Wichita State’s Student Government Association may make changes to its operations because of a new interpretation of a DEI budget proviso passed during last year’s Kansas legislative session. 

Senate bills introduced at the March 11 Student Senate meeting included changes to SGA agencies and rules about underserved senators. 

The Kansas state legislature passed a provision in its fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026) budget that required state agencies to remove DEI-related language, positions, programs, training requirements, mandates, grants and contracts. Public universities in Kansas, as state agencies, had to follow that provision. 

According to Student Body President Jia Wen Wang, student governments within Kansas public universities were not considered part of that proviso when it was first enacted last year. Up until recently, student governments were student organizations, not groups that represent the university. 

According to the Kansas Reflector, an anonymous Kansas State University student notified the legislature that the K-State student government did not follow the requirements in the provision currently in effect. What followed were conversations within the State Finance Council about whether or not public collegiate student governments fell under state budget provisos. The council decided they did. 

The state upheld earlier this year that public collegiate student governments are “quasi-governmental” and make decisions on behalf of their university, making student governments more than just student organizations. This means, in this case, that they have to follow state budget provisos. 

While the proviso has the possibility of expiring in June, Wang said she had been advised that it has a high chance of being adopted again. 

In response to the proviso’s current effect and likelihood of continuing, Wang and Speaker of the Student Senate Matthew Phan introduced two bills to alter SGA bylaws to become compliant. 

Agencies return to Recognized Student Organization status

Agencies are student organizations that become a part of SGA via a request from the student body president and a Student Senate vote. Agencies are currently described as entities within SGA that serve at least one of four purposes: “Civic engagement, advocacy, leadership and service or health and wellness.” 

The current SGA agencies are: Shockers Vote! Coalition, Spectrum: LGBTQ & Allies, the Black Student Union, the Graduate Student Council, the First-Generation Student Organization, the Asian Student Conference, Hispanic American Leadership Organization and the International Student Union. 

Because the agencies are considered part of SGA, they fall under the same interpretation as “quasi-governmental” and therefore must comply with the budget proviso. 

Student Senate Bill 68-156, introduced by Wang, changes the agencies from being part of SGA to a new classification of Recognized Student Organizations. The goal is to remove the agencies from the “quasi-governmental” umbrella and allow them to continue their operations without removing DEI initiatives or language. 

Under this bill, agencies would no longer be a part of SGA, and therefore, SGA wouldn’t be able to be directly involved in the agencies’ operations. 

The bill essentially upholds the purpose of an agency without SGA being directly involved with the agency’s operations. The agencies would fall under a new tier of RSO, able to apply for up to $30,000 in funding.

As Recognized Student Organizations, the agencies would no longer be able to pay a stipend to their presidents or receive direct support from the Student Engagement & Belonging staff. 

“The staff currently support the agencies as part of their job description and responsibilities; however, that will be removed with this bill,” Wang said. “This does not mean that their current advisors cannot remain as their advisors since all RSOs are required to maintain one. These advisors will be solely based on a voluntary basis.” 

Funding for agencies currently comes directly from the SGA’s budget, and the proposed bill would have them instead funded by the appropriations budget for RSOs.

The student body president and their cabinet create the SGA budget, which includes the appropriations funding pool for recognized student organizations. 

Student Body President Jia Wen Wang said that if she were the student body president next year, creating a budget with the new designation of agencies, she would move the funding for agencies into the appropriations budget. Wang is not running for reelection.

“Because those funds were originally allocated to agencies anyway, I would move that to the overall appropriations line item, and then I would allow the finance commission to do their due diligence in allocating those funds,” Wang said. 

According to an Instagram post by SGA, members met with agency directors to discuss the changes before introducing the legislation at the March 11 meeting. 

A new funding tier  for agencies

The changes made in SB156 would add the agency designation to the tier system associated with Recognized Student Organizations funding. 

Currently, RSOs are on a 3-tier system based on their operations. 

Tier 1 organizations “primarily hold general meetings,” Tier 2 hold “general meetings and regular events that are open to all students,” and Tier 3 hold “general meetings, regular events that are open to all students, and or professional Conferences or Competitions.” 

Agencies will become Tier 4, which is described in the legislation as groups holding “general meetings, regular events that are open to all students, professional conferences and/or competitions, and to support the mission of the Student Government.” 

The tier system also includes limits to funding requests that agencies can make.

Tier 1 has a limit of a $3,000 request, Tier 2 is $5,000 and Tier 3 is $10,000. Tier 3 can have an exception to the limit up to $20,000 at the discretion of the student body treasurer. 

Agencies, as a Tier 4 organization, would have a limit of $30,000. Tier 4 also has an exception to the limit at the discretion of the student body treasurer. 

Underserved senators now at-large senators

Under Student Senate Bill 68-158, introduced by Phan, underserved senators would become at-large senators. 

Currently, SGA’s bylaws define underserved students as those “who self-identify as LGBTQ+ or disabled individuals, as well as all persons of color. If the University does not track said information, the underserved position shall serve all identities represented by this seat.” 

At-large senators are elected by, and represent, the student body as a whole. 

Current underserved senators will become at-large senators.

In this spring’s SGA elections, these roles will still be referred to as underserved senate seats, but those elected will become at-large senators in the fall. 

The two bills introduced will have a second read, where senators can ask more questions, debate on the legislation and vote, at the March 25 Student Senate meeting at 7:30 p.m. Senate meetings are also live-streamed on SGA’s YouTube.