Greetings,

It is indeed a great day to be a Ram! Thank you for taking the time to visit the Winston-Salem State University Student Government Association web site. The Student Government Association is working diligently to ensure that 2008-2009 is the best year for the student body at Old State U. We have a team of skilled, motivated individuals, who are determined to do their best in representing you. This year’s theme “I Believe in WSSU” is designed to instill school pride in all Rams. We are working hard to make sure that your experience at WSSU is enjoyable, enriching, and exciting, so that when you leave you will represent your alma mater proudly.

Through boosting school spirit, we will create high morale amongst the student body, and develop a base of faithful alumni, ready to work for a better Winston-Salem State University.

By going Green, we will do our parts to become better citizens on planet earth and in our campus community.

Boosting political awareness is critical. Until Barack Obama arrived on the scene, many were completely unaware of the political process. We must not go back to the status quo once the Obama campaign has concluded. We must stay abreast of what is going on in the political arena and how it affects us.

Improved relations with the community will allow Winston-Salem State University opportunities to collaborate more with local agencies and organizations as well build the WSSU brand in the area. Our student body will serve as ambassadors for WSSU as well as the city of Winston-Salem.

Building a stronger connection between students and alumni will help the university in a variety of ways. WSSU needs greater alumni giving, and who better to appeal to our alumni base than the current student body? We have created a cabinet position this year dealing strictly with alumni affairs to establish a solid, lasting relationship.

Textbook costs are rising and we must begin looking into the method by which we can decrease the financial strain placed on students. Higher education must remain affordable and we are committed to exploring alternative means to offer textbooks so that students can be relieved of rising prices.

SGA will concentrate on safety issues to ensure that students have faith in Campus Police to perform their duties well and thoroughly. We will continue walking the campus, identifying safety concerns, and we participate in the dialogue on methods to make crossing MLK Drive safer.

Accountability is extremely important in making improvements as WSSU. Individuals must be held to high standards on their job performance and decision-making, both in the university administration and the Student Government Association. SGA will begin evaluating all student-interactive departments to ensure that we are being served as best as possible.

SGA will work with Aramark to ensure that Food Services has maximum student satisfaction. The student body will have input on the food selection and SGA will work devise the ways that Aramark can best serve WSSU students.

Communication is key. SGA will increase its communication with the student body through a new newsletter and will maintain a stream of public dialogue with the university administration to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to know what is going on. We will also work to ensure that SGA and other campus organizations are on one accord.

Through these goals, the Student Government Association hopes to forge a working coalition with the student body to leave Winston-Salem State University in better shape than we found it. We believe that through hard work, dedication, and courage, we can make progress that every Ram, past or present, can be proud of.

Sincerely,

Harold T. Respass

Student Body President