Senate

The Student Senate is the highest legislative authority in the Student Government Association, and has the ability to pass minutes and approve the actions of all standing committees, including allocations of funds.  It further is the body that discusses and debates changes to SGA policies and approves resolutions to be passed up to various offices in the University.  Senate meetings follow the rules of Parliamentary Procedure and are chaired by the SGA Vice President.   

The full-time undergraduate student body elects the Senate. Each Senator represents one hundred fifty (150) of his or her fellow students.  Senators serve on one of seven standing Committees or on the Programming Board.  Each Committee, and the Programming Board, is chaired by a Senator elected to do so by the full Senate.  These Chairs serve as both members of the Senate and as members of the Cabinet, the executive body of SGA, and direct the activities of their committee to best benefit the student body.  Every committee is answerable to the full Senate. 

Unless otherwise voted upon, the Senate must meet at least once per full week of classes during the academic year.  Senators are obligated to attend both their Committee meetings and Senate meetings, with attendance being monitored and managed by the Ethics and Conduct Chair.  At Senate meetings, pending legislation is discussed and voted on, clubs seeking to be under the umbrella of SGA are voted for approval, and each member of Cabinet, including the President, Vice President, and all of the Committee Chairs, has the opportunity to give a report on their committees’ actions. 

Senate typically meets Thursday at 6 PM in the Student Center Greenhouse, past the Game Room and the Rathskellar.  Meetings are open to the public.