The Student Government Association will now compensate agency presidents with $2,000 over the course of a year.
Primarily sponsored by Chairperson Aaron Haynes, The Agency President Compensation Act will provide a $2,000 stipend to agency presidents. This act comes after a first read of the bill on Sept. 6, when the amount originally stood at $1,000.
Currently, eight student agencies exist: Black Student Union, Hispanic American Leadership Organization, Asian Student Conference, Spectrum, First Generation Student Organization, Graduate Student Council, International Student Union and Shockers Vote Coalition.
Presidents of these agencies will receive the $2,000 stipend in increments; at each eight-week mark of the semester, $500 will be distributed.
Student Government Association (SGA) adviser Brandon McClain said the idea to do this came from how the organization funds its international students, who are unable to be paid on a biweekly basis and instead receive pay on an eight-week schedule.
“Let’s say ‘x’ president from ‘x’ agency decides to take a leave of absence and vacates their position during the first four weeks of class. We can then prorate (distribute proportionally) that (eight week) amount, so instead of the proposed $500 installment (for the eight weeks), they would instead receive $250,” McClain said. “So it was a fairly good idea with a fairly simple fix to it.”
The bill had some debate on it but passed with 21 in favor, five not in favor, and two abstentions.
According to McClain, because the bill passed Wednesday evening and was before the eight week mark of the semester, it will go into effect immediately.
Newly recognized student organizations
Three student organizations visited the Senate in hopes of becoming a recognized student organization. The three organizations — D.R.E.A.M. (Disability Rights, Education, Activism, and Mentorship), the Indigenous Student Collective, and the Jewish Student Alliance — were all approved.
New senators
Six individuals came before the Senate to be approved as senators. The new senators include:
Amaya Virden – underserved senator
Evelyn Lewis – freshman senator
Jacob Burford – freshman senator
Promise Johnson – health professions senator
Riley Hansen – at-large senator
Sophia Walters – business senator
