By Tiffany Olsen
In 1988, Jeffrey R. Holland, former president of BYU, appointed a restructuring committee to plan and develop an organization to represent and serve the BYU community.
The committee recognized two roles for the BYU Student Service Association, which replaced the Associated Students of BYU: They would serve and advise.
After five years of research in developing a charter, the Brigham Young University Student Association was made an official organization that would focus on service, cooperation and administrators.
Unlike most student councils, the Student Advisory Council (SAC), a branch of BYUSA, does not operate like a legislative body.
?The main difference between us and a student government is that we?re more effective,? said Max Hunsaker, vice president of the Student Advisory Council. ?We have greater credibility with administrators and students. They spend more time allocating budgets and arguing with administration. We cut through all that.?
Chrissie Broadbent, BYUSA executive vice president, agreed.
?The beauty of the council system is that when we interact with administration, we council with them,? Broadbent said. ?It?s never confrontational.?
According to the mission of the Student Advisory Council, members of the council serve the BYU community by actively taking students? opinions to the administration, allowing administrators to make decisions according to the needs of students.
The organization seeks to serve the students of the university by consciously listening to the issues and concerns voiced by students, through programs such as ?bright ideas,? ?question and answer forums? and the ?soap box.?
Other activities BYUSA sponsors are to provide opportunities for students to socialize and fellowship. The organization sponsors symposiums that inform students of occurring issues and that provide opportunities for international students.
All members of BYUSA are volunteers seeking opportunities to serve the BYU community.
?It?s about service,? said Laura Ewing, executive director of the Student Advisory Council. ?You choose to serve the students because you care about improvement.?
Anyone interested becoming involved with the Student Advisory Council can sign-up within his or her college or at the BYUSA office located at 3400 of the Wilkinson Student Center.
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Objectives of the Student Advisory Council of BYUSA:
? Be credible student advisors
? Collect student input on relevant issues
? Process collected student opinion
? Effectively represent student opinion to the administration
? Lead and direct the Student Advisory Council area
