Last Thursday, the Student Government Association Student Senate met to approve Financial Affairs Committee funding to campus organizations and consider a number of resolutions about everything from judicial affairs to apologizing to Auburn.
Senator Chisolm Allenlundy proposed a resolution urging the University to ease restrictions found in their Grounds Use Policy that, according to the bill, restricts free speech. As cited, the resolution was authored in response to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education ranking the University as one of the nation’s “Worst Colleges for Free Speech” last December.
(See also “SGA statements of candidacy due“)
Allenlundy also introduced a bill encouraging the school to erect a monument to enslaved persons related to the University, which was sent to committee. Allenlundy declined to comment on either piece of legislation.
Gregory Poole, chair of the Senate Financial Affairs Committee, introduced and authored Act A-20, which provides up to $700 to purchase recycling bins for the newly-constructed North Engineering Research Center as part of their involvement in the RecycleBama initiative.
Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Sam Gerard, who started the program, will oversee RecycleBama’s efforts in working with building management to furnish bins for all three floors of the building.
“It’s important that we start our buildings’ lives out strong with recycling cans,” Gerard said. “Leaves us less time playing catch up.”
Poole also sought to restructure some FAC policies regarding funding student organizations.
“B-37 was authored by Senator [Stephen] Keller and I after some disagreements with B-32. Both came after the administration expressed some concerns with Senate being able to unilaterally override the votes of non-SGA members on FAC,” Poole said. “However, both Senator Keller and I wanted to ensure that Senate could reserve the right to ask further questions about allocations of which members were unsure.”
Poole said Bill B-37 allows the Senate to issue a summons to leaders of an organization who are requesting funds to explain what they need the money for. If they fail to appear to the summons, their request is automatically denied as a penalty. Poole also introduced B-38, which works a Sustainability Investment Program into the SGA Code of Laws.
(See also “Environmental Council funds projects“)
“This program has been in development over the past year with over $1 million going towards eco-front-friendly projects over the next five years,” Poole said. “Our goal is to establish The University of Alabama as the leader in sustainability among public universities in the Southeast.”
B-38 sets up a committee of nine members, drawn from faculty, students and administrators. It functions similarly to FAC, with three students from SGA and one from the UA Environmental Council. This council will consider project proposals submitted by anyone who works for or attends the University.
“Eco-friendly projects can be those that improve the buildings and grounds of UA, raise awareness of sustainability issues, among others,” Poole said.
Poole said he hopes to see the project last longer than its pilot program, which ends in 2019.
Other resolutions introduced included R-45, which encourages mid-semester student opinion of instruction surveys, and R-46, which issues a formal apology to Auburn University for the SGA’s absence at the James E. Foy, V-Omicron Delta Kappa Sportsmanship Trophy Ceremony. The weather was cited as the reason for the absence.
Senator Sam Barnes also introduced Bill B-36, primarily authored by Chief Justice Benjamin Sleight.
“It’s a bill to establish the Judicial Canons of Ethics, which basically holds the Student Judicial Board to higher ethical standards,” Barnes said. “Ben approached me with the idea, but it’s a bill that the Alabama and U.S. Senate have, so I think he wanted to model ours at Alabama after those.”
Vice President of Student Affairs Hamilton Bloom introduced a bill which would require SGA members to attend Safe Zone training, described by the Safe Zone website as national LGBT Ally Development Training.
(See also “UA Safe Zone offers LGBTQ network, allies“)
