Student Association senators might face less criticism next semester if a proposed senate training session is successful.

In an effort to alleviate problems new senators had adjusting this semester, SA Speaker Preston Came is creating a training session to help senators understand their position.

“The purpose of the program is to focus the senate on the job it has before it, bring the senate together and to help the students at NIU,” Came said.

Came said he is hoping to have the two-hour session early next semester. The session will be for all senators who want to take part, he said.

Senators will be informed about expectations, motivations and concerns. Besides making senators more aware of student issues, Came said they will also go over attendance procedures and conduct.

He said he’d like to have Pro Tem Dave Ivers go over Robert’s Rules of Order with the senators so they feel comfortable about speaking up at senate meetings.

“I hope it will bring the senate together and get us focused on the new semester,” Came said,

Sen. Paul Brizz likes the idea of a training session.

“I believe any help senators can get in making things efficient would be useful,” Brizz said.

Sen. Kevin Craver agrees. “Every senator has a little trouble at the beginning learning when they can talk and when they can’t, but once they get that out of the way it’s pretty easy.”

Coming into a new organization, learning the rules and adapting is difficult,” Brizz said. “If you can cut that out it would speed the process so we can do what we really need to do, which is to help the students.”