitution is clearer about who SGA serves

      Before:

      • Student government could feel internally focused or disconnected from everyday student life

      Now:

      • The Constitution makes clear that SGA exists to exercise authority on behalf of students
      • The focus is not just governance for governance’s sake
      • The focus is student needs, student access, and student power

Vice Presidents Report

• Updates on the Student Curator:
  ISC Chair and Vice Chair Ryan Highfill and Grace Desjardins met with past Mayor of Columbia, Mary Anne McCollum to discuss the return of the BOC Student Curator
• Would allow for one student in the UM System to be a voting member of the BOC
  Student Rep approved by Senate and chosen by Governor
• Its UMSL’s turn, and has been for the last 3 years, but was not ever filled by last governor
• UMSL SGA and ISC currently working with Senator Luetkemeyer to bring the position back

Treasurers Report

• Amount: 2,000 per semester / 4,000 per year
• Form: The application for the 2026 Fall Budget is open
• Deadline: Friday, April 24 at 11:55pm
• Help Session: Thursday April 16th at 11:00am
• Additional Information:
• Help session is usually recorded so if you cannot make it, please reach out to me or Ahmaad Wallace and we will get you the recording or figure out a better time to assist you
• If 2,000 is not enough, I would recommend to make preparations for a fundraising event
• Feel free to reach out on any questions, comments, or concerns

ER2603

Support for LGBTQ+ Students

“The Student Government Association affirms, without reservation, that LGBTQ+ students are valued, supported, and essential members of the UMSL community. The pause of one student organization does not diminish the presence, dignity, or importance of LGBTQ+ identities on our campus. UMSL remains a place where queer and trans students deserve safety, affirmation, and access to meaningful resources.”

Passed Unanimously 

ER2602
Library Staff Recongition

• “BE IT RESOLVED that the Student Government Association hereby awards the SGA Excellency Award to the University of Missouri–St. Louis Library Staff, in recognition of their collective dedication, service, and positive impact on the UMSL student community; and
• BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Student Government Association expresses its sincere appreciation for the professionalism, accessibility, and support consistently provided by the UMSL Library Staff;...”

Passed Unanimously 

EB2601
Coalition of St. Louis Region SGAs

Establishes UMSL SGA’s joining of a coalition between UMSL SGA, WASHU Student Union, Lindenwood SGA, SLU SGA, Webster U. SGA, and Maryville Student Ambassadors to establish an SGA coalition focused on advocating for students in the St. Louis region.

Passed Unanimously 

New Business

Triton Pantry Donation Drive

• 1,500 units of menstrual products from Aunt Flow Program
• The SGA Executive Officers and Board donated 1500 units of menstrual products to our Triton Pantry under our dedicated “Access Triton” Iniciative