From Campus to Capitol: Parallels Between the K-State SGA and local government

Sean Hoffmans & Bently Taulbert are members of the K-State SGA and ran for student body president and vice president in the spring of 2024. Courtesy: Lauren Taylor

MANHATTAN, Kan. — "The students of Kansas State University, united in the belief that the goals of a democratic community can be furthered only by the citizenship habits, attitudes, skills and knowledge acquired through experience…" - the Constitution for the Kansas State University Student Governing Association (SGA).

The K-State SGA is an organization in which a group of students represent the student body and advocate for improvements to student life. Their largest responsibilities are delegating the $14 million budget and ensuring that all students are considered when decisions are made. 

SGA mirrors their structure off of the United States Government in the way that it has three branches that separate and balance power. These branches are the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch, all of which are headed by K-State students. These branches are broken down further into committees that handle specific topics to ensure that all aspects of student life are accounted for. 

Sean Hoffmans, Director of Outreach and Engagement,  helps expand student government to parts and people of the university that aren’t familiar with it. “[SGA] allows the student population to understand that their voices are being heard,” Hoffmans said. “A lot of student governments at other universities aren’t as engaged with their students, faculties, and administrations. Ours work hand in hand and have a student present for most decisions being made to make sure there is student input.” 

The K-State SGA offices are located in the K-State Union where students can meet with members to talk about their wants and needs around campus.

Though it is an organization making decisions solely for the university, K-State SGA is involved with the local, state, and federal governments. Bently Taulbert, Legislative Director, manages all of SGA’s relationships with the state and federal legislatures. This includes attending events, going to the state capitol with the Student Body President, Paige Vulgamore, to Kansas Board of Regents meetings, and going to an annual conference in Washington D.C. to advocate for the university.

SGA members spend a lot of time outside campus to advocate for the university on behalf of the students. “All of the public universities send their student body presidents to serve on the Student Advisory Committee for the Kansas Board of Regents, the governing body that oversees higher education in the state of Kansas, to build relationships with [the board]” Taulbert said. "We also do Kansas Higher Education Day, which is where all of the regent schools send delegates to meet with our state legislators to discuss issues that affect students specifically at our universities."

Taulbert believes that there are real world implications to what is being discussed within the SGA. “We have a budget of around $14 million that we divvy out every single academic year, and anytime there is money involved, you will have real life politics,” Taulbert said. “It fluctuates [at K-State] with how political things get. I think we’re dealing with a world where politics have become so personal and social issues have now taken the forefront of policy.”

He shared examples of  conversations being had in university governments that also happen within the U.S. government.

"We will argue about whether or not we support a piece of legislation that supports having gender neutral restrooms, for example, which pertains to student life here, but we are also seeing that issue on the state and federal level," Taulbert said.

While he believes it is reflective of a local government, Hoffmans appreciates that SGA members are students and don’t have the responsibilities that politicians do in the United States government but are eased into the field of politics. “What we do isn’t life or death,” Hoffmans said. At the end of the day, we’re there to make decisions on behalf of the students for the university, but at the same time, if our decisions are out of reach for the university, someone will step in to better manage the idea.” 

Taulbert describes SGA as a "laboratory" where students can have discussions about issues without the pressure of an entire city or state’s citizens relying on the decisions being made. "Even though our decisions have real life consequences, it isn’t on the level of running a country," Taulbert said.

Hoffmans and Taulbert ran for student body president and vice president in Spring of 2024. Being involved in the K-State SGA has increased both of their political knowledge and efficacy.

"Being in SGA has given me more of a focus on the issues that I care a lot about," Taulbert said. "Since the issues we focus on involve higher education, it's really made me realize how crucial higher education policy is."

“SGA makes me more invested in what’s going on and I feel like I know a lot more [about government] than I did when I was a freshman,” Hoffmans said.