Both aim to increase student representation

Two amendments received a first reading at the Oct. 5 Students’ Association meeting that can impact the representation of student voices within SA.

Amendment 15-01-A addresses the resolution reading period and would extend the reading period for Senators to receive more feedback from students in their respective colleges. Amendment 15-02-A is an amendment to refine and enforce ex officio representation at SA meetings.

If amendment 15-02-A were to be passed by SA, the Senate would enforce more consistent attendance and representation of ex officios by suspending representation for the remainder of the current term if the organization leaves a seat vacant for three consecutive meetings or removing representation of the organization if the seat is vacant for a year.

The amendment states that ex officio representation in SA has been “underutilized and employed in a manner inconsistent with the ideological origins” to represent the needs and perspectives of students. Sponsors of the amendment hope that in passing Amendment 15-02-A, ex officio representation will improve.

Other business SA went over included the approval of the HR & Management Association constitution and approval of a New Venture Fund request from Silver Wings for $706.26.

During the Open Forum portion of the meeting, the Senate was addressed by members of the Hobo Day Committee to speak on the history of Hobo Day and by Molly Enz, an assistant professor in the Department of Modern Languages, who spoke about a model for diversity and inclusion from the College of Arts and Sciences. Enz said the model is a “robust framework to engage students with important issues concerning life, concerning diversity and how we interact with each other, but using appropriate interdisciplinary strategies.” The college hopes to implement a similar model across campus, according to Enz, in order to ensure consistency in how diversity and inclusion are employed across campus.

SA will not hold a meeting next week because of the Native American Day holiday. The next meeting will be Oct. 19 in the Lewis and Clark room in The Union.