Publication Date

Spring 5-10-2024

Document Type

Action research project: Open access

Degree Name

MA Higher Education Leadership

Department

Leadership Studies

Abstract

The purpose of this action research project was to understand and improve how student leaders in student government (senators) communicate with one another during their meetings. My research question was, how can I effectively work with the Associated Student Government (ASG) at the University of San Diego (USD) to improve the senator’s meeting communication through parliamentary practice? The use of Robert’s Rules (parliamentary procedure) is common for student government. I analyzed mixed-method data through three cycles: focus group, survey, and semi-structured interviews. Findings indicate that there are pros and cons to meeting structures, most participants are open to different meeting methods, and that Robert’s Rules training needs to be improved. Recommendations include senators being well-informed of their meeting structure options and a proposal to a hybrid meeting structure. Lastly, I communicated findings and recommendations with the Student Activities and Involvement team, ASG Executive Team, and Senate Lead Team.

Keywords: student government, parliamentary procedure, communication, Robert’s Rules, Martha’s Rules, student senate, higher education

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a CC BY License.

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