Ohio University Student Senate continued to amend its constitution at its meeting Wednesday.
The body passed a resolution adding a first-ever bill of rights section to its constitution.
The bill of rights will “give students the ability to make demands to the university administration and also give students the ability to demand things of their elected representatives,” according to the resolution.
Senate also passed a resolution to create an “appointments and inauguration” section. A resolution to combine newly proposed “compositions” and “operations” sections of the constitution failed after debate about whether or not the existing constitution needed a large amount of changes.
The body passed a bill supporting UnitedHealthcare continuing to be the health care provider for OU students. The health care premium for students will increase 10.5 percent, amounting to about $200 more per year, according to Student Health Insurance Administrator Anna Casteel.
Casteel attributes that change to new mandates from the Affordable Care Act requiring providers to cover Gender Identity Disorder as they would "any other illness or injury." Additionally, UnitedHealthcare has previous experience working with the university.
Housing and Residence Life Executive Director Pete Trentacoste gave a presentation outlining future plans for residence halls. Trentacoste said that a “Phase II” plan is in the works, and he is discussing the “feasibility of replacing residence halls on Back South” with an architect and consulting group.
Resolutions funding the senate networking trip, purchasing space in Baker Theater for a Black Affairs Commission event and purchasing doughnuts for International Women’s Day were all passed.
