Photo by Trinity Kendrick ’21
Chair of Committees Maya Sopory ’22 and Chair of Senate Lauren Fuller ’22 present agenda that includes proposing changes to the structure of Senate and the SGA constitution to Senate on Feb. 11.
BY EMMA RUBIN ’20
The Student Government Association (SGA) executive board proposed a shift in the structure of Mount Holyoke Senate during the group’s meeting on Feb. 11.
“Our intention is to work adjacent to student grassroots movements as well as increase the influence of Senate on [administration],” Chair of Senate Lauren Fuller ’22 said.
The proposal on how SGA Senate could run more effectively was born out of the Seven Sisters Conference held at Vassar College over the weekend. The Seven Sisters Conference, held at a different Seven Sisters college each year, allows students to discuss student governance as well as network with one another. Seven Mount Holyoke SGA executive board members and two senators attended.
The presentation also came in preparation for a biennial ad-hoc Constitutional Review Committee dedicated to reviewing and amending the SGA constitution. Their aim was to re-assess the effectiveness of current SGA structures, propose amendments and increase clarity within the constitution by re-examining grammar and sentence structure. Last year, Senate voted to delay the constitutional review process until this year.
Specifically, the board suggested that working groups become more research-oriented, rather than project-oriented. Fuller gave the example of the smoking ban, in which an environmental working group might analyze and present on the issue from an eco-angle. The structure may also shift from operating as a weekly senate item, to only updating SGA every three weeks. Further restructuring may also occur with the working groups themselves.
The board is also considering altering the current senate positions for halls, classes and organizations. Aiming to make senate a more productive and positive space, the SGA plans to experiment with the structure of senate more in the future.
The board also recommended that, instead of utilizing a town hall structure for administration officials senate visits, they would prefer a debate-like format.
“This structure would allow us to send policy proposals to [the administration] and do something more fulfilling with this space,” Fuller said. Senate working groups discussed the proposals among themselves and presented their thoughts to executive board members on paper. The entire student body will vote on these changes after spring break.
Students brought feedback and ideas to the forum portion of the evening. The Geography Society raised concerns that the sidewalks have not been salted thoroughly enough to be accessible for students on crutches.
The Climate Justice Coalition announced a walkout and rally in favor of divestment from fossil fuels, which will take place on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 12:15 p.m.
One constituent raised a petition to make 200- and 300-level lab courses worth five credits, and the Student Advisory Action Committee recapped the basketball team’s successful Girls Inc. event on Feb. 8.