Alexander Fefolt, of Indiana, a history pre-law and political science major in the Cook Honors College at ϳԹ, has been re-elected to serve as the president of IUP's Student Government Association for the 2020–21 academic year.
Fefolt also serves as a student representative of the ϳԹ State System Board of Governors. He began service on the board in September 2019 and will continue on the board through his graduation in May 2021.
“I look forward to serving as the Student Government president during my final year at IUP,” Fefolt said. “The primary responsibility of a student body president is to represent students, and my goal is to ensure that they are well-represented and receive the highest quality education and experience at our university.”
IUP's Student Government Association provides students and organizations of IUP with a representative voice that promotes and enriches the welfare of the students. In addition to serving as the voice of students on campus, SGA is an intermediary between the students and faculty and recognizes and advocates for the 300-plus organizations on campus.
Fefolt, son of John and Lori Fefolt, is a 2017 graduate of Indiana Area Senior High School.
He is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, National Society of Leadership and Success, Sigma Alpha Lambda National Leadership and Honors Organization, Golden Key International Honour Society, IUP Pre-Law Society, IUP Political Leadership Society, and IUP History Club, and is an associate member of Phi Sigma Kappa. He has served as a History Department Ambassador and is a Sutton Scholar.
Fefolt has served with SGA as the Cook Honors College senator during fall 2018, as vice president during spring 2019, and as president during the 2019–20 academic year. As a member of SGA, Fefolt participated in a number of community service projects, including organizing and coordinating a Student Townhall on Academic Advising and Mid-Term Grades in November 2018 with all the colleges' deans attending, as well as the director of the Cook Honors College; and community outreach during the #IUPLeads initiative in March 2019.
As a Department of History Ambassador, Fefolt has represented the department at the Humanities and Social Sciences Academic Expos for prospective students. He also served as the undergraduate student representative on the search committee for the IUP vice president for Student Affairs, as a member of the IUP University Senate University-Wide Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, and as the vice chairperson of the IUP University Senate. Fefolt also serves as treasurer of the IUP Student Cooperative Association and is a member of its board of directors.
About the State System Board of Governors
The 20-member ϳԹ State System Board of Governors is responsible for planning and coordinating development and operation of ϳԹ's State System of Higher Education, which includes IUP and the 13 other state universities in ϳԹ.
The Board establishes broad educational, fiscal, and personnel policies, and oversees the efficient management of the State System. Among other tasks, the Board appoints the chancellor and university presidents, approves new academic programs, sets tuition, and coordinates and approves the annual State System operating budget.
Eleven Board members are appointed to four-year terms by the Governor of ϳԹ. Their appointments are confirmed by the ϳԹ State Senate. Three students, selected from among the universities' student government association presidents, serve on the Board until graduation. Four legislators are selected by the majority and minority leaders of the ϳԹ State Senate and House of Representatives. The Governor of ϳԹ or a designee also is a Board member, as is the state secretary of education or a designee.