Student Government is responsible for bridging the gap between students and administration and helping make the changes that students want to see.
This year, SG is led by President Roy Carrillo Zamora, a senior majoring in legal studies and business analytics and minoring in health management and policy; Vice President Joshua Abel, a senior majoring in French and political science; and treasurer Zoe Mutombo, a senior majoring in health management and policy.
One of Zamora’s main initiatives this year is to create more opportunities for student organizations to gain funding.
“In our preparation and during campaigning, we met with student leaders from all facets of campus,” Zamora said.
The Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee allocates money to different groups on campus, but these funds are not always enough for organizations to accomplish their goals. Zamora is hoping to achieve more funding through the Presidential Fund.
“Be it money to be able to pay the photographers and videographers for a major event or extra funds to make sure all of the best athletes on a club sport get to go to nationals, the Presidential Fund is here to provide that extra support to students when they need it,” Zamora said.
Over the summer, Abel has been working to modify the curriculum for the First-Year Leadership Council. The FLC is a council within SG that helps first-year students learn skills to become the best leaders possible.
“Josh and I were part of this group, and it is one of the great SG springboards, so it was very important that we are offering solid leadership training to the future leaders of the University,” Zamora said.
Abel, who has served as president of the University of Miami chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha since 2023, has also been working with the Dean of Students and the UM Panhellenic Association to expand the number of dining options on campus for students participating in Panhellenic Sorority Recruitment in January, as there have been limited dining locations open in past recruitment weeks.
Another initiative, led by Mutombo, is to increase student leaders’ access to resources, such as position-specific training. Mutombo is also a member of SAFAC and has been working with them to make this happen.
“I am very happy to see that the SAFAC Executive Board has taken these recommendations seriously and that their treasurer training for this year is more robust,” Zamora said.
In addition to their initiatives, SG is currently planning a multicultural club fair for students new to campus as a collaboration between United Black Students and SG’s DEI Council. SG is also expanding their DEI Fest to include more organizations and departments.
The SG Executive Board is committed to be proactive in addressing student-related issues and being a present organization on campus.
“The days where SG is just a club doing their own internal things are over,” Zamora said.
Zamora is also on the Board of Trustees this year as the Student Trustee, which allows him to give a student perspective on any decisions being made and advocate for the best interest of students.
“As the sole student on the Board, I am the voice in that room of the 18,000+ students at the U, including graduate, law and medical,” Zamora said.
Aside from the Executive Board, SG is made up of three branches and four agencies.
The Legislative Branch consists of the Senate, which has representatives from each college, graduating class and residential college, as well as special populations such as first generation students and veteran students. The Senate votes on legislation based on the needs and interests of each group of students.
The Judicial Branch consists of the Supreme Court, which helps to enforce UM’s Constitution and SG’s Statutes. The Executive Branch has councils and committees dedicated to first-year students, outreach, academic and campus affairs, DEI and marketing.
The SG agencies are Category 5, the student spirit group that helps promote athletic events; the ECO Agency, which helps promote sustainability on campus; the Election Committee, which oversees all SG elections to ensure a smooth and fair process; and What Matters To U, which plans events such as their flagship moderated discussion series.
Students can go to @umiamisg on Instagram to stay updated on SG events and visit the SG office on the second floor of the Shalala Student Center to talk to the Senate representatives to make their voice heard. The SG website also has more information for any interested students.
For those interested in joining SG, candidacy filing is open from Aug. 26 at 8 a.m. to Sept. 5 at 12 p.m on Engage. SG is also hosting an informational meeting for potential candidates Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. Learn more about the election process and open positions at sg.miami.edu.