The GW Student Association

Led by Executive Vice President Jason Lifton, the legislative branch consists of the Senate and its four standing committees (Rules, Finance, Student Life and Academic Affairs). The Senate is the deliberative body of the SA and is responsible for allocating funds to student organizations. Voting representation in the senate is divided up based on undergraduate and graduate school. In addition, first year undergraduate students and first year graduate students receive representation in the form of non voting senators.

Please take a look around our documents page, where you can find our minutes, legislation and agendas as well as information about the committees and our initiatives. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

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Some Senate History:

The Student Association Senate is the legislative body of the Student Association, the student government of The George Washington University. The Executive Vice President (Senate President) and Senators are elected once per year by students in each of the University’s seven academic schools. Through regular town hall meetings, committee meetings, and other outreach events, the Executive Vice President and Senators work to bring their constituent’s voice to the Student Association.

The Student Association Senate, in its antecedents, is one of the oldest and most influential student organizations at The George Washington University.

In the 1950’s, the Senate functioned as the Student Council of The George Washington University, which served as part of the Student Life Committee, chaired by the Dean of Students. The Student Council gained additional autonomy when it became the Student Assembly, forever being identified as the ‘SA.’ During the 1960’s and 1970’s, the SA became politically active, like many universities around the country it took stances against the Johnson and Nixon administrations for United States involvement in the Vietnam War. Ultimately it was the SA’s politically charged agenda that caused its dissolution in the early 1970’s.

The Student Association was reconstituted and chartered by the Board of Trustees in 1976, being re-chartered in 1990, and reorganized by Student Association President John David Morris.

The Senate has taken a very active role in the past decade, firmly defining itself as the only student organization on campus mandated by the Board of Trustees to represent the interests of the student body. The Senate has kept its finger on the pulse of the student body when it comes to academic, student life, and most importantly tuition issues, and we invite as many students as possible to come and join us in our mission.