Student Association directors will now be confirmed at the end of the spring semester rather than the fall semester.

The SA Senate approved an amendment to Part I, Article III, Section 4.A of the SA Bylaws during its Sunday night meeting.

In previous years, SA directors were appointed in the spring by the newly-elected president and confirmed by the Senate in the fall, allowing directors to work throughout the summer unconfirmed by the Senate.

Before passing the bill, senators questioned the purpose of the bylaw change.

Senator Rickey Layfield questioned how senators would confirm directors if they could not base it off their summer work experience.

Speaker of the Senate Austin Quick said senators would need to base their vote off the appointee’s resume and previous job experience.

Senators also questioned how the SA would proceed if the Senate denied a director’s confirmation. Senator Nik Champion suggested a solution to the issue.

“The chief of staff should fill vacant positions in the summer if we [the Senate] deny directors confirmation,” Champion said.

Quick said they would look into that suggestion.

Senator Michael Theodore, one of the authors of the bylaw change, felt that directors should be confirmed before the summer in order to not waste money on unconfirmed directors.

“I felt that the directors’ positions should be confirmed in the spring as to not allow people to work in paid positions over the summer who are not confirmed by the Senate,” Theodore said.

The bill passed unanimously in a 33-0 vote and members of the SA were pleased with the outcome.

“This was an important by-law change because it affects everyone,” Quick said. “I’m happy about the questions and debate, it provides clarity and goes directly with our jobs.”

In addition, George Bychowski, SA director of technology, said students can take a survey on the SA website to sound off on the proposed plus/minus grading system.