In preparation for today’s student body chapel and for the elections at hand, SLC has reexamined and tweaked the structure of its team.

According to Matthew Weathers of the Center for Leadership Development, the current 13-member student leadership council has been trimmed down to an 11-member council to be more streamlined.

This will allow more effective representation by the SLC from the University administration to the student body and from the student body to the administration.

“We’re basically reducing the number but expanding the representation,” Weathers said.

Some positions remain the same while other positions have been changed (See infograph on page 3).

One of these changes was to the event coordinator positions. Previously, there was a men’s and women’s event coordinator. These positions have been condensed into a single student event director, who will oversee a student event team including an assistant director and multiple event coordinators.

Bekah Anderson, women’s student body president, said one struggle this year was not having the personnel to carry out some ideas. “I think this year helped us realize a significant need to have more event planners specifically,” Anderson said.

The student body will elect this position along with the men’s and women’s student body presidents.

The second position change affects the way student organizations are represented. Previously, Missions Advance had two members on the council, but there was no formal representation for other organizations.

The new plan includes an association liaison who will represent all the student organizations to the council.

Although Missions Advance no longer has specific representatives on the council, Weathers said that this is not a demotion of Missions Advance but a promotion of all the other organizations.

A forum of the directors of student organizations will elect the association liaison.

Another change that will occur is in the position of communications director.

Although this position previously existed, the role of the communications director will be expanded to include leadership over a communications team, including an SLC photographer, videographer and social media specialist.  The communications director is also the secretary at SLC meetings.

According to Anderson, the SLC exists to represent students. Weathers said the group serves other purposes, including giving opportunities for community service and for involvement in activities and events on campus.

Since the student body elects these leaders, the student body decides what kind of people they want as their leaders. Ballots will be emailed following Friday’s chapel meeting around noon.

Weathers suggested that the student body should look to elect leaders who are humble, have eagerness and passion and have persevering, excellent work ethics.

“I’m excited to see what God will do and the student leaders that He will have elected,” Weathers said.