The Student Senate held its first “make Senate better” committee meeting on Wednesday, in which Senators came up with several ideas to, well, make the Senate better.
The Senate unanimously voted to make the committee on Jan. 25 to try to boost participation in student government. The committee serves as an internal review board where senators can discuss issues as well as propose changes to the current governing processes.
No one from the general student body attended, but senators came equipped with ideas.
Senate Ombudsman Jared Axelrod proposed creating a loan account from which money could be allocated to programs that intend to make money from events that charge admission.
“So they could pay all or some of it back … and the surplus could be replenished and given to other groups,” Axelrod said.
The Senate allocates extra money from the surplus to groups that have unexpected costs. Most of the fund comes from larger-than-expected enrollment, creating extra incidental fees.
Axelrod said it would be useful because, in many cases, programs will ask for money to cover costs for events, but then end up making it back through ticket sales. This recycled money could also buy down the incidental fee “so it wouldn’t increase by $10 or $15” each year, he said. Students currently pay $191 each per term in incidental fees.
Axelrod and two other senators will research this idea further and bring a more formal, written proposal to the full Senate during a regularly scheduled meeting.
ASUO Senate Vice President Sara Hamilton addressed the issue of Senate membership and retention. She proposed that senators give campaign advice to students not yet familiar with student government but who want or plan to get involved. Axelrod added that setting up tables around campus would encourage students to join Student Senate.
So far this year, 6 of the total 18 senators have resigned. Senators are initially voted into office during spring term elections. When positions open during the year, the ASUO conducts interviews and appoints the most qualified applicants, not all of whom have experience in student government.
“People think that Senate’s a big deal, but really it’s just students,” Hamilton said.
Other ideas discussed at the meeting included a possible awards system to recognize students that contribute to the community, conducting town hall-style meetings that encourage student participation, and requiring senators to attend more student government meetings and student program events.
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