SGA looks to add more town halls

When she was elected president of Purdue University Fort Wayne’s Student Government Association this past spring, Willow Cribb was determined to fulfill some goals.

“I ran for my role with the purpose of being a loud, firm, and unavoidable voice for the students so that I can ensure students’ interests and needs are at the forefront of our decision-making as a university,” Cribb said. “My other officers feel just as passionate about this.”

Joining Cribb on the SGA’s executive branch are Michael Boyd, vice president of legislation, and Amber Smith, vice president of finance. They have begun hosting regular town hall meetings where students’ questions about specific topics can be presented. While the officers may not be front and center with their opinions in this new public forum, they are giving the rest of the student body chances to express themselves.

“We were all in attendance for the town hall last year and found it a valuable format for students to get a chance to directly address concerns with aspects of campus,” Cribb said. “We made a few tweaks to the format in order to make sure it runs smoothly. We wanted to gather feedback in advance to gauge potential problems students are feeling so that we can formulate meaningful questions to make sure student voices are heard, even if they can’t make it to the event.”

With approximately 50 students in attendance, the first opportunity during the fall 2025 semester was a Oct. 16 town hall to discuss the loss of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offices over the summer. Students submitted questions, which were read to the panel by members of the student senate. It became an informative look forward with administrators asking for student suggestions.

The second town hall will be held Dec. 4 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Classic Ballroom at Walb Student Union. The topic will be programming and community spaces in student housing, including the soon-to-open Trace student housing on the North Campus. Speakers will include Conner Miller, assistant director of residential education, and community directors Jenny Mora, Josh Wilson, and Aiden Reichard. The 600-bed complex will welcome its first students prior to the fall 2026 semester.

The first batch of questions will be asked from an SGA survey. The second can be submitted the day of the event and will be presented to the housing staff.

Cribb said the hope is to hold two or three town hall events during the spring semester, though no specific topics have been determined. Officers will continue to poll students on what they’d like to talk about.

“We believe that these town hall sessions are a useful tool, and that is why we are spearheading this initiative,” Cribb said. “Our hope is that this becomes a regular practice at PFW so that student voices can continue to help create positive influence on our campus.”