When Student Senate President Greg Doucette was elected as the North Carolina Association of Student Governments president in April, it became the first time in a decade that a person had served in two roles with such responsibility.
While Doucette initially considered stepping down from Student Senate, he decided to keep both positions, serving as the leader of the Senate and the leader of the entirety of Student Government associations — representing 17 schools — for the UNC system.
Doucette said he can’t deny that serving as both Student Senate president and ASG president is difficult, but he said the job can be done successfully by just one person.
“It’s been interesting,” he said of serving dual roles. “At first I was worried it would be too much but I’m actually more efficient this year than I was last year and it’s kind of been a by-product of being in these two positions.”
Doucette said he has relied heavily on the help of members of Student Government who, according to Doucette, really “konw what they’re doing.”
“From the N.C. State side of things, my job this year is a lot easier,” he said. “This year SG has gelled really well. I’m surrounded by a lot of incredibly talented leadership.”
Doucette said the challenge thus far has been with his role in ASG, where “failed leadership” during the last three years has left what Doucette calls a “mess.”
“The challenge with ASG is that it has been so disfunctional for so long that nobody really knows what it’s supposed to look when it operates properly,” he said. “We’re kind of charting a new path.”
Student Body President Jay Dawkins, a junior in civil engineering, said Doucette’s dual roles are a positive thing for the University.
“Obviously it’s very tough on him but Greg has kind of turned into a professional student government worker,” he said. “A lot of times the things he’s advocating for N.C. State students overlap with things he’s advocating for all of ASG. If he can improve something for the whole system then that’s good for everyone.”
Another responsibility Doucette holds resulting from being ASG president is holding a spot on the UNC system Board of Governors, something Dawkins said will do nothing but help SG better serve students.
“His role on the BOG lends us at SG to a wealth of contacts and opportunities we wouldn’t have otherwise,” Dawkins said. “If there is anything I need to let the BOG know I just tell Greg. It’s nice to have an inside voice like Greg.”
While Doucette said his work this year has gone well, some SG members, such as Amber Joyner, a senior in political science and business administration, have voiced concerns about how effective Doucette can be in both roles. Joyner, who ran against Doucette for Student Senate president in the spring, said she thinks having both jobs may be too much.
“It’s a benefit for N.C. State to have him on the Board of Governors and within ASG, but it’s hard to balance both jobs while also being a student,” she said. “I really think it’s too much for one person to handle.”
Doucette said he doesn’t feel overwhelmed and said the help he receives from both SG members at NCSU and his staff at ASG makes success in both jobs achieveable.
“I wouldn’t say it’s been too much,” he said. “It’s like being on the U.S. dream team in basketball for the Olympics. Anything you need done you have someone you can lean on who has expertise and can get the job done. When it comes time to make hard decisions they can be made without any problems.”
