By Noel Bailey
Susquehanna University prides itself on being a close-knit community that encourages involvement and inclusivity among its students. With around 2,300 students and over 150 active clubs and organizations, there are so many opportunities for students to get involved in campus life.
These clubs span across a wide range of interests like Greek life, club and intramural sports, academic organizations, cultural and identity-based groups and creative or social-interest clubs. These opportunities help students find a sense of belonging while allowing them to explore their passions beyond the classroom.
This variety is one of Susquehanna’s greatest strengths. Joining a club can be an incredible way for students to meet new people, develop leadership skills, and explore future career paths.
Every organization at Susquehanna must be approved by the Student Government Association (SGA) to become an official campus club. To be approved, each club must meet specific requirements and present their goals to both the SGA and the ORG Summit. Part of this process involves establishing an executive board that includes at least a president, vice president and treasurer. When you add these positions up across more than 150 clubs, it means that well over 410 students on our campus hold an executive or leadership title. That number doesn’t even account for secretaries or other office positions that many clubs include. Altogether, this means that over 17% of the student population is serving in some kind of leadership capacity.
As someone who currently holds three executive positions, including the SGA’s executive board, Luxury Brand Marketing Club (LBMC) event manager and The Quill’s editor of publication design, I know what is like to hold power on this campus.
Susquehanna has created an environment where leadership is highly encouraged, but perhaps too accessible. When so many students hold titles like “president” or “vice president,” the meaning behind those roles can start to fade.
Walking down Kurtz Lane and realizing that I pass by half of the university’s executive boards isn’t just a funny thought; it shows how normalized leadership has become here. While it’s wonderful to see so many students wanting to be involved, we must also consider whether every leadership role is truly necessary or impactful. The more positions we create, the more we risk spreading responsibility too thin, which can lead to burnout, lack of follow-through and a decrease in genuine accountability.
In some cases, the abundance of positions can even create unintentional hierarchies within clubs, where titles become more symbolic than functional. This can make students who aren’t in executive positions feel less valued, even if their contributions to the organization are equally important. Leadership shouldn’t just be about holding a position title.
Furthermore, holding multiple executive positions, sometimes three or more, should be seen as a significant responsibility, not just another line on a résumé. Balancing several leadership roles requires time, energy and focus, and when so many students are doing this, it raises the question of whether these positions are being given based on whether they deserve it for their work in the club or just based on interest.