The Student Advisory Council (SAC) is a body of student representatives from all departments who identify problems and generate solutions facing students each year.
Council members serve for the fall and winter semesters each year. SAC is made up of two representatives from each college, one representative from each non-academic department, and four general-body students.
Being involved in the SAC requires a two-credit class each semester, where students gather research and create plans of action to present to the University Administration.
Students can apply online or be referred by a faculty member. Admissions are rolling, but most of the process happens throughout the summer term.
Hannah Fitzgerald and Abigail Hooper are student leaders who serve on the council. They said they are worried that students do not know about the important work of the council.
They started advertising the council on LinkedIn this year to get more applications. They hope to fill all slots of the council, something that they’ve had trouble with since COVID.
“It’s not instant gratification, it’s a process,” Fitzgerald said.
Students have the opportunity to be a part of “lasting change,” according to Fitzgerald. The best student projects get presented to the BYU President C. Shane Reese at the end of the year.
Things like covered bike racks, microwaves in the Wilkinson Student Center, free feminine hygiene products in the bathrooms and the family study room in the library are all initiatives worked on by the SAC.
Ben Jensen is a senior on the council, studying interdisciplinary humanities. He decided to apply for the SAC when he saw it on LinkedIn.
“It’s electric,” Jensen said. He mentioned that the students on the council “are invested, they want to make BYU a better place.”
Jensen said the council has given him skills with working as a team, writing, communication and collecting data.
He said there have been some challenges with being a part of the council, namely bureaucracy.
“It’s not just the council that you’re dealing with, but also the people outside,” Jensen said.
Nicolas Farmer is another student on the council, representing the Veterans Club.
“I have been surprised by how slow things move, but it’s slow and steady,” Farmer said.
According to Farmer, his team is still in the research phase and doesn’t yet have a definitive project.
While the SAC can make changes for student life, it has limits to its power. Farmer joined the SAC, hoping to fix some of the challenges students in the Veterans Club commonly face. He said the Veterans Club tends to be underrepresented.
“It’s almost entirely led by the students … they’re definitely limited in their capacity. We don’t have as much power as I would have hoped,” Farmer said.
“We tried to push through a couple of veterans' projects,” Farmer continued. He found that the issues he was trying to address were “slightly beyond the scope of what we do on the council.”
Due to their inability to address the issues Farmer was aiming for, he was placed on the student physical wellness team this year.
“It’s a little bit disheartening knowing that I’m not going to make an immediate impact with the veterans' causes while I’m here,” Farmer said.
Despite the limitations he has faced for his cause, he still finds purpose in the SAC.
“Being with a group of passionate students who want to make a difference on campus, it’s really fulfilling,” Farmer said.
Farmer and Jensen both said they have found satisfaction in working with a variety of like-minded students.
“To those who are on the fence, absolutely apply,” Jensen said. “Loving the process and loving the people improved the experience itself.”