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History

LSA Student Government has existed as a force for change on the campus of the University of Michigan since it was empowered by the students of LSA in a college-wide referendum on March 25, 1970. In the more than fifty years that it has existed, thousands of students have participated, and many have gone on to become change agents in their communities.

The factors that compelled LSA students to organize LSA SG were varied. Many students cited interest in promoting the Black Action Movement (BAM) as a reason for running for elected LSA SG office in the early 1970s. Additionally, general feelings of student underrepresenatation on College-wide committees encouraged early LSA SG leaders to push for the inclusion of student voices on these bodies.

As LSA SG was founded with the intention of shaping policies in the College of LSA (at the point commonly known as the "literary college") the interests of its earliest advocates were just as much academic focused as they were social-policy focused. LSA SG was to be formatted as an advisory committee which would decide all matters related to academic affairs in the College, subject solely to the veto of faculty assembly.

LSA SG was, in fact, supported by administration in its early history. The Dean of LSA marked his appreciation of the students who led the effort to create a student government in the College following a "long period of totalĀ  disuse". The faculty of the College of LSA also approved the creation of LSA SG. The government was therefore not an entirely countercultural, antiestablishmentarian body. It possessed strong ties to the College and its administrators, many of which exist to this day.

The first meeting of the newly formed LSA Student Government was held on March 31, 1970. The first President, David Brand, called for the nascent government to take decisive actions, instead of only declarative resolutions. Interest was already precipitated in expanding the scope of the government at this time, to encompass a judiciary composed entirely of LSA students. This judiciary has recently been reformed, and will play a part in LSA SG for years to come.

A list of past presidents of LSA Student Government can be found here.