2008 Woodie Awards
SGA discusses new policies, procedures
By: Lanz Christian Banes
Issue date: 3/23/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
The Student Government Association approved a series of university policy and procedure changes March 21.
"A lot of this is clarification," said SGA adviser Ted Hoef, who presented the proposed policy changes, which are outlined in the student handbook. About every five years, a committee of faculty, staff and students meet to revise university-wide policy, Hoef said.
Much of the changes involved removing or adding words, such as removing the word "harassment" to define what harassment is and changing "guilt" to "fault."
SGA discussion was minimal until Susie Riegel, business and technology senator, and Mathias Jackson, arts and sciences senator, brought up the revised alcohol policy and its potential conflict with Residential Life's own alcohol policy. Both Jackson and Riegel are resident assistants in the Webster Village Apartments.
As it is currently written, Webster's alcohol policy states "students who are 21 years of age or older may consume alcoholic beverages only in the privacy of their own rooms and at sanctioned events."
The proposed revision stated "students who are 21 years of age or older may consume alcoholic beverages only in the privacy of their own rooms as long as they do not share that room with a student not of legal age, such as those rooms shared in efficiency apartments."
Riegel voiced concern that this policy would overturn an existing WVA policy in which a student 21 years old or older is allowed to drink in front of a roommate who is not of legal age, so long as they are the only ones present.
Hoef explained that these university-wide policies act as a baseline for other departments to build upon - or in this case, weaken - as they see fit.
"These policies can be changed with input from appropriate constituents (students, faculty and staff)," Hoef reassured SGA. Hoef also offered to change the proposed alcohol policy to reflect the WVA policy, so the two policies would not compete.
Student Grant Fund
• Katie Bordner, a senior Spanish and media communications major, was reimbursed $250 for her registration fee to South by Southwest, a music and film festival in Austin, Texas, during spring break.
• The Journal was reimbursed $1,000 for their trip to the College Media Association convention in New York City over spring break. At the last SGA meeting, several SGA members, with arts and sciences senator Jackson among the most outspoken, criticized The Journal for not turning in their application on time when the Ampersand, who also asked SGA for money to go to the convention, had its application in a month before the meeting. It was also believed that it was in SGA's bylaws that they could not appropriate money more than once for the same event or convention.
Other Business
• SGA elections will be held April 17 through 21. All positions except the senators at-large positions will be open this spring, and applications, which can be found at the UC Front Desk or at the SGA Web site (http://www.webster.edu/sga), are due on April 7. Sarah Truckey, a senior media communications major, has been hired as the SGA election commissioner, responsible for handling the applications and the general (not individual) advertising for the elections.
• The new information kiosk has now been installed at the east end of the Leif J. Sverdrup Business and Technology Complex near the entrance of the Sverdrup Lounge.
• SGA Seargeant-at-Arms Gabe Bullard said he and Zickgraf were working on the exact language that would be placed on the spring ballot regarding the proposed student activity fee. Only students that the activity affects (full-time, flat-fee undergraduate students) will be allowed to vote for the new activity fee.
• Student leadership awards nominations are due March 24, said John Ginsburg, SGA adviser.
• Marlena Carabajal, communications senator, asked SGA to give feedback on a proposed parking fine increase. Sara Gunn, business and technology senator, did not agree with several of the new proposed violations, which would receive fines, such as one that would fine students $30 for exceeding the time limit in loading zones.
"A lot of this is clarification," said SGA adviser Ted Hoef, who presented the proposed policy changes, which are outlined in the student handbook. About every five years, a committee of faculty, staff and students meet to revise university-wide policy, Hoef said.
Much of the changes involved removing or adding words, such as removing the word "harassment" to define what harassment is and changing "guilt" to "fault."
SGA discussion was minimal until Susie Riegel, business and technology senator, and Mathias Jackson, arts and sciences senator, brought up the revised alcohol policy and its potential conflict with Residential Life's own alcohol policy. Both Jackson and Riegel are resident assistants in the Webster Village Apartments.
As it is currently written, Webster's alcohol policy states "students who are 21 years of age or older may consume alcoholic beverages only in the privacy of their own rooms and at sanctioned events."
The proposed revision stated "students who are 21 years of age or older may consume alcoholic beverages only in the privacy of their own rooms as long as they do not share that room with a student not of legal age, such as those rooms shared in efficiency apartments."
Riegel voiced concern that this policy would overturn an existing WVA policy in which a student 21 years old or older is allowed to drink in front of a roommate who is not of legal age, so long as they are the only ones present.
Hoef explained that these university-wide policies act as a baseline for other departments to build upon - or in this case, weaken - as they see fit.
"These policies can be changed with input from appropriate constituents (students, faculty and staff)," Hoef reassured SGA. Hoef also offered to change the proposed alcohol policy to reflect the WVA policy, so the two policies would not compete.
Student Grant Fund
• Katie Bordner, a senior Spanish and media communications major, was reimbursed $250 for her registration fee to South by Southwest, a music and film festival in Austin, Texas, during spring break.
• The Journal was reimbursed $1,000 for their trip to the College Media Association convention in New York City over spring break. At the last SGA meeting, several SGA members, with arts and sciences senator Jackson among the most outspoken, criticized The Journal for not turning in their application on time when the Ampersand, who also asked SGA for money to go to the convention, had its application in a month before the meeting. It was also believed that it was in SGA's bylaws that they could not appropriate money more than once for the same event or convention.
Other Business
• SGA elections will be held April 17 through 21. All positions except the senators at-large positions will be open this spring, and applications, which can be found at the UC Front Desk or at the SGA Web site (http://www.webster.edu/sga), are due on April 7. Sarah Truckey, a senior media communications major, has been hired as the SGA election commissioner, responsible for handling the applications and the general (not individual) advertising for the elections.
• The new information kiosk has now been installed at the east end of the Leif J. Sverdrup Business and Technology Complex near the entrance of the Sverdrup Lounge.
• SGA Seargeant-at-Arms Gabe Bullard said he and Zickgraf were working on the exact language that would be placed on the spring ballot regarding the proposed student activity fee. Only students that the activity affects (full-time, flat-fee undergraduate students) will be allowed to vote for the new activity fee.
• Student leadership awards nominations are due March 24, said John Ginsburg, SGA adviser.
• Marlena Carabajal, communications senator, asked SGA to give feedback on a proposed parking fine increase. Sara Gunn, business and technology senator, did not agree with several of the new proposed violations, which would receive fines, such as one that would fine students $30 for exceeding the time limit in loading zones.