Student Senate passed its first bill of 2021 Wednesday, which demanded Ohio University keep the satisfactory/no credit grading option for students during the Spring Semester.
OU had not reinstated that grading option for students as of Jan. 21, prompting a petition for reinstatement of the policy by Senate Vice President Elizabeth Lilly, which currently has over 780 signatures as of Jan. 27.
The bill, having passed, will be another step in voicing student concerns about the issue to OU’s administration.
“This is a bill we feel strongly about,” Becky “Eliza” Ivan, Senate treasurer and primary sponsor of the bill, said. “Students need this policy now more than ever, and not just because we’re not used to the online learning, but because now we are working in dangerous situations, losing family and friends due to COVID and mentally sustaining ourselves during multiple quarantines.”
In addition to the bill, Senate leaders have been talking to administration about keeping the option open for students, or, if that is not possible, working toward an alternative solution.
“We are currently still having meetings with Provost Sayrs and administrators to decide if we want to put this grading system in place,” Senate President Ian Carter II said. “They have been open and hearing what we have to say, especially Student Senate, about the decision to keep the grading … so even if we can’t keep the entire system, we are looking for alternatives to adjust it.”
Carter II made clear rumors going around campus that the university had already made the decision to not bring back the satisfactory/no credit grading option were false.
However, according to Maxeen Ramlo, Senate Governmental Affairs commissioner, some students have expressed concerns about the satisfactory/no credit grading option in regards to accreditation and graduation requirements. Those concerns were addressed at the meeting by Celine Freetage, University Life commissioner.
“I am certain this bill is just going to act how it acted in the past semesters, and there are certain classes you can’t opt into the S grade for anyways,” Freetage said. “A lot of those classes are for nursing majors and a lot of science students because they need to have those grades in their classes, and I don’t think this bill will affect that at all.”
Senate is just advocating for the prior policy to be reinstated, as it has no control over if there are some classes that you cannot opt into the satisfactory/no credit grading option, Lilly said.
Senate Advisor Jenny Hall-Jones also shared plans to start putting on more in-person events, with two already scheduled for next week, both with limited space. If the events go well, the university will start programming in Baker Center every night Monday through Friday.
“Starting next week…on Thursday night, there’s going to be a Marty and Stewie Craft Night hosted in the bottom of Baker by (Housing and Residence Life),” Hall-Jones said. “And Friday night, the CIC is doing a movie night that is going to be in the ballroom.”
Students’ mental health was also brought up by Senate Advisor Patricia McSteen during her report. She advocated for students to follow the Counseling and Psychological Services Twitter, as it has been trying to do more outreach to students, as well as putting on coping clinics with different topics for every day of the week.
For students in isolation and quarantine housing, there are additional mental health services provided by the university.
“In addition, for students who are in isolation and quarantine housing right now, the counselors and residents are doing a group chat every Wednesday from 8 to 9 p.m., and students get that information with their packet when they move into quarantine or isolation housing,” McSteen said.
During the meeting, a resolution to appoint a vice commissioner to the LGBTQA+ Affairs Commision, Faith Laughlin, was passed.
“(Laughlin) is so kind, and I think she would make a great addition to the LGBTQA+ Commission,” Lilly, primary sponsor of the resolution, said. “I know that Commissioner Davis has already been working so hard, and I bet that Faith would make a great addition to that team.”
Many Senate members talked about open positions on committees, including the Senate Appropriation Committee. Additionally, students can apply to be a Student Trustee by filling out this application by Feb. 12.
