Student Government saw a sprawling constitutional update approved by Lafayette College’s Board of Trustees on Saturday, capping a year-long project that faced delays. Chief among the changes is the shift to a senate system and the elimination of the selection interview process in favor of a new system requiring all Student Government members to be elected to their positions.
Originally intended to take effect before the organization’s 2026 executive board took office, weather-related delays pushed back faculty review, keeping the document from the trustee docket. The final stamp of approval is the culmination of a long-term project spurred by 2025 President Alex Brown ‘26 and Parliamentarian Bryan Kibet ‘27.
The new constitution is slated to take effect on Thursday, pending Student Government’s internal approval of a new matching set of rules and procedures. The new senate structure also brings substantial changes to the organization’s vocabulary, with general body representatives to henceforth be “senators,” and the executive board to be “the cabinet.”
Under the document, senators — previously selected by the cabinet through an application and interview process — will instead run for office and be elected by members of their class year.
Cabinet positions will be elected by the end of November, followed by senate elections before the end of the semester. Senate vacancies will still be filled through cabinet appointment.
The revised constitution also introduced a permanent “internal affairs committee,” headed by the parliamentarian, to ensure rule compliance and maintain consistency with previous legislation.
“We are confident this will enable us to more closely follow our governing documents and enhance our work,” wrote Student Government President Allie Waxman ‘28, Brown and Rep. Emerson Casper ‘28 in a joint email.
During the constitutional transition, a liaison system was set up to pinpoint and dissolve unnecessary committees. Responsibilities of such committees will be shifted to a single representative of the relevant field. As an example, Waxman, Brown and Casper highlighted targeted changes to their sustainability committee.
“The Office of Sustainability is now much more developed than it was during the committee’s founding,” they wrote. “A liaison structure would reduce redundant work while ensuring we continue to stay in the loop with sustainability efforts around campus.”
“We’re looking forward to continuing to pursue our core mission,” they added.
Board of Trustees Chairman Bob Sell ‘84 did not respond to a request for comment.