​​​​​​​​​​​​Saint Paul College Student Senate

Student Senate and Student Leadership Development

Through Student Senate, Student Life Committee, SkillsUSA, Kappa Beta Delta and Phi Theta Kappa you can organize students, attend conferences, compete in local and national competitions, practice public speaking, work on college policies, and meet with your elected representatives, just to name a few leadership activities!

Student Senate – Student Senate is empowered by the Saint Paul College President and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) to represent the student body to the college and community. The purpose of the Student Senate is to represent student ideas, concerns and issues at Saint Paul College. Through its participation with the Minnesota State College Student Association (MSCSA), students can also present issues and concerns influencing legislation at the state and national level. Participation in the organization is an excellent opportunity to engage in the political process, serve on college committees, help organize and support student associations, as well as host volunteer events in the community. Every spring, students elect a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Diversity Officer, Secretary and Marketing/Events Coordinator. Officers serve one-year terms (August-May) and are paid $10/hour.

During the academic year, the student body comes together every two weeks for General Assembly. During General Assembly, all students have a vote on major issues affecting students. They can connect with student associations and consult with the college on tuition and fees.

General Assembly is on Wednesdays from 12:00pm to 1:00pm in the Theatre on the following dates:

Student Life Committee – The Student Life Committee meets on a monthly basis to make recommendations about student activity fees and programming. It is the responsibility of the Student Life Committee to recommend the following annually to the Student Senate: the amount of the student life activity fee (currently $3/ per credit); the allocation of student activity fee revenues; review and establish the policies and procedures for oversight of student activity fee expenditures. It is the goal of the committee to support programming that serves the diverse needs and interests of the Saint Paul College student body.

The Student Life Committee should consist of at least 6 students, 2 faculty and 2 staff. At least two-thirds of the voting members must be students of Saint Paul College enrolled for at least one credit. The Student Life Committee shall elect officers annually every Fall semester. Officers will serve for one year. The committee shall also elect a Chair and Secretary who shall serve for one year terms.

SkillsUSA – SkillsUSA provides students with quality education experiences in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development. Students participate in a variety of social, community service and educational opportunities. Saint Paul College students also compete at local, state, and national competitions. Students compete in a wide range of areas that cover almost every discipline and program at Saint Paul College. Our chapter of SkillsUSA is consistently recognized for excellence. 

• Kappa Beta Delta – Alpha Beta Gamma Chapter - Kappa Beta Delta is an academic honor society for business majors at Saint Paul College. Eligible members will automatically receive an invitation to join KBD either in September or January via their Saint Paul College email account. There is a one-time membership fee of $40. Eligibility includes (but is not limited to) being enrolled in one of 60 business majors at the college, having completed at least 15 college-level credits, with 6 credits in their major, and having a GPA of 3.2 or higher
• Phi Theta Kappa – Beta Xi Alpha Chapter – Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society of the two year college. Eligible members will automatically receive an invitation to join either in September or January via their Saint Paul College email account and by regular mail. Eligibility includes (but is not limited to) being enrolled in an associate degree program; completing at least 12 credits of college-level coursework and obtaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.5. There is a one-time membership fee of $60.

Student Associations

The following student associations provide students the opportunity to gain leadership skills based on specific career or personal interests. Full funding support for these associations comes from the Student Senate.

• Association of Computing Machinery – The Saint Paul College chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) purpose is to promote and increase knowledge and interest in the science, design, development, construction, languages, management and applications of modern computing.
• American Sign Language Interpreters Association – The mission of the ASL Interpreting Association is to enhance the learning experience of all ASL students, interpreting students and Deaf peoples regardless of their background in ASL to help spread deaf awareness to Saint Paul College. The club will also provide social opportunities to interact with members of the Deaf community to improve one’s level of sign language skills and cultivate appreciation and deep respect for Deaf culture. This association is open to all students who are interested in learning about American Sign Language and Deaf culture.