February 15, 2023
Pearl River Community College’s Student Government Association (SGA) has been reimagined with elections of officers and launching a new Constitution occurring during the spring semester. Included in the changes is the focus on being a liaison between students and the administrators, faculty, and staff of PRCC.
In recent years, the SGA spent most of its time helping to plan and execute student programming. With the restructuring of SGA to be a more legislative student government, a newly formed Student Activities Board will take on that responsibility.
Lucas Lymuel, Recruitment & Marketing Specialist, is taking on the role of SGA advisor. He served on SGA when he attended The River and continued in student government roles at The University of Southern Mississippi where he served as Vice President for Communications and then Student Body President during his senior year.
Lymuel is excited to see how the students respond to the changes, particularly with the ability to be a voice for all students to the administration. He also anticipates the new structure will provide opportunities for SGA members to grow in professional development while helping to enhance the student experience for all PRCC students.
“Our student government will now have a heavy priority in student policy in serving as liaisons from students to administration,” said Lymuel. “All students seeking to run for an office will be briefed on the role that they’re trying to fulfill versus what they used to be.”
The new organizational structure was devised to align more with the IHCL universities. When a student active in SGA leaves PRCC to attend a university, they should already be familiar with the structure and able to seamlessly continue serving in student government.
“As a former SGA Advisor, I am thrilled about the opportunities that Lucas is bringing to PRCC with his experience at the university level Student Government Association,” said Vice President of Enrollment Management and Business Services Candace Harper. “Lucas was a member of my SGA team and I know he will help us provide the best student experience we can for our students.”
The Student Body President will be a Poplarville Campus student and be elected by students on all three campuses. Other members of the Executive Council will be Senior Vice President and Vice President of Administration. The President of the Forrest County Campus will report to the Student Body President. Members of the Senate will report to the Senior Vice President while members of the House will report to the Vice President of Administration.
“We want to be as transparent as possible so that students are open with student government as to what they feel like their needs and wants are,” said Lymuel. “Then, student government can do their best at communicating that to administration to try to promote effective change and be progressive at the institution.”
Elections for the Executive Council roles will be held in March. Students elected to those roles will have training throughout the spring and summer to prepare for the next school year. Members of the SGA House and Senate will be elected early in the fall semester.
For the latest news on Pearl River Community College, visit PRCC.edu and follow us on Twitter (@PRCC_Wildcats), Instagram (PRCCWILDCATS), and Facebook (@PRCCMKTG).
Article by Laura O’Neill.
Photography by Jacob Cochran.
