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As the spring semester wraps up, now is a great time for your SGA to decide what issues you're going to work on in the fall.

Picking the right issues can help you recruit more people to get involved, focus your energy where you'll make the biggest impact, and build your image as an organization that gets stuff done.

Here are some tips for picking good issues:

• Winnable. The issue should have a tangible solution that students can point to. SGA should be able to win some tangible victory that improves students' lives.
   
• Widely felt. The issue should affect a lot of people.
   
• Deeply felt. The issue should not only affect a lot of people, but it also needs to be something students care a lot about - so they're compelled to get involved.
   
• Have a clear target. There must be a clear decision-maker who can give you what you want - whether it's the governor, a legislator, a campus administrator, the mayor, or someone else.
   
• Have a clear timeframe. Will you be able to win in a semester? In a year?
   
• Recruit. Will the issue attract new volunteers? Are there lots of things that volunteers can do?
   
• Build leadership. Are there opportunities for students to take on leadership roles?
   
• Build your student government. Overall, the issue should help to build your SGA as an organization - by helping you recruit new volunteers, strengthening your relationships with important people on campus, and building visibility and credibility for your SGA.

You can use these criteria to have conversations within your SGA to help you discuss and vote on your fall campaigns. A good rule of thumb is to vote on 3 to 6 issues to prioritize.