All nominated executive positions were approved in the Student Assembly senate’s meeting Tuesday, April 24. The senate also approved the Know Your Rights Card Act and assigned the tailgating spots, expanded to 35, for fall 2013.
Regarding senate committees, Sen. Colin Danly ’15 was elected chair of finance committee, Sen. Chandler Crenshaw ’14 was elected chair of the public affairs committee, Sen. Daniel Ackerman ’16 was elected chair of the student life committee, Sen. Peter Lifson ’14 was elected chair of the policy committee and Sen. Seth Opoku-Yeboah ’16 was elected chair of the outreach committee.
The senate passed the The Know Your Rights Card Act with amendments. The Undergraduate Council changed its bylaws, thereby requiring four senators — one from each class — to attend the meeting each week. The Council does not have the power to enforce this policy.
“It doesn’t have to be the same senator[s],” Council Co-Chair and Class Treasurer Brett Prestia ’14 said. “If you don’t come, we’re going to come [to the senate meeting] and form a complaint.”
Sen. Yohance Whitaker ’16 was elected senate representative to the Undergraduate Council. According to the senate bylaws, Whitaker is required to attend each Council meeting. Since no senator expressed interested in the historian position, Senate Chair William McConnell ’14 assigned himself to the role until next fall, when freshman senators are elected.
As the result of a donation from Tribe Athletics, the SA was able to increase the number of tailgating spots to 35 for campus organizations as well as three marked specifically for Tribal Fever.
Of the 39 interested organizations, only Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Delta Chi Fraternity, William and Mary Bar Association, Men and Women’s Track and Field, Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority and Delta Delta Delta Sorority did not receive spots.
“If the organization doesn’t meet the requirements that we set out through email, they will be given a probationary period and the organizations that are on the wait list will be given an opportunity to tailgate,” Secretary of Outreach Kendall Lorenzen ’15 said.
Honor System Review Committee Chair and Chancellor Professor of government Clay Clemens ’80 outlined the proposed changes to the Honor System to the senate. The undergraduate senate will serve as the governing body to oversee the undergraduate honor council, meaning the senate will determine the process by which honor council members are selected and will approve amendments to the Code. The changes would also provide an Early Resolution option for students which they can either accept or reject.
“We think with the current system, faculty members were more likely to be cases where a faculty member … doesn’t take a student to the Honor Council and just fails [them],” Clemens said. “This would formalize the faculty who are making that proposal within the Honor System.”
The senate approved Kyle McCauley ’16, Ryan Brophy ’15 and Erin Hill ’14 to positions on the Election Commission for fall 2013.
The senate also approved SA President Chase Koontz’s ’14 appointments to his executive. Joe Soultanis ’15 will serve as secretary of finance. Zachary Woodward ’14 is now secretary of public affairs. Scott Carvello ’15 was approved as undersecretary of public affairs to Williamsburg, Joanna Borman ’15 was approved as undersecretary of public affairs to Washington, D.C. and Brady Meixell ’16 was approved as director of voter registration. Erin Spencer ’14 will serve as the undergraduate student representative to the Board of Visitors and Brian Focarino ’11 J.D. ’14 was approved as the graduate student representative to the Board of Visitors. Trevor Parkes ’15 and Danny Anderson ’14 are the new secretary of college policy and secretary of student rights, respectively. Alyssa Zhu ’14 was approved as secretary of student life and Alicia Moore ’14 was approved as secretary of health and safety. Kendall Lorenzen ’15 will serve as secretary of outreach.
