Five years ago, the Williams Student Union (WSU) was created by a student taskforce as a transformative student government: Non-hierarchical, transparent, and dedicated to advocacy, it was meant to be a fresh start, a departure from the bureaucratic inefficiencies and systemic shortcomings of its predecessor, the College Council. Yet today, with a dismal 18 percent approval rating and and elections with voter turnout that barely budges above 29 percent, WSU is failing to fulfill its promise. 

Having served in WSU for my first four semesters at the College, I have witnessed firsthand the squandering of its potential. Without reform, WSU will continue to fall short of its mission to serve the student body.

In its early years, WSU showed promise. It successfully championed initiatives like  free laundry on campus, the expansion of late-night dining hours, and the re-establishment of Free University — a program that fostered connection among students during the pandemic and endures today. These achievements underscore WSU’s potential to effect meaningful change. Yet, five years on, WSU is faltering. Its shortcomings are significant, and their ramifications are profound.

One of the most pressing issues is the inconsistent attendance of representatives. Currently, WSU only requires representatives to attend six meetings each semester, allowing them to miss up to half of all meetings before facing any consequences. This semester, the average representative has missed approximately one-third of all meetings, with only two representatives having attended every meeting. When representatives fail to attend meetings, students’ voices go unheard. Representing the student body is not a casual commitment; it is a deep responsibility. WSU’s lenient attendance policy undermines the importance of the work it does, sending the message that participation is optional when it should be mandatory.

Beyond attendance issues, WSU’s internal leadership has led to dysfunction. Its non-hierarchical structure — designed to promote equality between members — has instead resulted in disorganization. Each week, a different meeting leader is responsible for crafting the agenda and facilitating the meeting. Too often, however, the meeting leader fails to appear or the agenda remains incomplete. This inconsistency makes it difficult to sustain long-term projects, as initiatives lose momentum when leadership changes hands every semester. For example, a resource guide that should have taken one semester to complete instead took three, and other issues on the agenda have been neglected entirely. Without consistent leadership, WSU is perpetually reinventing the wheel, failing to provide students with the advocacy they deserve.

The WSU also falls short on its commitment to transparency. WSU is constitutionally required to post meeting agendas for public review, yet, in the fall semester of 2024, none of the 12 agendas were published. This failure to uphold transparency erodes trust and leaves students uninformed about decisions that directly affect them. 

Additionally, while meetings are advertised as open to the public, they are held in the confined space of the People’s Office in Upper Paresky, which lacks sufficient seating capacity for students to attend. This physical limitation, combined with the lack of practical incentive for students to show up — since they are unlikely to see tangible outcomes — further discourages engagement. The combination of inaccessible spaces and a lack of visible progress creates a cycle of disengagement, undermining the very purpose of an open and accountable student advocacy body.

Another critical problem is WSU’s limited engagement with the broader student body, which contributes to its extremely low approval rate. While the WSU meets regularly with the deans, college offices like Dining Services, and President Maud S. Mandel, these discussions often occur behind closed doors, with little communication to the student body. This lack of transparency creates the perception that WSU is more aligned with the administration than the students it represents — an impression I have heard echoed by peers and one that, while understandable, does not reflect reality.

Beyond these structural issues, WSU struggles with a lack of institutional memory caused by high turnover. Representatives only serve for semester-long terms, so there is little continuity from one cohort to the next. For example, the current junior class has already seen seven different representatives serve in two and a half years. Important projects are often abandoned, and new representatives must spend valuable time learning the intricacies of the Union’s procedures. This lack of continuity prevents WSU from building on its past successes and addressing long standing issues.

WSU’s problems, while significant, are not insurmountable. Addressing them requires decisive and immediate action. Here are some places to start.

The current attendance policy must be tightened: Representatives should receive a warning after two absences and be subject to removal after four. While stringent, this policy is essential to underscore the responsibility the role entails.

The WSU should also enact more stable leadership by electing a meeting leader, a treasurer, and a scribe who serve in their roles for the duration of each semester. These changes would ensure continuity and accountability. The meeting leader would oversee the agenda and facilitate discussions, the treasurer would manage budgets, and the scribe would maintain a public record of minutes and resolutions and ensure that agendas are posted for public review. While these roles exist in the original WSU bylaws — with a scribe and moderator meant to be elected at the start of each meeting — they have never been properly implemented. By electing these positions for an entire semester, the WSU would create a clearer and more effective leadership framework.

WSU must also prioritize transparency and accessibility. Meetings should be relocated to larger, more accessible venues such as Paresky 201, allowing students to observe and participate. WSU’s website must be updated regularly to include meeting agendas, minutes, and updates on ongoing projects. Additionally, WSU should establish active social media accounts and distribute regular newsletters to keep the student body informed. Lastly, holding monthly town halls would provide a platform for students to voice their concerns directly, fostering a more inclusive and engaged community.

Additionally, WSU’s representatives should serve year-long terms to address the high rate of turnover. The two other pillars of the College’s student government — Facilitators for Allocating Student Taxes (FAST) and the Student Faculty Committee Board (formerly TABLE), already operate on year-long terms. Expanding WSU’s truncated timeline would afford representatives the time necessary to plan and execute initiatives effectively, ensuring continuity and progress. This change would align WSU with the structures of other student governance bodies and provide a more stable foundation for advocacy.

The WSU was conceived as a powerful advocate for students. Yet, in its current state, it is failing to meet this mandate. The time has come to demand better.

As the next WSU election approaches next week, students have a critical opportunity to make their voices heard — not just to elect representatives but to shape the future of the Union. Constitutional amendments will be proposed, and student engagement in these changes is essential. While the reforms outlined here are not yet formally proposed as amendments, they serve as a roadmap for a WSU that truly serves the student body.

The WSU has the potential to be a transformative force on this campus. But potential alone is not enough. What is required is action. What is required is accountability. What is required is a Union that doesn’t shy away from change, delivers results, and fulfills its purpose.

I want to emphasize that my critique is directed at the structure and functioning of WSU as an institution, not at the individuals who serve within it. My intention is not to diminish the dedication or efforts of those involved but rather to shed light on systemic issues that require urgent attention. I sincerely hope that these observations will spark meaningful action, guiding us toward a reformed student government that genuinely represents and serves the needs of all students. 

Let us not settle for a Union that merely exists. Let us demand one that delivers. 

Dylan Safai ’26 is a political economy and Spanish double major and a global studies concentrator from Potomac, Md.