The UWRF student body elected their leaders of the Student Governing Association (SGA) for the 89th Student Senate. The election results were announced March 30, 2026, and the newly elected representatives will serve during the 2026–27 academic year. Olivia Clark was elected president, and Zoey Haugen was elected vice president.
Both Clark and Haugen said their primary goal for the 89th Senate is to increase collaboration among all governance groups on campus.
“Something that I have noticed is the lack of collaboration between faculty and students,” Haugen said. “It is really hard for us to make meaningful change on campus when we don’t have the support of our faculty members. And that’s really hard to come by when we already struggle so much to communicate. We see issues from two very different perspectives. So I’d really like to see us band together a little bit more. We all want what is in the best interest of the students and the university.”
Haugen said SGA is looking to partner with Student Involvement to engage students in the upcoming midterm elections.
“We’re looking at collaborating with Elise Peters from Student Involvement and doing the We Vote campaign again,” she said. “Last year that looked like Freddie vs. Colleen T-shirts on campus. And I just think it’s really important to inform students about how they can vote.”
Clark said she hopes to expand the use of Navigate360 among both students and faculty. The platform allows faculty to flag attendance concerns and check in with students, while students can use it to schedule advising appointments.
Clark also wants to encourage faculty to post midterm grades in a timely manner.
“We have learned that a lot of students say they would like midterm grades to be posted around the midterm,” she said. “So they at least know where they’re going and where they’re standing going into the rest of the semester and before drop periods.”
Haugen said she hopes to expand awareness of peer mentoring programs, especially for first-generation students.
“I’m a first-generation student, and it was really hard for me to adjust to campus,” she said. “River Falls as an institution offers some really great support for first-generation students, but I think coming from another student is a little bit different than coming from a faculty member or your academic advisor. So just pushing the peer success coaches they offer through Student Success and giving first-generation students a bit of a leg up.”
Clark said she is honored to have been elected.
“I’m really excited, and a little bit nervous,” she said. “It’s a lot of responsibility, but I think it’s something I’m really prepared to take on, especially after my experience this year. I’m just really looking forward to supporting students to the best of my ability.”
Haugen echoed Clark’s excitement and emphasized that SGA is open to all students.
“It can be a little bit intimidating for students when they hear about student government,” she said. “But I really want to make it a welcoming place and make sure everyone can have their voice heard and that any issues being presented are carried out to the best of my ability.”