SGA supports proposal to create new UP subgroup
House and Senate members approved a proposal to create a University Program Group 4D at Student Government Association's meeting on Feb. 13.
Group 4D would be titled "Studies in Other Forms of Discrimination in the United States and Other Cultures."
“In 2014-15, this was brought up under the Chuck Mahone administration and it passed in both the House and Senate,” said SGA Vice President Anna Owens. “Since it's two years since that passed, we are bringing it to (SGA) again so we can make sure this is something the student body as a whole wants.”
The proposal states that adding Group 4D will provide students the opportunity to take courses focusing on groups inside or outside the U.S. that experience social, economic and political discrimination due to identities or shared traits other than race.
The House and Senate passed the proposal with 74 votes in favor, 13 in opposition and nine abstaining.
“We hope that it (will) be on the Fall 2018 bulletin, but that is uncertain depending on when it would be approved by the Academic Senate through the university,” said Michael Mamp, associate professor of Human and Environmental Studies.
Spread the Love Campaign
SGA launched a “Spread the Love” campaign Thursday after an anti-Semitic Valentine's Day card was distributed on campus.
The campaign is about spreading love around campus and making sure students know they are welcome and feel comfortable on campus, Owens said.
“CMU’s campus has always been an inclusive environment (that is) open and welcoming to students,” Owens said. “We want to make sure this doesn’t put a damper on anyone’s opinion of each other and make sure people were keeping the message positive.”
Mascot
The Senate voted to pass a resolution to clarify the student body’s position for support of a mascot, but the House tabled it.
The resolution will be voted on again at SGA's next meeting Feb. 20.
Last year, the Spirit and Traditions Committee started looking into the creation of a mascot for CMU, said SGA President Jazmin Biernat. The legislation was “an idea” to introduce the mascot plans this year, to clarify the effort’s progress for others to pick up the torch later again and to clarify some of the guidelines for “what would be a mascot."
Extended Hours Study Update
The resolution supporting longer operation hours in the Extended Hours Study room that was passed last week by both the House and Senate is not going to be enacted soon because of new Dean of Libraries Jeff Luzius starting his position in March.
Owens said the enactment of the resolution will include a conversation with Luzius.
Elections
Candidate information packets for those interested in running for SGA president and vice president positions are available in the SGA office in the lower level of the Bovee University Center. Applications are due March 3.
Campaigns are not allowed to start until Feb. 20, or candidates will be disqualified.
