New strategic communication plan presented for SGA

Libby Bullerdick, Student Government Association’s external communications manager, presented her strategic communication plan for the upcoming term at the SGA weekly meeting Tuesday night.

Bullerdick’s presentation included plans to improve social media, market around campus and educate students about the SGA process.

Bullerdick said it’s important for students to understand SGA because it “affects them directly.”

“If they are involved in an organization that depends on funding from SGA, obviously that affects them,” Bullerdick said. “Being able to know what’s going on with the governing body is extremely crucial. Learning about SGA and what we’re all about needs to start earlier rather than later.”

Bullerdick also said she will focus on using social media to help with student outreach and education. She said she plans to create posters featuring SGA members to increase their presence around campus.

“Everyone is on social media these days, so reaching out to students via social media is the strongest,” Bullerdick said. “I also mentioned doing advertising on campus because people are walking through the MUC every single day, so to get double reminders both digitally and in person is the best way to make students more aware of SGA and who their representatives are.”

Bullerdick said she plans to post senator biographies on Facebook and Twitter, and she encouraged all senators to share SGA social media posts on their personal accounts.

The new strategic communications plan was unanimously voted to be added to SGA bylaws.

Also at the meeting, a bill allocating funds for USD Club Sports to purchase a portable Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was passed.

The new AED would be able to be transported to outdoor sporting facilities and would be immediately available in case of an emergency.

The bill was introduced by finance chairman Kelsey Berger. She said it’s important for SGA to invest in the wellbeing of students.

“A lot of students are involved in club sports and intramurals and for every minute that someone doesn’t have an AED, their chance of survival goes down 10 percent,” Berger said. “It’s very important that we have an AED where students are at a higher chance of going into a situation where they are in need of an AED.”

Also at the meeting, debate continued regarding the move of SGA meetings to the Freedom Forum in the Al Neuharth Media Center.

SGA president Josh Sorbe said the specifics of the move are still being discussed, such as when SGA will begin discussion on whether to return to MUC 216 for the spring 2019 semester.

“Senate decided tonight that we will be doing this through the fall 2018 semester, pending passage of the resolution,” Sorbe said. “So next week we will be voting on whether to move SGA meetings to the Freedom Forum.”

Sorbe said he supports a change in location.

“I would really like to see SGA take this move. It increases transparency and accountability,” Sorbe said. “It’s up to Senate the mechanism that we do it by, but the executive teams will then carry out whatever Senate wants in the timeline that they give us.”