The Meeting
ASUO senators heard how ASUO President Amelie Rousseau is moving ahead with the proposal to make the University campus tobacco-free, discussed funding for the new student sustainability coordinator, altered more ASUO bylaws and approved a special request from the Women’s Center.
The Decisions
Once again, ASUO Senate unanimously passed through three rules changes proposed by the rules committee. These included a new process for making resolutions, clarity on financial resolutions or resolutions involving the student incidental fee, and a formal procedure in the bylaws for starting and acting through an ad-hoc committee, an informal group to discuss matters outside of the Senate.
A special request from the Women’s Center for $1,654 was unanimously approved. The total amount of the request went to the Women’s Center’s line item called “LGBTQ-related events” and went to pay for Intersex Awareness Week, a continuous event open to all students happening from Oct. 25-27. The money will go toward room reservations, advertisements in newspapers and on posters, and an honorarium for Emi Koyama, an intersex activist.
The Tension
ASUO President Rousseau said the Executive has received an $800,000 grant from PacificSource Health Plans, which she will use to help implement a smoke-free campus. With the money, she will hire one full-time and two part-time staff members and begin a two-year campaign, starting with November’s Great American Smokeout, to advocate for and promote a smoke-free campus.
Senators Erin Altman, Ian Fielding and Janet Brooks raised concerns about the feasibility of enforcing a smoke-free campus.
“I’m envisioning smoke police going around campus,” Brooks said.
Rousseau said the hope is that a smoke-free campus would be enforced through a campus culture shift.
“No policy (includes) 100-percent compliance,” Rousseau said.
ASUO executive members Molly Bennison and Nathan Howard spoke along with members of University sustainability groups, including the Climate Justice League, to encourage senators to consider changing the student sustainability coordinator from a part-time to a full-time position. Bennison, the ASUO events coordinator, cited a desire to make the sustainability center a more institutionalized program.
“(Roles of coordinating groups) aren’t the only things … large-scale projects hopefully … working with (groups) on huge projects, projects that will save money for the University,” Bennison said.
Some senators were concerned about the method through which Bennison and other presenters were proposing to use ASUO money. The presenters were requesting funds that returned to the Programs Finance Committee after programs assess their budget at the end of the year.
Bennison hoped to clarify that the presenters attended the meeting to let Senate know their plan for the future.
“We really just wanted to answer questions, weren’t planning on voting or anything,” Bennison said.
Next Week
The rules committee is meeting to discuss more possible rule changes. They estimate they will bring three to seven more at next week’s meeting.
Meanwhile, the committee discussing University President Richard Lariviere’s proposed University restructuring is meeting Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. in the EMU Owyhee River Room.
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