Ohio University Student Senate met Wednesday night to vote on a variety of internal changes.
Discussions continued about the role of the Student Appropriations Commission in general body meetings when a resolution regarding attendance of SAC members was brought to the floor. The resolution that passed ensured that two representatives from SAC will hold votes in general body meetings, and those SAC members who do not hold votes would be called delegates.
“They shouldn’t be voting because they represent a pool of money and not students,” Jacob Haskins, budget committee chair, said.
A resolution about the way primary sponsors can edit legislation was also passed.
Before, a primary sponsor could edit a resolution or bill on the floor, and the body could directly pass the edited legislation. Now, the edited resolution or bill must pass through the Judicial Panel before being voted on by the general body.
“It’s a minor technicality,” Matthew Thomas, the clerk of court, said. “However, there’s a reason why the Judicial Panel passed a bill in the first place, and it shouldn’t be allowed to pass without coming back to us.”
The body also passed a bill to support the OU Global Strategy. The strategy wishes to increase diversity, encourage global leaders and improve the lives of OU students.
After the resolution regarding her appointment was added to the agenda at the beginning of the meeting, Katie Grooms was voted to become a sorority and fraternity life senator.
“The relationship (between Student Senate and Sorority & Fraternity Life) is okay, but it’s not great,” Grooms said. “I don’t have a lot of power, but I feel I can make some changes.”
Keyarah Newton was appointed the black affairs commissioner, following a period of time where the position was vacant.
Three budgets were voted on and passed, including $156.03 for the purchase of blue books, which are provided by Senate, and $150 for the printing and framing of a revised Student Senate Constitution.
“There’s no rules that say we have to have the latest printing of the constitution,” Chief of Staff Landen Lama said. “But it’s a nice thing to have.”
The general body also heard a presentation about textbook affordability from Brad Cohen, senior vice provost for instructional innovation.
“Things are not great in the textbook area. We have been working on this institutionally,” Cohen said as he addressed the body.
Many universities improve textbook affordability by having a course fee, but the OHIO Guarantee — in which the cost of students’ tuition stays the same for 12 consecutive semesters at OU — prevents such a fee, Cohen said.
“(Book publishers) are a bit like pharmaceutical companies jacking up the price of an essential drug,” Cohen said.
