Student Senate passed a motion Tuesday allowing it to revert back to its spring 2007 constitution providing an opportunity for organizations recognized by senate to reclaim their voting powers, which were taken away in May.
Senate also approved three amendments to the constitution giving clearer definitions to senate committees and organizations.
President Kim Kilmartin said during the final student senate meeting in May of the 2006-2007 academic year student senate was influenced by a lack of attendance and inability to meet quorum throughout the year and passed a motion reducing the number of members on senate. It was supposed to make quorum easier to meet, which is required for senate to vote on matters and conduct business. Voting rights were restricted to class officers in May. This year’s student senate passed a motion allowing class officers as well as one representative from each greek organization, each campus housing facility and one off-campus representative to retain voting rights. The motion that senate passed Tuesday will allow organizations to choose to retain or forego their voting privileges.
“We want to go back and redo it so it is no longer an issue,” she said.
Kilmartin said the motion, which passed by one vote Tuesday, would allow organizations to voice their opinions on whether they wanted to retain a vote in senate or withdraw from the voting process. Kilmartin said organizations that don’t attend automatically forfeit their right to vote on the matter.
“This type of stuff we’re doing is going to affect the way senate functions for the rest of the year so it needs to be done now,” she said. “Should none of them show up, clearly they don’t care.”
Kilmartin said the motion allows organizations recognized by senate as of May to retain their voting privileges at Tuesday’s meeting and choose to vote to preserve their voting power or withdraw from the voting process.
“The way that it was taken away is the issue, not the fact that it was taken away,” she said.
She said if the motion passes allowing organizations to retain their voting privileges each organization will be required to have a representative at every student senate meeting. If the motion doesn’t pass, organizations that were recognized by senate as of May will not be required to have a representative at each meeting, but will be required to attend if they want to request funds. She said organizations don’t need to retain voting power to request funds or voice their opinions; the only difference in not retaining voting rights is that they don’t have to attend every meeting and they can’t vote on matters.
“It just needs to be done correctly however it’s decided,” Kilmartin said.
Junior Class Secretary/Treasurer Chad O’Bryhim has been on senate since his freshman year and voted for the option of letting the organizations decide if they want to forfeit their voting rights or not.
“There were plenty of people who weren’t there (in May) simply because it was the last meeting of the year and plenty of activities and groups that didn’t know this was being decided,” he said.
Kilmartin said the organizations that need to attend the meeting Tuesday will be notified by e-mail.
“We’ll go through the paperwork and all the organizations we have listed as recognized by senate, and we will contact the faculty adviser or contact the president,” she said.
Senate Vice President Allyssa King said she hopes organizations attend the meeting Tuesday to help resolve issues and limit confusion lingering from the May decision.
“It’ll make everything smoother and make it done the correct way,” she said.
Student senate meets at 8 p.m. every Tuesday in Mabee Hall room 400.