Ohio University's Student Senate discussed a variety of topics ranging from rule change procedures to sexual assault sanctions in its two-hour meeting last night.
The senate voted to create a recovery house research committee to explore possibilities for creating such a facility on campus. Sponsors of the resolution said they based their ideas off of the model created by Ohio State University, which is opening a similar facility in the fall.
The committee will determine if such a facility is needed on campus
said Emily Bacha, senator for University Life and the resolution's primary sponsor.
The recovery facility would house a number of recovering alcoholic students overseen by an RA-like figure who is also enrolled in the program. House members would be required to attend Alcoholics Anonymous daily and the application process for residents would be comprehensive, the sponsors said.
The committee will be responsible for determining the potential costs of a recovery house.
Bacha noted the differences between a substance-free dorm and a recovery house.
A recovery house is smaller ... it has more resources specifically for this problem Bacha said.
Off-Campus Life Senator Kat Allen said she hopes the house will eventually branch out to support students suffering from eating disorders.
That would bring a whole other dimension into the situation Allen said.
The senate also implemented several personnel changes.
Vice President Sally Neidhard passed resolutions eliminating Senate's Information Technology position and hiring a Webmaster, creating a director of alumni, and setting a timeframe for the organizational liaison to contact campus organizations.
President Michael Adeyanju proposed eliminating the pay for the senate's director of elections, but the senate voted the measure down, citing the accountability that the pay provides. The director is currently paid an hourly wage for their services during the senate's election, and Adeyanju said this amounted to $600 in compensation last year.
The senate also voiced its support for stiffer sexual assault sanctions. Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi gave a presentation of the draft, noting a rise in sexual assaults on campus in recent years.
We're really concerned about the climate on campus
Lombardi said.
The senate will draft a resolution to support the sanctions next week.
1
News
Tristan Navera
