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Students at the University of Louisville have often heard the tagline, “It’s happening here,” a phrase meant to reflect the progress made throughout the university. Although U of L has made great strides at improving student engagement and retention, it still has a long way to go in order to become a top-performing school.

So regarding the university’s motto, the question lingers: Who among us can make “it” happen? The Student Government Association, that’s who.

Just look around the SGA website and check out the Senate minutes from their meetings. You’ll be stunned at how much this student-run government body is trying to undertake in such a short period of time.

Included in SGA’s extensive docket is the initiative to adjust the mandatory meal plan which, among other things, would expand vegetarian and gluten-free options for students. Additionally, SGA is working on a plan to lengthen the time period in which students can drop a class without receiving a W on their transcript.

However, one of the primary issues on the SGA agenda is the initiative to make the A-plus count for a 4.3 in students’ grade point averages. The initiative was expected to take effect this semester but has unfortunately hit a few snags along the path to implementation.

According to an interview with Dale Billingsley, the vice provost for undergraduate affairs, the A-plus initiative needs to have the authorization of individual colleges and schools. Therefore, it will need to go from administrator to administrator before it can take off. However, a lot of headway has been made for this initiative and success may be on the horizon, largely because of the efforts of SGA.

So at the risk of sounding like an advertisement for SGA, it must be said that these initiatives, if passed, will go a long way in improving student life. Who wouldn’t want their A-plus to be more than just a mere pat on the head for doing more than the required coursework? Who really likes seeing a big, ugly W on their official transcript?

However, it must also be said that SGA – much like this newspaper – is powerless without support from students. Almost everything on the SGA schedule is targeted toward making U of L a better place for faculty and students, which is why their efforts deserve the support of everyone here.