A new “organization seat” for identity-based student clubs was approved by the Student Government Association (SGA) on Monday, March 31.
SGA unanimously approved the new position by an 8-0 vote, which will allow clubs based around student identity to appoint representatives to attend SGA’s weekly legislative and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee meetings.
The resolution outlines the new club representatives as having all the same voting rights of elected senators. Club representatives, however, do not have attendance requirements.
The clubs said to be permitted to appoint a representative are: Black Student Union, Latinx Student Association, Asian American and Pacific Islander Union, Shalom, Students of the Disability Alliance, International Student Club, Strong Women, Strong Girls, Graduate Student Association and Coalition for Christian Outreach.
The resolution creating the new seat said that any club not listed can be appointed a seat by a ⅔ majority vote from SGA.
It also said it wants to form a “Athletic Organizational Chair” to represent sports teams, but did not specify details on how.
President Kyle MacLaughlin, who introduced the resolution, said he hopes the position will give additional representation to marginalized groups on campus.
“I felt it was kind of necessary,” MacLaughlin said, “and important to give these organizations the chance to have a voice that specifically is for them.”
MacLaughlin said that the resolution was spurred on both by federal DEI program shutdowns and other student government initiatives SGA observed at the annual Ohio Student Government Summit.
“I think diversity is our strength,” MacLaughlin said, “and it’s important that our governing bodies – no matter how small – show that.”
Sen. Madigan Balfe, a junior business management major, voted to approve the resolution. She said she hopes the resolution improves SGA’s presence on campus.
“We don’t have too much outreach in the student body itself right now,” Balfe said, “especially with those international groups and other identity-based groups. It’s really important that their voices be represented accurately.”
Balfe, who is on this week’s ballot to be elected vice president of SGA, said she hopes to develop the proposed athletic chair if she is elected.
“We really don’t have too many people within the athletic scene,” Balfe said. “I try my best to ask questions that I think they’d be interested in, but I obviously don’t know. So, I think that’s definitely a conversation worth having.”
Other candidates were not contacted for comment.
MacLaughlin also said that SGA’s Multicultural Festival was a success. He said senators raised $83.72 for a Palestinian children’s relief fund.
The legislature also unanimously approved a number of financial requests from clubs.
The Black Student Union (BSU) were granted $795.40 for the clubs annual banquet.
Other approvals included the International Students Club, who got $2.25 to print fliers, and the Society for Intelligence and National Security, who received $120.39 for an end-of-year party.
