David Duong
Alexandria, Virginia
Class Of: 2013

Campus: Manhattan
Major: Architecture, B.S.

As David Duong begins his second term as president of the Student Government Association (SGA) at NYIT-Manhattan, he is preparing to re-focus his goals to address academic needs while still providing students with a forum for club representation.

"My top goal is to make sure students really feel they have a voice," David says. "I want SGA to be a go-to group when they need help or have a question."

During his first term as president, Duong pushed the conversion of the SGA from an academic focus to a club and organization base. This restructuring has enabled student representatives called senators to vote on budgets (previously they could not) and has expanded the number of senators from only eight during his freshman year to 30, with one per club.

The senators meet each week to vote on campus initiatives and have the ability to fund and support events. However, quorum (or three-quarters of the senate) is needed to pass anything-an incentive for members to attend. For example, this year the senators voted to donate $3,600 of club funds to the Community Service Center for its Alternative Spring Break Project.

"Since the clubs are now more empowered to take it upon themselves, they handle things more efficiently and quickly," David says.

The conversion also had another, unexpected impact. It showed David-who says he came into office determined "to find out where the lack of anything lies"-that his NYIT colleagues were working equally hard to meet common goals.

"I see a lot of behind-the-scenes work through student government," he says. "It has grown my appreciation for the people working on these projects in every department."

This year, David will debut an SGA liaison committee with student representatives from all schools to coordinate with the academic side, bringing the total number of representatives to 40. He also is working on a scholarship incentive plan to increase student retention rates.

"I want to bring the 2030 plan into everything I'm doing now to make the campus more student-centered," David says.

Did You Know … David has played the keyboard since childhood and composes his own music. He says his favorite classical music is by Mozart: "it hits you because it's emotionally packed."