Student Senate passed a resolution last night urging the Athens Police Department to stop a program similar to a proposed OU policy that sends letters to the parents of underage drinking offenders.
The police department's program, which began this Spring Quarter, allows and encourages sending letters to the home address of anyone 18 to 21 years old arrested of alcohol-related crimes and OU students 18 to 25 years old, according to the resolution.
The department's program is a complete violation of privacy
said Tim Vonville, city and county affairs commissioner.
Not only does the police department's Letters Home program lack the legal precedency to take such a measure, but it also unnecessarily overlaps with the OU initiative, said Curtis Nash, College of Communication senator.
In other news, a resolution was passed in which senate endorsed an alternative student health insurance plan.
Senate is urging OU to adopt a plan for the 2006-07 academic year that costs $1,035 for domestic and international students. The current plans costs $810 for domestic students and $1,209 for international students.
Graduate Student Senate and the International Student Union have also endorsed the same health insurance plan alternative.
Also at last night's meeting, senate passed a resolution opposing the TABOR/TEL Amendment, a proposed Ohio constitutional amendment slated for the November ballot that would impose a spending cap on most government-funded entities.
Through the amendment, unspent funds would be divided in half and returned to taxpayers and a budget reserve fund, according to the resolution.
The amendment would severely limit Ohio University's budget with regards to housing and dining services financial aid intramural sports
campus safety and student programming events
according to the resolution.
In general, OU would struggle to remain a public institution, said Patrick Heery, academic affairs senator.
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