After an intense Student Government Association meeting Nov. 6, SGA President Charlie Reyna-Demes discussed his conversation with President Marisa Kelly and his plans for the student leadership organization during an interview Nov. 13.
Reyna-Demes said the academic committee has been formulating a policy resolution. While he has no control over what is said in the resolution, Reyna-Demes said he provided the committee with all of the evidence he collected last year as a class senator to support its work.
Reyna-Demes said he plans to continue conversations with Kelly following their Oct. 30 meeting about student concerns. He said he was frustrated that the budget cuts and faculty layoffs caught the campus off guard, and asked Kelly if SGA leadership could receive a warning when major changes are coming. He said she agreed to alert them moving forward.
Reyna-Demes also raised concerns about how administrators handled student input on major decisions, specifically the rearming of the Suffolk University Police Department. Despite 63% of students and faculty voting against the move, the administration proceeded. According to Reyna-Demes, Kelly told him the poll was dismissed because administrators want to consider future students’ opinions as well. Reyna-Demes disagreed.
“Completely dismissing a poll because you’re assuming that the opinions are going to change 10 years [from] now is not logically sound,” said Reyna-Demes. “There is some continuance in students’ opinions when major decisions are affecting them.”
Reyna-Demes said that while the administration considers students’ input, the problem in his view is that students are not there during the key moments during the decision making process.
“Their current strategy dismisses us way too much,” said Reyna-Demes.
Reyna-Demes said he hopes to build a stronger relationship between SGA and the administration by inviting Kelly to attend SGA senate meetings, where students can speak with her directly. He emphasized that these conversations would be civil and focused on seeking answers, not placing blame.
He also referenced the university’s previous town hall-style conversations, where staff, faculty, administrators and students could openly discuss campus decisions. He said reviving those community spaces could build students’ support.
“If we can have a return of those where we can still have SGA, but we can also have a space where maybe not SGA, but other students can go and talk to these administrators about what’s going on with their school,” said Reyna-Demes.
He said SGA hopes to take the initiative in bringing those spaces back. However, this will take a minimum of a couple years because the university is in what he sees as a “strong transitional year.”
For now, Reyna-Demes said SGA has been doing a better job of keeping students informed through Senator Sit-Downs and consistent committee meetings that allow for wider student involvement.
Reyna-Demes said that when he spoke with Kelly about the faculty layoffs, he ultimately agreed the cuts were necessary.
He also addressed why he asked senators during the Nov. 6 SGA meeting whether Kelly should receive $1 million or more in compensation. He said the question was about the image the salary represents and was meant to support the academic committee’s resolution, not to criticize Kelly personally.
Looking ahead, Reyna-Demes said he hopes to set long-term goals for SGA that extend beyond his presidency. Student Affairs is working to lower the $25 replacement fee for student ID cards. The athletics committee is planning events, including the Ram Rivalry for next semester. The housing and facilities committee is addressing student concerns about the delay or lack of responses from maintenance.
Reyna-Demes emphasized that SGA is not focused solely on layoffs and budget issues. He said all SGA committees are actively working on initiatives to address student needs across campus.
