Student leaders are everywhere on campus: from Manhattan to Shanghai and even Sydney to Brooklyn. But for 37 elected students, they represent the entire student electorate under its overarching branch of student government — Student Senator’s Council.

Two branches make up the council: senators and senators-at-large. There are 23 senators, who are elected by the students of the different schools and colleges within NYU, and 14 senators-at-large, who represent various student interest groups, such as commuters and international students.

Amanda Ezechi serves as the Vice Chair of the SSC as well as the CAS Senator, and she said that NYU student government even includes the inter-greek council.

“The University Committee on Student Life is a standing committee of the SSC that brings all of these councils together,” Ezechi said. “We also have a wide-range of committees that work on different aspects of student life that are open to all students.”

She said that these committees include financial affairs, academic affairs and student services.

SSC chair Ryan Thomas said that the large amount of committees allows the student government to accurately represent its electorate.

“As representatives of the student body, we work with our peers and other members of the community to improve the student experience,” Thomas said. “Through a large team of senators, presidents and committee chairs, we work alongside faculty members, deans and administrators on the University Senate to amplify the voices of the student body and advocate for a student-centered agenda.”

He said that SSC has successfully advocated within the Office of Student Affairs not only for funding student-led organizations and projects on campus but also for increasing the money allocated for club life, grants to attend academic or professional conferences and funding for innovative on-campus projects.

But in addition to SSC, students can get involved with NYU’s Inter-Residence Hall Council. It has won the national and regional National Association of College and university Residence Halls award for president of the year as well as for town hall initiatives. While IRHC does not have a senator on SSC, the two groups work closely to arrange campus initiatives.

Steinhardt senior Walker Chabbott is the IRHC president, and he said that it is made of the presidents and directors of training of development in every residence hall; an executive board of nine people; and an array of general assembly members.

“We have weekly meetings on Tuesday nights where we go over relevant residential news [and] hear from guest speakers and other organizations,” Chabbott said. “We also plan campus wide events, service projects and town halls that aim to engage students specifically living in residence halls, but are open to all and any NYU student.”

He said that the council is responsible for spearheading the gender-neutral housing option for first-year students, installing printers in all residence halls and improving the campus smoking boundary.
“Our influence mainly lies in residence life, and oftentimes, the SSC will come to us for help on initiatives,” Chabbot said. “IRHC has a huge amount of influence on campus.”

Email Asha Ruparell at [email protected].