Two new issues will face the NIU Student Association this semester—the Illinois Student Association referendum and the revision of the SA constitution.

The ISA referendum asks students to provide $1 to support the ISA, said SA Vice President Cam Davis. He said the money, which would be included in student fees, could be refunded if students request it. The money collected would help strengthen the ISA.

Davis said the SA Internal Affairs Committee will be revising the constitution and bylaws.

“These will be major revisions, including election procedures and job descriptions. The SA positions haven’t been updated in a number of years, so the descriptions need to show what the positions are doing today,” Davis said.

Another issue facing the SA is voter registration. “Voter registration is important because it’s 1988 (an election year),” Davis said. The SA is targeting both on-campus and off-campus students.

Davis said SA President Jim Fischer is continuing his push for more informed decisions about raising student fees. Fischer also would like greater student input on policies for the Holmes Student Center, Davis said.

The SA will fund student organizations this semester. Organizations submitted budget requests to the finance committee last semester, and the SA will vote on the finance committee’s recommendations.

Davis said many of last semester’s issues will continue to be important in the spring. “We will be evaluating the (Huskie) bus system, checking the progress on the Martin Luther King statue, and planning black history month. The tenant union is holding workshops in the residence halls on apartment living.”

Davis said promotion of the SA Recycling Center, which now recycles plastic items, is a priority. “The recycling center has been doing very well, and we will be promoting new services.”

The SA also is getting ready for senate elections, scheduled for Jan. 28.