Student Government Association

Do you have questions about SGA or want to learn how you can become part of this impactful student organization? Feel free to contact one of our executive team members.

President: Caleb Weiland

Caleb Weiland is a junior Political Science major with minors in Communication Studies and Spanish. He was elected after serving as President Pro Tempore and Government Affairs Chair. He also serves as president of the South Dakota Student Federation. Caleb is an active member of the coyote community through Pi Kappa Alpha, Student Ambassadors and the Coyote Crazies.
Caleb.Weiland@coyotes.usd.edu

Vice President: Reagan Kolberg

Reagan Kolberg, a senior, double majors in Health Service Administration and Legal Studies in Business. She is from Yankton, SD and comes from a family of coyotes. She has been an active member of SGA since freshman year and previously served as Finance Chair. Outside of SGA, she has served as the VP of External Affairs and Alumni Relations Chair for Dakotathon, VP of Finance in Health Executives Advancing in Leadership, VP of Risk Management for the Panhellenic Council, and VP of Member Education and Experience in Alpha Phi. She is also currently employed as an intern of the finance department of the USD Foundation and Alumni Association. Reagan’s goal for this year is to work as a team to educate and provide for the student body in areas including student health, safety, and academic accessibility.
Reagan.Kolberg@coyotes.usd.edu 

Director of Communications: Elizabeth Brust

Libby Brust, a sophomore, double majors in Medical Biology and International Studies. She became Director of Communications after serving as a senator for the College of Arts & Sciences. Outside of SGA, Libby is a member of  Kappa Alpha Theta and also works with local preschoolers as an intern at the UCC. She has participated in SERVE in the past, hopes to become involved with research in her department this year, and looks forward to alpine ski racing for USD this winter. Her main goal for this term is to advocate for student voices and actively seek student input.
Libby.Brust@coyotes.usd.edu

Director of Finance: Emily Olson

Emily Olson is a junior majoring in Finance with a minor in Legal Studies. Outside of SGA, she serves as the VP of Finance and Housing for her Greek affiliation. Her top priority for this term is to work with the Executive Team to represent the needs of the student body and assure their voice is heard. She also strives to ensure open communication, transparency, and timely reporting as she oversees the Finance Committee. In addition, she has experience with the SGA budgeting process and hopes to provide clarity to organizations about the process.
Emily.P.Olson@coyotes.usd.edu

Director of Operations: Miranda Schulte

Miranda Schulte is a senior double majoring in Criminal Science and Political science with a minor in nonprofits studies. She serves as the Finance Vice President for Dakotathon, enjoys conducting research for her department, and is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha. Miranda previously served as chair of the Internal Review Committee after serving as a senator for the College of Arts and Sciences.
Miranda.Schulte@coyotes.usd.edu

Your Senators 

• College of Arts & Sciences
  
  • Ryan Conover
  • Grace DuVall
  • Brooke Goeden
  • Dillon Grubb
  • Kara Meisenholder
  • Keandra Rhead
  • Caleb Swanson
  • Tory Twohig
    
• Beacom School of Business
  
  • Megan Bierschbach
  • Katherine Conzet
  • Malory Peacock
  • Breanna Rieger
• College of Fine Arts
  • Josh Styskal
• School of Health Sciences
  • Ellen Mallory
• School of Law
  
  • Brandon Raynes
• At-Large Student Body Representatives
  
  • Phil Adam
  • Danish Aheed
  • Chelsea Carter
  • Maggie Erickson
  • Aidan Gantenbein
  • Maddilynn Lehman
  • Griffin Petersen
  • Margaret Meierhenry
  • Jack Starr

Standing Committees

Finance
Katie Conzet, Katie.Conzet@coyotes.usd.edu

The Finance Committee recommends action to the full senate on all SGA special appropriations - money appropriated after the spring budget process. The committee also recommends approval or disapproval of requested reallocation of funds within student organization accounts.

Government Affairs
Dillon Grubb, Dillon.Grubb@coyotes.usd.edu

The Government Affairs committee is responsible for building community and university relations, maintaining contact with alumni, communicating with the South Dakota Student Federation, and handling issues related to Board of Regents meetings.

Internal Review
Ryan Conover, Ryan.Conover@coyotes.usd.edu

The Student Affairs Committee is responsible for ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of student services, maintaining positive relationships between SGA and the Office of Student Life, reviewing student organization constitutions, and working with student organizations to gain recognition and funding.

Student Affairs
Caleb Swanson, Caleb.Swanson@coyotes.usd.edu

The Internal Review Committee is responsible for identifying and communicating student concerns to the student judicial process, reviewing all amendments to the constitution and bylaws, and holding our members accountable.

Documents, Agendas & Minutes 

SGA's bills and resolutions, governing documents, meeting agendas and minutes can be accessed through the SGA's public Google Drive. If you have any issues accessing the drive, contact the SGA office at sga@coyotes.usd.edu or 605-658-3584.

View SGA's Google Drive

Reimbursement Process

1. Save and sign your receipt(s). If the receipt is for food then you must have a sign-in sheet to track who was at your event.
2. Print out reimbursement form
3. Fill out/follow directions on the form
4. If you are not on university payroll and/or have never received a reimbursement before, please fill out a W-9. If you are on payroll or have received a reimbursement before, you may skip this step.
5. Attach receipt to form(s) and W-9 (if necessary)
6. Bring documents to SGA Office - MUC 143. If someone is at the desk, ask them to get it to the business manager. If no one is there please place your documents on the front desk. If the door is locked, please slide your documents under the front door.
7. Expect the reimbursement process to take 1-2 weeks if you are already in the system. If you are filling out a W-9 for the first time, expect the reimbursement process to take 2-3 weeks.

