UM students vote for student government president, vice president and senators every spring. Candidates plaster campaigns all over social media, making election season one of the most visible moments of student politics on campus.
But, once the election is over, what does Student Government actually do?
UM’s Student Government Constitution is the official representative of the undergraduate student body. Student Government is divided into legislative, executive and judicial branches, along with several agencies. Its purpose is to represent students’ needs and interests and act on issues delegated to it by University leadership.
The executive branch, led by the president and vice president, develops initiatives and represents students to the University administration, while the legislative branch introduces and votes on legislation. The judicial branch, made up of the Student Government Supreme Court, handles matters involving interpreting governing documents and resolving disputes within the organization.
But how much of that work actually changes students’ everyday lives?
One example is UPrint, UM’s campus printing system, established in 2014. Student Government worked with the Office of the Provost, Student Affairs and Business Services to establish a wireless printing system that allowed students to send documents to campus printers from their laptops. The initiative also established an allowance of 130 UPrint credits.
During the previous academic year, Student Government’s Senate passed 87 bills, 23 of which were Category D bills, or recommendations to University administration.
This semester, the Senate has passed 21 pieces of legislation, including nine Category D bills, so far.
More recently, Student Government stated some of its most significant accomplishments have involved changes students encounter in their everyday routines.
Those include expanding Richter Library hours, working with dining to bring a new restaurant called Fuku to campus, relocating Half Moon outside the Whitten University Center and eliminating temporary replacement Cane Card fees for housing residents.
“I remember last year a survey going around regarding library times,” said Catie Nowak, a sophomore studying marine biology & ecology and ecosystem science & policy.
“I am always up late and early studying at the library so I feel like this change really benefits me and helps my studying habits.”
Student Government representatives said many of these changes began with the legislative branch.
“The senate votes to make something a priority, and then the executive team does the follow-through with campus partners,” Student Government said in a statement to The Miami Hurricane.
Passing a bill, however, does not necessarily mean an immediate change on campus. Turning those priorities into changes can require coordination beyond Student Government, particularly when an issue involves administrative approval or various University departments.
“From there, our executive boards work directly with campus administrators to brainstorm how to address student concerns and implement a follow-through,” Student Government said.
Student Government’s constitution makes clear that its role is to represent students, meaning a Student Government bill doesn’t automatically become a University policy.
After those promises are made, the next challenge is turning them into proposals that reach the student body and then the administration.
Student Government said it’s currently working with the administration on initiatives that “might take years to see through” due to the multiple layers of approval needed. The organization also said ideas can change as faculty and students provide input.
This semester, Student Government aims to make connections between the undergraduate body and the University more visible through direct student feedback and connections to existing University resources.
On Sept. 21, Student Government hosted a Senate Pop-Up outside the Merrick Building, where senators collected suggestions from students about the changes they wanted to see on campus. The outreach continued on Sept. 28 when members of Student Government’s Supreme Court met with students to gather direct feedback.
The Campus Liaison Council promoted a new initiative for extended library hours, which was approved, and the Academic Liaison Council has worked to make students aware of the University’s new pre-law advisor.
The Student Government’s Elections Commission has also seen a significant increase in participation this fall. According to the Commission, 687 students voted in the Fall 2026 Senate election compared to 293 students in Fall 2025. This is a BLANK% increase. 59 candidates were eligible to campaign for 37 Senate seats this fall, compared with 34 eligible candidates last year.
With more students participating in the election process, Student Government said one of its goals for the 2026-27 academic year is to keep those students engaged in what the representatives they voted into office are actually doing for the student body.
“We’re constantly working to make Student Government more collaborative and to reach more students,” Student Government said in its statement. “We want real feedback from the people we represent, so we can make sure we’re acting in ways consistent with what students actually need.”
Student Government plans to improve its social media outreach and strengthen collaboration with other student organization leaders across campus.
So, the question is no longer just who students elect, but rather what those representatives do with their seats and whether students can see the results of that work around campus.