DeKalb | Student Association Senate approved the Rehabilitation Counseling Student Association, a new organization that advocates for individuals with disabilities, at a meeting Sunday.

The Rehabilitation Counseling Student Association, which has about 25 members, meets weekly to discuss current happenings and initiatives, said Kara Moroni, president of the Rehabilitation Counseling Student Association, at a Senate meeting Sunday.

The organization hopes to reach out to surrounding communities to spread awareness about individuals with disabilities. Members work alongside Opportunity House, 202 Lucas St. in Sycamore, an institution that assists adults with developmental disabilities, Moroni said.

Chief of staff

The Senate approved sophomore finance major Anthony Baca as the SA executive branch’s chief of staff for the upcoming term.

The chief of staff manages the SA cabinet, which consists of the president and 11 directors, according to the SA Bylaws.

Baca, who was elected in a vote of 25-4-3, was nominated by SA President-elect Giuseppe LaGioia.

Baca said he plans to hold his staff accountable by holding weekly staff meetings and bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with cabinet members. He said he hopes to implement an electric clock-in system for cabinet members in order to more accurately track the time of shifts.

“I’d like to be the glue in the office that keeps everyone and everything united,” Baca said.

Grade appeal policy

The Senate approved a resolution, proposed by Robert Kreml, SA Senate deputy speaker, to change NIU’s grade appeals policy.

The policy provides clear procedures to follow for both undergraduate and graduate appeals, according to NIU’s Division of Academic Affairs website.

Kreml said he believes the policy “builds a wall” for students, which makes it extremely difficult to successfully appeal one’s grade.

The undergraduate policy has not been reviewed in five years and the graduate policy has not been reviewed in 10, Kreml said.

The resolution urges faculty to simply review the policy, but not necessarily change it. Any changes that are made would be implemented as soon as the fall 2016 semester.

Divestment from fossil fuel

The Senate approved legislation to support a campaign that encourages NIU officials to divest from fossil fuel holdings in hopes of combating the fossil fuel industry.

Fossil fuel is a term for buried organic materials that have been converted to crude oil, coal, natural gas or heavy oils. The burning of fossil fuels is a source of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Science Daily website.

Some of the fossil fuel based companies NIU invests in include RPC Inc., Southern Copper Corporation and Huntsman Corporation, said Evan Bray, member of the Green Paws Environmental Alliance.

The money that could be withdrawn from investments could be reinvested in companies linked with other, non-fossil fuel types, Bray said.