For questions, email our business manager, Aaron Mallinger at Aaron.Mallinger@coyotes.usd.edu.

The University of South Dakota has more than 170 student organizations that are officially recognized by the Student Government Association. Student organizations are based on, centered around, led, governed and directed by students. These organizations make a difference in the lives of students by creating a connection to campus, the community and their peers. Student organizations on campus are based on an array of topics, interests and fields of study.

The large number of organizations allows students to connect with a group of peers with similar interests. When coupled with the dedication of its student members, the campus culture is greatly enriched. Student organizations have a real and profound effect on the university and the outside world through their vision, goals and accomplishments.

Explore Student Organizations

Starting a New Student Organization

To register an organization on campus:

1. Visit USD Involved to fill out a registration application.
   
   1. Click on Register an Organization, then Register a New Organization (at bottom of page) and follow the 7 steps in the registration process. You will need a constitution and the USD email address for 5 members and 1 faculty/staff advisor to complete this form. Once this is completed, the Student Services Staff will review your submission and you will receive notice of the organizations approval. 
   2. Please note, if you are interested in starting a social fraternity or sorority, please contact the Office of Sorority/Fraternity Life (greek@usd.edu). Do not submit social fraternity and sorority registrations via USD Involved.
2. Once these steps have been completed, SGA will then review the application information and determine if the organization is funding eligible. Once declared funding eligible, they may apply for funding with SGA during the regular budget period.

Organizations determined to be a club sport must be active for one year before applying for funding. Funding for these organizations is provided by campus recreation.

Organizational Review

Each organization will be reviewed every 3 years by the SGA Student and Internal Affairs Committee. The review is to assess if the organization is operating consistently with the way it was intended and to assist with any problems the organization may be having. If an organization chooses not to participate, their privileges may be revoked.

Budget Process

Only recognized, funding-eligible organizations are eligible to participate in the budget process. All organizations must send a representative to the Leadership Development Seminar each spring to remain eligible for SGA funding. Budget hearings for the organizations will be held in early April. 

The Green Initiative Fund gives USD students the opportunity to enhance our campus by implementing innovative projects that reduce waste, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and motivate continued progress toward a sustainable campus environment. The fund helps provide support and guidance for students who want to make a lasting impact on campus. All ideas are encouraged and all students are welcome to apply. Submit any project ideas you may have for the Green Initiative Fund on Coyote One Stop.

What is the Green Initiative Fund? 

The Green Initiative Fund addresses challenges facing our planet by granting students financial resources to make long-lasting environmental improvements on campus. The fund gives students the opportunity to learn project planning and implementation skills while generating ideas, pride, and momentum to inspire further action in our community.

The President’s Joint Committee on Sustainability reviews all project proposals and makes recommendations on how to award the funds. SGA senators serving on the Committee bring the recommendations to the full SGA Senate, and then Senate votes on the final decision. Multiple projects may receive funding each application cycle. Funds are to be used within a single fiscal year: July 1st through the last day of the spring semester final exam period.

How did the Green Initiative Fund start?

The Student Government Association (SGA) started the Green Initiative Fund (GIF) in April 2016, and the first funds were spent in fiscal year 2017 to start the campus bike share program.

How much is the Green Initiative Fund?

Each spring semester, SGA allocates funds to the GIF through the annual budget process, which requires the full SGA Senate to pass a bill approving the SGA budget for the fiscal year beginning in July. The Senate typically allocates $5,000 to the GIF, but the amount can vary. These funds come from the General Activity Fee (GAF) paid by students.

Who can apply?

• USD enrolled students. Full-time, part-time, undergraduate and graduate students are eligible. Working in teams is encouraged, though one student should identify as the main contact for the GIF.
• USD registered student organizations. (To register a new student organization, please visit usdinvolved.usd.edu.)

What types of projects can be funded?

• We are looking for projects that:
  • Measurably reduce USD’s carbon footprint and/or waste into the future.
  • Involve a visible component.
• We encourage partnering with an established campus office or department.
• All else being equal, we prefer projects that benefit people and areas of campus that have benefited least from environmental improvements in the past.
• Ineligible Projects:
  • Speakers
  • Films
  • Awards, Gifts, Scholarships

Examples of past projects include:

• Campus bike share program
• Recycling & landfill bins for residence hall rooms

Examples of future projects include:

• Educational exhibits or displays
• Zero Waste Atlas Campus Certification improvements
  
  • Mobile water bottle refilling stations for outdoor events
  • Reusable to-go container infrastructure improvements
  • Clothes hangers for every residence hall room
  • Self-serve bicycle repair and service kiosk
  • Reusable utensil sets for incoming students
• Cargo bikes to collect recyclables at tailgates
• Bicycle parking shelters
• Electric vehicle charging station
• Science lab sustainability
• Solar phone charging stations
• Other innovative ideas are welcome!

Propose a Project 

Students have the opportunity to apply for the Green Initiative Fund in both the Fall and the Spring semester. Start by submitting a pre-proposal. Selected pre-proposals will be given feedback and asked to submit a full project proposal for consideration. Please see the timeline for deadlines. 

Propose a Project Here

More Questions?

Email questions to SGA@coyotes.usd.edu.