SGA to allow summer funding

Summer Senate can now pass funding from unallocated student fees thanks to an amendment passed Wednesday.

The Wichita State Student Government Association unanimously passed these amendments with few questions, no proposed changes and no debate.

The amendments are in response to the student fees funding bill passed over the summer without authority from the SGA Journal, which provides rules and procedures for SGA to follow.

Senators had the opportunity to ask questions and propose changes to the amendments during the Sept. 4 meeting. This gave senators a week before they voted.

SGA Legislative Director Andrew Longhofer expected to answer many questions about the amendments.

“There were enough things going on in the bill that got passed that I was prepared to almost go [through it] line-by-line,” Longhofer said.

The amendments changed the types of funding requests the Summer Senate could approve. This includes unallocated student fees. The amendments also explained punishment for anyone who abused the new powers.

Unallocated student fees funding considered during the summer can only be passed by a unanimous vote from the summer standing committee and the Summer Senate.

Longhofer hoped to explain these changes as clearly as possible within the journal itself. He believes this contributed to the absence of debate.

“I spent a long time making sure that the language was as concise and clear as possible,” Longhofer said. “I think people recognized that this was something that is necessary.”

Senate also tabled a resolution Wednesday that expresses support for “increased transportation options” for disabled people on campus.

The resolution set a foundation for a project undertaken by SGA’s campus issues committee to purchase a wheelchair accessible golf cart. The cart would be added to the two carts in use by the office of disability services, which are not wheelchair accessible.

After much debate and an amendment, the resolution was tabled in order to clarify the purpose of the resolution.

SGA Director of Public Relations Marinés Figueroa, who suggested postponing the resolution, was unhappy with the bill.

“I’m a perfectionist,” Figueroa said. “I nitpick about commas and periods and grammar and wording, so I just want to make sure that SGA is doing the best job it possibly can.”

Figueroa said that the intent of the resolution was lost in the wording. She said the resolution was intended to show senate support for programs assisting disabled people on campus. However, the resolution’s wording implied that the campus issues committee was just requesting support for its own project.

“It’s kind of like asking for a pat on the back,” Figueroa said. “I don’t think that’s what resolutions are for.”

Figueroa also saw the resolution as redundant because the new golf cart would eventually require a funding request that would also be voted on by senate.

Chairman of the Campus Issues Committee and author of the resolution Afshan Khan said she was glad Figueroa pointed these issues out.

This was Khan’s first time writing a resolution, and she saw it as a learning experience. Although the debate was heated at times, Khan understands the intention behind it.

“Sometimes I think [Figueroa] comes off a little harsher than she means to be, but I know it’s well intentioned,” Khan said. “It’s just making sure everything is 100 percent on par.”

Khan is currently working with Figueroa to clarify the resolution and broaden the scope. She hopes that it will have another opportunity to receive senate approval within the next couple weeks.

“The resolution, as it stands, is very specific to the golf cart project,” Khan said. “We want to make sure that anything going out of Senate is leaving open ends for more solutions so we can help [disability services] in the best way possible going forward.”

It’s ultimately up to senate to un-table the resolution, but Figueroa said, “I would like to see the resolution again next week. I’m hoping they will [bring it back] after it’s polished.”

The campus issues committee is also working toward a funding request for the golf cart itself. They have one bid at $11,420 before taxes, but are awaiting bids from two other companies.