Student Senate passed a multi-pronged resolution Wednesday.
Student Senate passed a multi-pronged resolution Wednesday that calls on Ohio University President Roderick McDavis’ administration to enact several bold policies, such as the establishment of a $15 minimum wage and the elimination of tuition increases.
Though OU administrators and local economists — and even some senate members — have said the proposals were outlandish, senate as a whole stuck by its proposal.
Senate member Will Klatt, the government affairs commissioner, stands by the demands outlined in the resolution, saying that “it’s the status quo that’s unrealistic” — not senate’s ideas.
Also in that resolution, which will serve as policy suggestions to be forwarded to whomever they chose, were provisions that would:
— Ban pay raises for administrators making more than $200,000
— Seek more transparency of OU’s endowment
— Call for the divestment from the use of fossil fuels
The demand to implement a tuition freeze, beginning in the 2015-16 academic year, is from last semester’s Restart campaign. Senate President Megan Marzec and Vice President Caitlyn McDaniel both ran on those promises.
The next step for this resolution will be moving forward with a campaign for those demands, McDaniel said, in order to put pressure on the administration to act on them.
“I think this is the point where we start moving forward on an actual campaign,” she said. “We’re definitely not just going to be sitting around for the next week. For me, at least personally, I’m going to be working really hard to get together like a solid plan.”
Senate also passed a resolution to formally declare its support for F—k Rape Culture, in addition to other measures.
A resolution to staff the Internal Budget Committee for senate was adopted, along with a resolution to extend voting rights to the Student Activities Commission’s at-large representatives. Some senators viewed the passing of this resolution as an important expansion of voting privileges.
The resolution to suspend Robert’s Rules of Order indefinitely did not pass, so the rules, for now, will remain in place.
The resolution stated that “most students are probably unfamiliar with Robert’s Rules of Order, and therefore they pose a barrier to student participation during discussion.”
For the second week in a row, Student SpeakOUt lasted roughly 7 minutes. Only one student spoke Wednesday night.
Also at senate, Olivia Wallace, the environmental affairs commissioner, presented about the Ohio University trip to Ferguson, Missouri, to support an event this weekend.
@maygenbeeler
mb076912@ohio.edu
