By Beth Byrd
Editor-in-Chief
Students pray at the beginning of Student Senate Sept. 5 in Harvey Auditorium.
A resolution approved during the Student Government Association’s Student Senate meeting Sept. 5 in Harvey Hall Atrium could change the way students use their meal plans.
Jenaye White, sophomore broadcast journalism major and SGA sophomore class vice president, presented Senate Resolution 191-22 that supports the rollover of remaining fall meal credits to the spring semester.
On-campus students are required to purchase a minimum of 100 meals per semester, and those meals cannot be used the following semester. Each meal costs about $8.
White said other institutions, such as Texas A&M University, use rollover plans similar to the one proposed by this resolution.
The second resolution approved at the meeting could change the duties of a particular SGA member.
Wil Story, senior psychology major and SGA senior class vice president, presented Senate Resolution 191-23 that supports a change in responsibilities for the SGA public relations coordinator.
The coordinator is required to spend one hour per week in the SGA office located in SA 35 in the Student Union building. Story proposed that this required office hour be removed from the coordinator’s job description.
He said the coordinator usually is a digital media studies or communication arts major and has access to better facilities to perform his or her job. Removing this required office hour also would provide more time for the coordinator to perform SGA duties, Story said.
Chelsea Meiss, sophomore intercultural studies major and SGA ambassador, will present the resolutions to Dr. Kimberly Thornbury, senior vice president for student services and dean of students.
If administration members accept the changes, the resolutions could be ratified by the student body during SGA elections in November, said Kylie McDonald, senior political science major and SGA president.
Only two resolutions were presented, but normally four or five resolutions and bills are discussed, McDonald said.
Jordan Wilson, senior accounting major and SGA vice president, said previous passed resolutions include the revised student email addresses and Penick Academic Complex renovations. Student organization leaders also can submit bills to ask for up to $200 per academic year, McDonald said.
“What we do does make a difference,” Wilson said. “It’s important.”
However, McDonald said student leaders must regularly attend Senate in order to propose resolutions and bills.
“Senate is the way that the university recognizes organizations,” McDonald said. “If they don’t have a senator representing them, then the university does not recognize them as a legitimate organization on campus.”
McDonald said a senate member from an organization may miss two Senate meetings before being removed from the position. The organization must then find a senator replacement or risk being unrecognized not only as an organization but also as a liaison for student voices, McDonald said.
McDonald said the more that student leaders represent their organizations during Senate, the better student concerns can be voiced to administration members.
Wilson said members from 36 student organizations attended the meeting, while 21 organizations were unrepresented.
“Usually, we have more people there than we did last night, but that is likely because most of the organizations either have not met for this semester yet and/or have not assigned their senators for the semester yet,” Wilson said. “Next senate should have a much better turnout.”
The next Senate meeting will be at 9:30 p.m. Sept. 19.
