Student Senate passed resolutions creating a judicial panel and supporting student trustees.
After weeks of discussion and tabled voting, Ohio University Student Senate passed a resolution to create a judicial panel at its meeting Wednesday.
The judicial panel still needs to be approved by OU's Board of Trustees and the student body, however, before it will go into effect for the 2016-17 academic year, because it would alter senate's constitution.
“It’s super exciting,” Hannah Clouser, senate treasurer and a sponsor of the resolution, said about the passage of the judicial panel. “I think it is a really big move, not only for senate, but for our student body, because it makes our senate more accountable, more ethical, less biased. Just overall really great things.”
The judicial panel, if approved, would consist of nine justices, according to the resolution.
Those nine justices would replace senate's Conduct and Discipline Committee and the Rules and Procedures Committee, according to the resolution. The justices also would serve as senate's Board of Elections and decide on the impeachment and appeal of executives or senators.
Landen Lama, senate's lead parliamentarian and a sponsor of the resolution, added that he is “lit” about the resolution passing.
“It took a long time to achieve,” Lama said. “But we got it done.”
The vote included two abstentions and one vote to not pass the resolution. Jacob Haskins, senate's residence life commissioner, voted against the resolution, though he said after the meeting that he was in favor of the majority of the resolution.
“It definitely needed to be done,” Haskins said. “But the only issue I have is the commissioners are no longer held accountable to the executives.”
The body also passed a resolution at its meeting in support of student trustee voting rights.
The resolution was in support of House Bill 183, which would give voting rights to student members of the Board of Trustees at Ohio public universities. The bill would also permit student trustees to attend executive sessions, according to the resolution.
Senate President Gabby Bacha said student trustee voting rights was on her platform when she ran for president last year.
“It’s really nice to see it get recognized, not just on our level, but also across institutions,” Bacha added after the meeting. “So that's what makes me so excited, we’re gonna go at it. We're gonna go at it with a force.”
Bacha also said after Wednesday night’s meeting that she is excited for the campaign season for this year's Student Senate elections. The passive campaign period for the election starts Thursday.
“Real excited to sit back with the popcorn and just watch this time,” she said. “No more 6 a.m. chalking so I’m really stoked for that.”
Clouser, who is running for president on the UNITE ticket, also said she is excited for Thursday.
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