Student Government Senate passed two finance bills while also pressing for the creation of an online syllabus database Wednesday night.
One of the resolutions passed urges the University to create an online syllabus database for students.
Speaker Pro Tempore Trey Schwartzenburg said the database will provide information on course objectives, grading policies and textbook costs.
Schwartzenburg said SG is attempting a different approach to finalizing the bill because the University Faculty Senate did not support the database in the past. SG will meet with Stuart Bell, executive vice chancellor and provost, soon in hopes that he will mandate the resolution.
Schwartzenburg said SG will try to convince department heads and deans to support the database if the Bell does not mandate the resolution.
Senator Katherine Latham said she thinks the new syllabus database will give students a better description of what classes they are signing up for.
“You need to know more about a class before just jumping into it with only a one line description of a class,” Latham said.
The two finance bills will fund a Graduate Student Symposium and a Greek life retreat called Empower. At the beginning of the year, SG starts with an account of $30,000 that is funded through student fees. The budget is used to help fund student organizations that come to SG for help.
A graduate student group asked SG for funds of $1,670 to fund a Graduate Student Symposium at the Louisiana Marine Consortium that will allow students to share and help each other in their research pursuits. The money will be used for participants’ and judges’ lodging at the symposium.
The Greek Board of Directors asked SG to provide $2,000 for half the cost of speaker Lori Heart at Empower. For the past two years, Senate has given $4,000 to the organization but wants to start focusing on other organizations.
“We want to make sure the program happens but make sure the amount is decreasing,” said Senator Tyler Loga. “Senate is trying to back away from the organization depending on us every year.”
SG also passed a resolution urging facility services to have more electrical outlets throughout campus.