Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect the correct academic year of all students.
The SGA Senate passed several resolutions and sent others to committee at its meeting Thursday.
Resolution Commending the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The SGA Senate voted unanimously in favor of a resolution commending the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Thursday’s meeting.
“These programs save our students’ lives,” Sean Atchison, a senior majoring in Latin American studies in favor of the resolution, said.
Atchison serves as president of the Queer Student Association and emphasized the role DEI programs play in protecting marginalized students.
School of Social Work Sen. Ragan Hope Wilson said she wrote the resolution in response to several states passing laws restricting DEI programs amid similar efforts in Alabama.
Last year, the Alabama Republican Party passed a resolution supporting the ban of DEI programs at state universities, and some senators are considering restrictions on DEI programs in the upcoming legislative session. This comes after the University recently removed its National Recognition Scholarship.
“DEI work is influential to students,” Wilson said, adding that it “propels people who are already marginalized into the future.”’
Bill to increase SGA election voting window
Another bill discussed would increase the voting window for SGA elections from 12 hours to 48. College of Arts and Sciences Sen. Eyram Gbeddy cited the University’s low voter turnout as a reason to make the change.
Turnout for SGA elections typically hovers around 30%.
“The more students vote, the more representative of the student body SGA will be,” Gbeddy said. “As the voting turnout grows, we’re only going to get better as an organization.”
Gbeddy’s bill will be sent to the rules committee, where it must be approved before a vote can be held on the floor.
Resolution to expand WGRC Safe Sisters program
The Senate also passed a resolution urging the Women and Gender Resource Center to expand its Safe Sisters program.
Safe Sisters are student volunteers who assist women in Greek life who are victims of interpersonal violence, an umbrella term including sexual violence, dating violence, domestic violence and child abuse.
College of Arts and Sciences Sen. Ella Brown, a Safe Sister who authored the resolution, said that Safe Sisters help students feel more comfortable coming forward.
“We’re not authority figures,” Brown said. “They can feel safe when they’re talking to us.”
The Senate also passed several clarifications to the language of the SGA constitution, a resolution to place more hand sanitizing stations in residence halls, and a resolution honoring Brady Dodson, a UA student who died last year.
