Student Senate will vote on resolutions to reinstate structural concepts, which were altered by last year’s body.
Following a year of extensive changes to the structure of Student Senate, the first meeting of this academic year will call for a return to tradition.
Concepts abandoned by last year’s senate body — such as Robert’s Rules of Order, a formal resolution format and weekly meetings — will have opportunities to be reinstated at Wednesday night’s meeting in Walter 235.
“Every governing body uses some form of rule system,” senate Vice President Jared Ohnsman said of the resolution to reinstate Robert’s Rules. “It’s just important to make sure the meeting runs smoothly.”
Last year’s body voted to meet every other week, but this year’s executive board wants to return to the old system of weekly meetings.
“I think weekly meetings are important so people can touch base every week and know what’s going on,” Hannah Clouser, senate’s treasurer, said. “It’s not like we’re trying to force everyone to come if they have other obligations, they could still definitely find a proxy like always, but weekly meetings will keep the rest of the student body in the know and also hold senators accountable.”
Members of the senate will give presentations to explain Robert’s Rules, senate’s internship program and changes involving senate’s money-distributing bodies.
Other resolutions will focus on moving uFund under the Senate Appropriations Committee and increasing the number of SAC voting members.
“Students’ passions usually lie within their student organization, so they care most about getting funding for that organization. That’s what SAC can help them with,” Clouser said.
The general body will also work to solidify its collective goals for the year during a designated discussion time.
Senate President Gabby Bacha identified increasing wages at small increments for workers who remain at their jobs for an extended period of time and allowing students to work more hours at on campus jobs as two major goals of the body.
Senate executives Bacha, Ohnsman and Clouser also said “restoring integrity for the body” tops their list of important initiatives. Maintaining consistent office hours and adding an amendment to senate’s constitution that would allow for an election recall are among senate’s plans to hold their members accountable, Bacha said.
“Where we see something that needs to be improved, we want to improve it,” Ohnsman said.
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