Student Government Association
Amplifying and Empowering Student Voices
Fall Election Dates
Polls open Monday, September 8 at 8:00 a.m. and close Tuesday, September 9 at 5:00 p.m. (extended to 11 p.m. for transfer students. Polling sites are Highsmith Student Union by the Guest Services Desk and Brown Dining Hall
The UNC Asheville Student Government Association is here to serve students through organization, representation, education, and leadership. We work in collaboration with student organizations, academic departments, university administration, the UNC Association of Student Governments (ASG), local Asheville businesses and organizations, and many other partners to advocate for students and enhance the student experience.
SGA's Platform
Empowerment, Advocacy, & Transparency
Civic Engagement, Social Justice, Campus Accessibility & Safety, Community Collaboration, Sustainability, Mental Health Advocacy, and Transparency
Elections
The Election Commission oversees fair elections, investigating reports of impropriety that violate election procedure during elections and upholding election integrity. Elections for first-year students are held in the fall, while elections for all other electable positions occur in the spring.
SGA Meetings & Office Hours
We have weekly Senate meetings every Thursday from 5:15-6:45 PM in Highsmith 225/226; all of our meetings are open to the community, so feel free to sit in on a meeting to share your questions, concerns, and ideas or to simply listen and see what SGA does. Your voice matters!
If you have any questions, ideas, or concerns, please feel free to visit us during our office hours in Highsmith 212 (posted in the office window), email us at Student Government or SGA President Account, or DM us on Instagram at @uncavl_sga to share your thoughts, see various campus resources and events, and more!
Contact individual SGA members for office hours. SGA Senate Meetings are held every Monday, 5:30-6:30 PM in HIG 225/226.
UNC Association of Student Governments
UNC Association of Student Governments
The UNC Association of Student Governments brings students from all 17 UNC-system campuses together to advocate for student priorities. Each campus sends four student delegates to monthly meetings to discuss how to address issues of college access and affordability, campus safety, voter education, mental healthcare, and government outreach. We bring these ideas to our campus in advocacy events and provide input to UNC-system leaders through the ASG President, who is an honorary member of the UNC-System’s Board of Governors.
Executives
Representation in SGA consists of a body of Senators and an Executive board headed by the President. The Senators fall into one of the following categories, based on who they represent: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, or Transfer. Based upon this classification, Senators build a list of issues they would like to address that would help their demographic group. The Executives each have their own classification and aid the President in connecting SGA with other organizations on campus, advertising, elections processes, multicultural and environmental affairs, and generally keeping the organization running smoothly. If you’re interested in becoming a Senator or an Executive, or you’d like more information, drop by the office in Highsmith 212 and talk to our Vice President about our open positions. Our Elections Commissioner is available to talk about the election procedure, how to campaign, and what the election process entails. Additionally, any Senator or Executive would be happy to discuss any concerns you have.
Obianko Osaro – Student Body President
Student Body President / Resident Assistant
Email: sgapresident@unca.edu
Obianko Osaro serves the UNC Asheville student body as student body president and as a Resident Assistant. Born and raised in Raleigh, NC, by Nigerian parents, Mr. Osaro is a fourth-year transfer student majoring in atmospheric science with a concentration in broadcast meteorology. He began his involvement on campus in the student government in Fall 2022. He became a two-time transfer senator, as well as a founding member of the African and Caribbean Student Association. During his tenure in student government, he served two terms on the Transportation Committee and assisted in Association of Student Governments projects that support the student body. Mr. Osaro also serves the state in the North Carolina Army National Guard as a unit supply specialist. He plans to pursue a career in the media industry as a television meteorologist after completing his degree.
The Student Body President leads an Executive Cabinet that pursues events and initiatives of student interest in collaboration with other members of our campus community. For any questions regarding Executive positions, please email the Student Body President at sgapresident@unca.edu
Victor Cabral – Student Body Vice President
Student Body Vice President, Student Senate President
Email: vcabral@unca.edu
Dieudonna Gaspard – Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
Email: dgaspard@unca.edu
The Chief of Staff maintains SGA budget records, acts as office manager for the executive branch, and assists the President in overseeing the professional and timely completion of other Executive Cabinet members’ projects. They also attend meetings with administrators and student groups when the President is unable to do so.
Ally Palmer- Executive of Communications and Public Relations
Executive of Communications and Public Relations
Email: apalmer1@unca.edu
The Executive of Communications works with other SGA members to publish a bi-weekly SGA newsletter to be sent to the student body, assist other SGA members with publicizing their events, and make regular updates on SGA’s website and social media pages.
Kevin Eddings – Executive of Internal Affairs
Executive of Internal Affairs
Email: keddings@unca.edu
The Executive of Internal Affairs serves as the Student Government’s liaison to all campus organizations, including the faculty senate, staff council, and student organizations. They plan events that cater to students, allowing them to voice issues surrounding campus, learn about university changes, and engage. They also collaborate with student organizations and on-campus resources to create programs that address campus-wide different problems and assist the Student Body President in responding to issues that fall under student affairs, including housing, dining, health and safety, and student activities.
Nkosi Jeju – Executive of Multicultural Affairs
Executive of Multicultural Affairs
Email: njeju@unca.edu
The Executive of Multicultural Affairs leads initiatives and host programs to increase awareness of the importance diversity on UNC Asheville’s campus and among the student body.
In addition, they:
- Act as a liaison to university organizations or departments related to multicultural affairs
- Serve as the chief SGA liaison to the Diversity Action Council
- Aid in all diversity-related programs that originate in SGA
- Collaborate with multicultural affairs affinity groups, as well as other campus organizations to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus
Camryn Turner – Executive of Sustainability
Executive of Sustainability
Email: cturner7@unca.edu
The executive of Sustainability engages in green initiatives and engages students in local and global environmental issues. As a part of this responsibility, they coordinate SGA’s involvement in Greenfest and focus on other areas of UNC Asheville’s environmental status. In addition, they act as liaison between SGA, the Student Environmental Center, and other campus sustainability groups.
Legislative Leadership
Victor Cabral – Student Body Vice President
Student Body Vice President, Student Senate President
Email: vcabral@unca.edu
Current Senators
Senators represent and serve the campus community as student leaders by upholding the SGA constitution and By-laws, approving appointments made by the president and vice president, formal resolutions, and legislation that supports and respects the general welfare of the student body.
Advising Team
Melanie Fox, Ph.D.
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Chair
Phone: 828.251.6465
Email: mrfox@unca.edu
Contact Us
Email: sga@unca.edu
Mailing Address: 1 University Hts Ste. 212, Asheville, NC 28804