DeKALB — The Student Government Association senate elected a new senator, codified the firing process for senators and voted to broaden the SGA director workloads on Friday.

NEW SENATOR

Samantha Mostaert, a junior political science major, ran for the senate to represent the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Mostaert focused on empowering students with student advocacy through SGA.

“One of my peers was explaining to me that the accessibility in DuSable (Hall) was very poor and that they were on crutches and the elevator took four months before it was repaired, which made it almost impossible for them to get to their classes,” Mostaert said. “They were contacting the school about it, but it felt like nothing was being done until it was fixed, and that’s not okay.”

Mostaert also raised awareness of advocacy methods to the student body during her campaign.

“I would start off asking, ‘do you know what SGA is? Do you know student government?’ and only very few would raise their hands, not because they hadn’t heard of it, but they don’t actually truly know where to go to advocate for themselves,” Mostaert said.

She was elected in an 11-0 vote.

SENATOR REMOVAL PROCESS CODIFIED

Senate Bill 57024 was voted on by the SGA senate. The bill clarifies that a senate speaker cannot unilaterally remove a senator, meaning they cannot remove them on their own authority without the approval of the senate.

Additionally, if a senator is removed from office for any reason other than resignation, military service or medical emergency, they are not allowed to return to that position for the rest of the semester.

The bill was passed in an 11-0 vote.

INCREASED WORKLOAD FOR SGA DIRECTORS

SGA passed Senate Bill 57022, a measure to broaden the workload of all SGA directors. 

“Aside from being required to attend any meetings directed by the president and chief of staff, they have to submit a weekly report, which can be available upon request,” Senate speaker Nathan Gonzalez said.

The SGA president appoints directors who are confirmed by the senate in a confirmation hearing and then a vote. Directors sit on the cabinet, which is a part of the executive branch.

The bill also consolidated the positions of director of campus life and environmental affairs and director of academic and campus affairs into one directorship.

The change was implemented “to highlight the increased role in academics but also to negate an action taken in the 55th session when the Director of Academic (and Campus) Affairs was removed,” Gonzalez said.

Furthermore, Senate Bill 57023, passed in parallel with SB57022, removes duplicate language and redundancies within the SGA bylaws regarding the functions of SGA committees.

“None of the provisions of what they can do is being lost,” Gonzalez said.

There are two kinds of committees in SGA: standing and ad-hoc. Standing committees are permanent while ad-hoc committees are temporary. Each permanent SGA committee, such as Campus and Academic Affairs, Student Life and Greek Affairs, for example, handles business related to its area of expertise.

Both bills passed in an 11-0 vote.

The next SGA meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. Friday in the Sky Room of the Holmes Student Center.