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SGA passed an amendment last night that, if approved by the student body, would add 14 senators elected from housing areas and decrease the number of class senators by half.
Under the proposed structure, students would elect senators from Upper Dorm Road, Lower Dorm Road, Greek Row, Rockwell Towers, Lovernich Apartment Complex and Drescher Complex. Four senators would represent off-campus students. However, the number of class senators would decrease from eight per class to four.
SGA passed 23 of the 24 amendments up for vote Wednesday night, and the final decision is now is in the hands of the student body. On Feb. 22, Pepperdine students will be able to vote online for the amendments they want added to SGA’s constitution.
Harvey explained the reasoning behind the Creation of Housing Senators amendment.
“The thing that started it was the credit hours,” Harvey said. “So many students are in the wrong class by credit hours. This new system allows those students to still have representation because someone from their living area will represent them.”
The amendment, however, did not pass without extensive discussion. Junior President Brendan Groves said he sees departmental representation in addition to the housing representation as more effective.
“Abilene Christian University was named the best SGA in U.S. colleges, and they have departmental representation,” Groves said. “The propensity we have right now to reach out is very limited. This would involve faculty, and it would really reach out.”
While the amendments are now in the hands of the student body, SGA members plan to vote on two more resolutions.
At next week’s meeting a resolution will be voted on that concerns increasing the programming fee charged to students every semester.
The current fee is $45 every semester and the resolution proposed charging students $60 per semester. The purpose behind the increase is that Inter Club Council has recently come out from SGA.
“ICC has operation costs,” said SGA Advisor Mike Houston, in an e-mail. “They need programming dollars for the 40 plus clubs.”
The SPB, which recently also came out from SGA, would receive some of the additional funding. In addition, SGA would receive a minimal amount of the monies.
“It’s too much money,” sophomore Brittany Moore said. “They plan these activities and a lot of people don’t even go to them. SGA should have more money, not the SPB and ICC.”
Pepperdine is now well below other schools in how much its students are charged, Houston said. If the fee were increased, Pepperdine would still be at the bottom of the list.
If the resolution is passed next week, Pepperdine students will vote on it in addition to the amendments to the constitution.
Another resolution could change when students will elect senators. Currently, senators are elected during March, the same time as the executive board and class presidents. If the amendment passes, senators will be elected in September at the same time as freshman elections. Harvey said the purpose of the change would be to allow students who lost a presidential or executive board race to run for senator.
The senate also passed the amendment allowing former probationary students on General Judicial Council.
“This includes both academic and disciplinary probation,” Harvey said. “Those who have done their time and are off probation can serve.”
In order to create more checks within SGA, an amendment was passed that removes the ability of the executive board to pass legislation without a quorum and another that states the senate, instead of the E-board, will fill vacant slots within SGA.
“Right now if the E-board has the ability to fill that spot,” Harvey said. “This amendment takes power away from the executive board and gives it to the senate. It is another check on executive power and gives it a diversity of views.”
Several amendments passed by SGA regard the inner workings of the senate. For example, the senate passed the amendment that will remove the power to excuse absences from the president alone. Another regarded the wording of positions on the E-board.
Other amendments include monetary issues. For example, Amendment XXI requires a vote to access more than 30 percent of any individual fund.
The one amendment that did not pass was a proposal to prohibit a candidate’s party from being included on the ballot. At this time students running for a position within SGA are permitted to include their political affiliation on the ballot. The amendment did not pass because numerous senators said that even though most students don’t include their party affiliation on the ballot, they should have the option.
For a complete list of the amendments, visit graphic.pepperdine.edu.
Submitted 02-02-2006
MALIBU, CA
