There are no shortage of problems for you to work on, and it can be hard to choose where to spend you time. Picking the right issues for your student government to work on can help the organization recruit more people to get involved, focus your energy where you’ll make the biggest impact, and build your image as an organization that gets results.
Here are some questions to consider when picking an issue to work on.
- Is it winnable? The issue should have a tangible solution that students can aspire to and that you can reasonably accomplish. You want to work on campaigns that can win some tangible victory that improves students’ lives. If the issue is one that you don’t realistic think you can impact, then it may be a poor place to spend your time.
- Is it widely felt? The issue should affect a lot of people. Your student government represents the entire student body, so you should work on issues that impacts most students.
- Is it deeply felt? The issue should not only affect a lot of people, but it also needs to be something students care a lot about, so that they’re compelled to get involved.
- Does the problem have a clear target? There must be a clear decision-maker who can give you what you want – whether it’s the governor, a legislator, a campus administrator, the mayor, or someone else.
- Does it have a clear time frame? Is this an issue that you will be able to solve in a semester? In a year?
- Will it recruit? Will the issue attract new volunteers? Are there lots of things that volunteers can do on this issue?
- Will it build leadership? Are there opportunities for students to take on leadership roles?
- Will it build your student government? Overall, the issue should help to build your student government as an organization and make your group stronger – by helping you recruit new volunteers, strengthening your relationships with important people on campus, and building visibility and credibility for your organization.