The latest meeting of the University’s Student Government Association Senate featured confirmations, discussion of the Support Our Scholars Act of 2017 and a resolution “encouraging gender equality in co-rec intramural sports,” according to the bill’s title. 

Perhaps the most debated time of the night came before confirming the SGA Executive Cabinet. A senator began to ask SGA President Hunter about a candidate for the Executive Cabinet who may have been removed from office. Hunter then began to discuss how people make mistakes, and Senator Robert Pendley then said he could disclose information regarding the matter, but only in a closed session. A roll call vote followed and the motion to enter into a closed session was voted down. No member of the executive council has previously been removed from office.

After entering into a recess, Senator Mike Smith authored a bill that would remove the requirement for the webmaster to have taken CS 202. The candidate for webmaster had not taken the course, and as a result of the bill was able to be confirmed. The bill was subsequently passed and the Executive Cabinet was confirmed shortly thereafter. 

One of the other items discussed during the meeting was a motion to amend the Support Our Scholars Act of 2017. 

The original bill and the amendment were authored by now Vice President for Academic Affairs Ross D’Entremont. The original bill created a scholarship in conjunction with the University’s graduate school for a student enrolled in the Accelerated Masters Program. Among other changes, the new bill would prevent any member of the SGA from receiving the scholarship and appropriate $500 for the scholarship beginning in fall of this year or spring of 2018. 

Additionally, the new bill would create a standing committee that would be appointed by D’Entremont. The committee would determine “an application, advertise the scholarship, and select the scholarship winner,” according to the bill.

Later in the meeting, Senator Smith introduced a resolution dealing with gender equality in co-rec intramural sports, or sports where men and women participate together. In his resolution, Smith discusses the rules for basketball, floor hockey, indoor soccer and outdoor soccer. In the resolution, Smith argues that the University’s Recreation Center should “change the scoring guidelines in Co-Rec Intramural Sports so that scoring, regardless if done by men or women, has equal.”

The resolution was passed. 

Order of Events:

1.) Bill 3 removing the CS 202 requirement for the webmaster introduced, passed.

2.) Confirmation of the 2017-2018 SGA Executive Cabinet. 

3.) Confirmation of Clay Gaddis as speaker Pro Tempore.

4.) Act 2 to establish a pay scale introduced, passed.

5.) A motion to amend the Support Our Scholars Act of 2017 introduced, passed.

6.) Resolution 1 “encouraging gender equality in co-rec intramural sports,” introduced, passed.