A Breakdown of Student Government at Tufts
The Tufts Community Union, or TCU, is the student government that encompasses all of the undergraduate students at Tufts. At Tufts, there are three main branches: the Judiciary, the Elections Commission, and the Senate. Rather than being just another event planning committee, the student government focuses on systemic and policy changes that aim to improve the overall student life experience.
The Judiciary, also known as the J, focuses primarily on the recognition of student clubs and organizations. This seven-member body ensures that clubs follow the rules of their own club-specific constitutions and operate within university policies. If a new organization wants to be TCU-recognized, then they must present their case to the J where they will interview and vote on recognition status. In many ways, they safeguard consistency across the student organization landscape.
The Elections Commission, or ECOM, runs all of the election cycles for the other two branches of student government: including the general elections, special elections, internal elections, and Presidential elections. This nonpartisan, five-member body ensures that candidates follow all campaigning rules. Their role may not always be visible, but it is essential to upholding legitimacy and trust in the student government.
The Senate is the main governing body of undergraduate students. They have a six-member executive board that oversees their 42-member body, which is comprised of 7 Class Senators per year, 11 Community Senators, and 3 Trustee Representatives. Class Senators are elected by each class at Tufts; freshmen for freshmen, sophomores for sophomores, and so on. Community Senators are elected by the entire student body to represent that specific community in Senate meetings; these seats have been introduced to bring about representation to historically marginalized groups. Trustee Representatives are non-voting members that are appointed by the Senate body to sit in on the Board of Trustee meetings. The Senate also oversees subcommittees, including Food Insecurity and Sustainability, which are geared towards involving non-Senators in advocacy and campus change.
At its core, the student government serves as a bridge between students and administrators. Senators bring forward student concerns, propose resolutions, allocate funding to student organizations, and advocate for institutional improvements. Whether it’s addressing dining policies, academic concerns, campus accessibility, or student life initiatives, the Senate works on issues that shape everyday life on campus.
Like many others on campus, those involved in student government are not simply passive participants of campus life but catalysts for change.