When Ohio University’s Student Senate meets Wednesday, the body will be discussing policies that affect the body — and the greater student body as a whole.
Gerrod Schirtzinger, the academic affairs commissioner, will discuss OU’s academic misconduct policy.
Currently, if the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility finds a student has not cheated or plagiarized on an assignment, the professor can still fail the student for the class.
The academic affairs commission wants to change it so that can’t happen anymore, Schirtzinger said.
Schirtzinger said he wants input from the senate body about the policy and how they would like him and the rest of the commission to move forward, but he would also like to hear from the rest of the student body.
“We’d love to hear from students as well,” he said. “If students want to come and speak out, you know beforehand, give us their input on that matter, that’d be great.”
Mary Kate Gallagher, the senate’s vice president, will talk about possible rule changes to the Senator Emeritus selection process.
Senator Emeritus is a title typically given to an outgoing senior at the last meeting of the year. The title allows that member to be able to speak on behalf of resolutions during senate body meetings which current senators are only allowed to speak in, in the future after they’ve graduated, Gallagher said.
To qualify for the position the member must have been a voting member of the body for at least two years and have made a significant impact on senate during their time as a member, Gallagher said.
If a member of the body wants the status of Senator Emeritus, they have to apply and they are selected by a committee of seven or eight senators, Gallagher said.
The senate alumni group asked the executive board to look into changing the policy so the member of senate selected to Senator Emeritus would not be selected at the end of academic year.
Instead, members would have to apply a year after graduating, Gallagher said.
Senate would like to change the rule to make sure personal relationships don’t factor in as much in the decision process as they do now, said Anna Morton, president of senate.
Multiple members of the body can be given the status of Senator Emeritus and they keep the status for life. Past senate president Kyle Triplett and former vice president Amrit Saini hold the status of Senator Emeritus, Gallagher said.
“Our alumni don’t usually stay in Athens, but they stay very involved,” Morton said. “It’s very valuable and our seniors like (it) because it’s keeping that connection with senate.”
At the meeting there will also be a presentation from Dusty Kilgour, executive director of event services, about how students can create and submit artwork that will be displayed in Baker University Center.
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@MariaDeVito13
