Wesleyan University Wesleyan Student Assembly records

The following historical note was taken from the WSA's website, http://www.wesleyan.edu/wsa/about/history.htm, on 21 June 2006.

The Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA) is the legislative and deliberative body of the Wesleyan College Body. The WSA is comprised of 37 members and consists of nine standing committees: the Executive Committee, Coordinating Committee, Community Outreach Committee, Educational Policy Committee, Finance and Facilities Committee, Student Affairs Committee, Student Budget Committee, Independent Projects Committee, Student Trustees Committee and the Student Institutional Advisory Priorities Committee. The WSA responsibilities include allocating the College Body Tax to the 170+ student groups, meeting regularly with President Bennet, serving on the standing committees of the Board of Trustees, affecting academic and non-academic policy and improving Wesleyan-Middletown relations. The WSA maintains its offices at 190 High St. Cari Macdermott served as the WSA office coordinator from 1978 until her retirement in the spring of 2005. She was replaced by Lisa Hendrix, the new WSA office coordinator.

Student government originated as the College Body Senate in 1903. "The College Body of Wesleyan University" was formed in 1963 in response to a desire for better organization and was directed by the College Body Committee, comprised of five elected undergraduates. In 1975, the Wesleyan Students' Union was to fill the need for an organization to lobby specifically on behalf of student interests. A $1 membership was required. In 1978, 89% of the voting population approved a campus-wide referendum and the Wesleyan Student Assembly was formed. The Assembly was comprised of seven standing committees with 45 members serving during the fall term and 38 members during the spring term. Membership was distributed across the geographic boundaries of the campus stretching from In-Town to Butterfield.

The WSA has undergone a number of changes in composition throughout its history. In 1980, the Assembly had 37 members, in 1981 the membership was 27 members. The Assembly was again altered in 1984 to 28 members and persisted in this form until 1992 when the organization was expanded to 40 members. Representation has been changed from geographically based to year based and the leadership was shifted from the Coordinator position to a President, Vice-President format during the 1990's. In 1997, the WSA underwent its last iteration and now stands at 37 members.

The WSA enjoys a storied history of successes, reforms and restructurings as well as dramatic resignations and heated debate. In 1994, the Assembly experienced the "comedy of errors" when WSA elections were invalidated when an inadequate number of representatives were elected. In 1998, the absence of funding for the Film Board sparked the Film Series Controversy. Over the previous two academic years, the Assembly has played an integral role in the University's recent efforts at curricular renewal and reform of graduation requirements as well as influencing party policy, residential life issues and supporting efforts at responsible investing.