ECU SGA president elected as chair of the ASG Council of Student Body Presidents
Johnson is the second SGA president from ECU in the last five years to be elected as chair.
(Photo by Rhett Butler)
Colin Johnson has been elected chair of the Association of Student Governments’ (ASG) Council of Student Body Presidents for the UNC system.
Johnson, a senior from Greenville, is president of East Carolina University’s Student Government Association.
The ASG is a student-led organization committed to furthering educational opportunities and advocating for all 220,000 students in the UNC system.
“There are 17 institutions in the N.C. system. Each has a student body president and each of those presidents serves on the Board of Trustees for their respective institutions,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the Council of Student Body Presidents meets every month to discuss what’s going on at individual institutions and issues students are facing at the state level.
The council is the primary policymaking entity in the ASG, which was formed to bringstudent body presidents from across the UNC System together on a regular basis to address common issues, said Adam Schmidt, student president of the ASG.
“I believe Colin’s election to the role of chair is a huge testament to his leadership and the confidence placed in him by his peers,” said Schmidt, a civil engineering major at N.C. State University.
As chair, Johnson will help coordinate discussions and connect the other student body presidents to resources.
“I serve as sort of a liaison between the student president of the system who sits on the Board of Governors and each of the student body presidents,” Johnson said.
Johnson said that his main goal as chair is similar to what it is as SGA president, to advocate for students in the best way possible.
Dr. Virginia Hardy, ECU vice chancellor for student affairs, works closely on a daily basis with Johnson and says that he is a great fit in his new role.
“Colin has demonstrated strong critical thinking skills, is knowledgeable about various topics and is very composed and professional, especially in tough situations,” Hardy said.
Hardy also serves as a co-chair with Johnson for the Pirate Roundtable, which is comprised of leaders from various student organizations and designed to increase visibility of these organizations and their involvement on campus.
Johnson is the second SGA president from ECU in the last five years to be elected as council chair.
“I think it shows that the student body presidents that our students are choosing are good leaders and that the SGA here at ECU is very stable,” Johnson said.
Johnson will serve as chair through the 2019-2020 academic year.
-by Grady Dillon, ECU News Services