Student Government | Student Org. Saturdays

The Daily Runner is spotlights various student organization on campus. To have your organization featured, contact thedailyrunnereditors@gmail.com.

One of the foremost student organizations dedicated to improving Regent University is Student Government. Formerly known as the College Student Leadership Board, Student Government remains consistent in its mission to mediate between students, staff, and faculty to bolster communication and work towards practical solutions. This year, Student Government is modernizing to meet the needs of the current student body.

According to Student Gov. President Luke Isbell, the new vision for the year is based upon three main tenets: professional development, impacting the campus, and reaching the community. Isbell explained how he and his team plan to enact these three tenets:

Luke Isbell [Jon Etienne Surrette, October, 2019]

“[We] want to develop a professional team; we’re going to do this through mentoring initiatives and bringing in professionals from the area or professors to teach us more about [how] to be a professional,” he said. “We want to impact the campus through events, town halls, our personal connections with staff and faculty, through going and representing the students face to face with the people who can actually solve those problems. [That way] we can move forward with anything that needs to be addressed on campus and the second part of that is making the campus even better…. Once we create a professional team that is impacting our campus right where were planted, we want to go out and impact the community. Next semester is going to be chock full of opportunities for students to go out and help.”

Isbell described the heart of Student Government as “creating and innovating new ideas to glorify God all the more on campus.”

The reason he is serving as Student Gov. President is simple.

“My goal behind it is a lot less official than it seems,” he said. “I just love the Regent Community, the people, and their desire to individually pursue god and that is what I want to pass on. I’m a senior; I’m going to graduate, so I want to leave behind the legacy of solving problems as students and creating an even better culture than we came in with.”

Tarin Riley [Jon Etienne Surrette, October, 2019]

Tarin Riley has been a part of Student Government since her Freshmen year as well, and she currently serves as Secretary-Treasurer.

“I originally decided to be a part of Student Government because of the commitment to excellence and the commitment to leadership,” Riley said.

However, Riley clarified that not everything about Student Government is serious and formal. Part of her role is facilitating the events put on by Student Government. She told us about one of her favorite events, “Sometimes

[we host]

Open Mic Night, where we gather students together to have a fun night where they get to perform in a comfortable environment.”

On Oct. 14,  Student Government put on the annual Town Hall. Students gathered in the Moot Court Room to ask a panel of staff and faculty questions and offer suggestions to improve the University.

Representing their departments on the panel were Chris Mitchell, Chief of Police; Jonathan DeVore, Director of Undergraduate Advising; Adam Williams, AVP for Student Life; and Dr. Joshua McMullen, Interim Dean of College of Arts and Sciences.

Isbell explained the Town Hall as “a glimpse of what student government is doing every single day.”

Students asked questions on a variety of topics such as WiFi, parking, athletics, changes in majors within certain departments, and new security measures.

Dr. McMullen explained how reductions in the programs offered under the Government, History, & Criminal Justice Department were done to ensure that the programs that are offered are excellent. Adam Williams addressed the concern over limited parking on campus by saying we did not have a parking problem, but a “preferred parking problem.” He also emphasized that there are no building plans in place for the campus at this time.

Chief Mitchell asked students to partner with the Campus Police Department through participating in new policies, such as the library access policy, and by taking advantage of resources like the active shooter trainings.

Student Government is busy enacting practical change on campus and helping students connect with their community. If you are interested in learning about professional development and being a part of a vibrant, active community, continue reading.

There are two board positions open that will go to general election soon.

Isbell asks interested students to take these positions serious as “these are scholarship positions, they are a time commitment, and we are looking for highly qualified applicants.”

For a less time-intensive commitment, there are also assistant positions on the board. Student Government just took on their first two assistants for the semester. They are not scholarship positions, but assistants have the opportunity to try out different committees and decide if they want to be on the board in the future.

Lastly, Student Government is hosting Regent Serves the Elderly on Nov. 16. Follow their Facebook page: Regent University Student Government to be notified of the time and place of these events.

Renée Hogan

Renée Hogan

Renée Hogan is the Managing Editor of the Daily Runner.