At the start of the spring semester, UT’s Student Government Association wrote five new pieces of legislation that will be passed for the upcoming 2014-2015 school year.
Ideas ranging from student veteran opportunities to initiatives to make UT an “edible” campus were addressed in these bills, which will be implemented beginning in the fall semester.
Jennings Hardee, newly elected Sorority Village Senator and former parliamentarian of Freshmen Council, said implementing these bills is what she believes is the “biggest job as student government on this campus.”
“We, as SGA, need to be able to recognize when there is a need from the students and we need to fill it,” she said, “and that’s what I feel like the bills are doing right now.”
“Senators write bills and then present them to the Student Senate,” Hardee explained. “Senate votes on the bills, and those that pass are then put into action.”
The following five bills passed and will be fulfilled in the upcoming year:
The first bill, named “The Big Orange Orchard Resolution,” proposes the idea of an on-campus orchard that will grow fruit-bearing trees and plants. SGA plans that this orchard will provide necessary and aesthetically-pleasing landscaping to the campus while helping UT become more sustainable and getting more students get involved with the outdoor campus community. These fruits are available for students to pick and eat themselves, which SGA believes will benefit student health and well-being.
The second bill, “Bill to Create Designated Space for Veterans,” petitions to do exactly that, to find an area on campus where student veterans can meet up to further build their community together. In the bill, SGA states that there are between 800-900 student veterans at UT, students who wish to connect with each other but don’t have the proper space to do so. With the passing of this bill, SGA and the University’s Registrar’s Veterans affair will create a veteran’s lounge and resource center.
A third bill, entitled “Judicial Branch and Constitutional Restructure,” will create a new branch of government for the Student Government Association, a judicial branch that will ensure each elected senator and SGA position holder is doing the job they were elected to do. The new judicial branch will consist of six Supreme Court Associate Justices and one Chief Justice, all of whom are appointed by the SGA president. These seven individuals will work alongside the director of student conduct and community standards as their advisor to ensure that SGA members are carrying out their duties.
The fourth is a bill called “SGA Annual Report,” which moves to implement an annual report in order to remain transparent and legitimate to the UT student population. The report will be constructed and published by the SGA Public Relations Committee and will include activities and accomplishments of the SGA.
The fifth and final bill is termed “Resolution to Create Two Senate Seats for International Students.” According to the bill, there are more than 1,000 international students on this campus, students who face unique challenges that traditional students cannot as easily relate to. In order to maintain their goals of incorporating diversity and representing all students’ interests and experiences, the SGA is establishing two senate seats for international students to apply for each year.
“These bills will affect many different areas and groups of students across campus, and they will have different implications,” Hardee stated. “The one thing they all have in common though is that they will all hopefully improve UT’s student life.”
Although she is excited about all the changes, Hardee said she has a favorite.
“I’m most excited for the orchard,” she said. “I love fresh fruit and can’t wait to have it here on campus.”
