Student Senate

Senate is made up of about 20 students who were elected by the student body to represent subsections of students at St. Olaf. Senators include Class Year Representatives as well as numerous Special Constituency Senators.

When you enter the Senate chamber please find a seat near the back of the room. We begin right at 6:30 PM each week so please do arrive on time. You are welcome to stay for as long as you would like! We ask that electronics not be used in the boardroom.

We are so happy you are thinking about joining us!

Robert’s Rules, or Parliamentary Procedure, is the procedural system Senate operates under. Some of these procedures include a speakers list, methods for creating an efficient conversation and voting on agenda items, and a process for approving meetings and minutes. You can find more specific information on Robert’s Rules here.

Robert’s Rules is crucial in helping us maintain a balanced, fair, and efficient Student Senate at St. Olaf College.

For example: the speakers list and speaking time limit allows us to ensure that a select number of students do not dominate the conversation, but that there is room to hear all perspectives and that senators and students feel encouraged to share their perspective. By addressing senators with their last names, we are able to maintain a professional environment that encourages dialogue and debate.

With this procedure, we are able to create an environment where disagreements feel less personal. The ‘previous question’ and ‘straw poll’ features allow us to ensure we have an efficient senate body that is able to spend time on a multitude of student conversations and concerns.

The good news – not too many! We want you to enjoy your time in a Senate meeting and to feel comfortable to speak up. Because of this, we want to make Robert’s Rules as simple for both senators and guests as possible. Above all – we hope that you will not be nervous to speak up and share your opinion. Robert’s Rules are something that we are all learning to navigate and we all make mistakes.

The only procedure we ask you to pay close attention to is the speakers list. To follow this procedure: simply get the attention of the Senate Chair with a raised hand or eye contact, and she will add you to the list. She will then call on you, by name, when it is your turn to speak. A senator will yield their time to you, then you will be able to speak for 2 minutes per speaking turn.

If you would like, you can find a PDF of the Robert’s Rules we follow in Senate and their descriptions here.

We would LOVE for you to submit a proposal! This process is how ideas and conversations can be introduced to the Senate Floor, leading to discussion and action.

The proposal, simply put, is a document that outlines the idea or conversation you wish to bring to Senate’s attention. Proposals can be about almost anything – from General Education Requirements, to Student Government policies, to adding more recycling containers to campus. The sky’s the limit and we hope you will dream up big proposals and feel comfortable bringing them to our attention.

After completing your proposal document: you will need to meet with the Senate Chair, and get the signature of two Senators or 25 students. After these three steps – your proposal is ready for Senate!

1. Download the Senate Proposal Template and complete the required fields.

2. After filling out the proposal please see the Senate Chair. This short meeting will help you organize the proposal so it is ready for a Senate meeting (without changing the substance) and will be a chance for you to connect with Senators who can sign off on the proposal.

3. Obtain the signatures of two current senate members, or get 25 student signatures.

4. Turn in the completed form to the SGA Vice President in the Office of Student Activities.

If you have any more questions do not hesitate to reach out to the Senate Chair or SGA Chief of Staff.