Student Government (SG) elections are underway, and Coleman Simpson, a first-year graduate student in agricultural leadership and Senate president pro tempore, is running in an uncontested race to be the next Student Senate president. 

The student senate president is effectively the leader of the Student Senate. They are responsible for organizing meeting agendas and leading the bi-weekly meetings. They also serve on the Fee Review and Tuition Review Advisory committees, which are responsible for recommending fee and tuition increases.

The Student Senate president’s close involvement with tuition and fee increases is something Simpson hopes to take advantage of by pushing for university departments to be more proactive with their submissions of fee proposals.

“One thing I want to do that kind of ties to the external role, is I really want to be as proactive and engaging with the tuition and fee process as much as possible and get started as early as possible,” Simpson said. “Every year, it feels like it’s happening in October, and we find out in the latter half of September. We have a month to critically evaluate hundreds of dollars of increases.”

Simpson said involving more students in SG is something else he would focus on, as some seats tend to remain unfilled, and a full body is more representative of the university. He hopes to get more creative with recruiting if elected. 

“When we have a full body, we’re actively and accurately representing everyone,” Simpson said. “Let’s go to those people, let’s go to the relevant college council, let’s pop into classrooms, let’s email the dean, finding creative solutions that can actually fill these seats, so we can have engaged and effective student leaders.” 

Simpson said his drive to help other members of SG is central to why he chose to run for Student Senate president. With nearly four years of experience behind him, Simpson feels prepared. Moreover, much of this time has been spent in leadership capacities. Simpson is currently the Senate president pro tempore, which is somewhat of a vice president of Senate.

“Pro tempore has been the one that’s most prepared me for senate president,” Simpson said. “[Student Senate president is] this unique role, in that it’s a lot of internal administration stuff within Student Government, but it’s also, by the nature of being a branch leader, an external advocacy role, specifically on the tuition committee, and they co-chair the fees committee. Being pro tempore has allowed me to explore both of those sides.”

Simpson has helped numerous senators write legislation. He has written or co-sponsored dozens of bills in his time in SG.

“I’ve tried to purposefully establish myself as someone who’s willing to help with anyone’s legislation,” Simpson said. “That’s because my first year, I really wanted to write a bill on Delaney Robinson. She was a student at UNC-Chapel Hill who got sexually assaulted and was not being supported by the university. I wanted to write a bill expressing our opinion on that, saying we stand with her and we stand with any student going through that at NC State.” 

Though he did not know where to go, Simpson found help through student body vice president emeritus Mia Connell, who helped him write the bill.

“I wasn’t thrown into the fire; she sat me down and walked through like what a whereas clause is,” Simpson said. “If I hadn’t had that, I think I would’ve really struggled for a long time on what to write. Because of that, I really try and do that every year. I don’t care if I’m on the bill; I don’t care what the bill says. If you need help writing a bill, I will walk you through that process.” 

Next year would mark SG’s 100th session. Simpson sees his involvement as incredibly beneficial to himself as a person and hopes to continue the organization for another 100 years.

“As long as we have NC State, I want there to be an NC State Student Government,” Simpson said. “Student Government has been one of the most foundational and impactful opportunities I’ve had on campus.”

Students will be able to vote all day on Monday, March 2 and Tuesday, March 3 through the GetInvolved website.