Senate Plans Bill to Expel Senators

Editor-in-Chief

   After the Student Senate failed to meet a quorum for the third time in a row in its meeting Jan. 30, President Pro-Tempore Sandy Herring, a sophomore nursing major, said she plans to present a bill at the next meeting to expel senators with three unexcused absences.

Photo by Danielle Kloap

No Vote - President Pro-Tempore Sandy Herring conducts an informal senate meeting. Student Senate failed to meet quorum three weeks in a row.

   The new bylaws recently passed by the senate state a senator may only have three unexcused absences per semester.

   “When we strike the senators with three absences, our quorum will be smaller,” Herring said. “Then we will be able to continue with our current bill book and pass legislation.”

   Because nothing could be voted on, Herring held an informal meeting and made announcements. She asked senators to please attend the next Assembly meeting because the group will be discussing having either a study day between the last day of classes or starting tests later on the first day of finals, Wednesday May 6. Herring noted some students have night classes the day before finals that will not end until 9 or 10 p.m.

   The senate also discussed when it should meet. Last semester, the senate met from 12:30 – 1 p.m. every Wednesday.  This semester, classes were scheduled in the dead period for Monday/Wednesday/Friday and Tuesday/Thursday classes, the senators cannot find a time to meet that works with everyone’s schedules.

   Eric Bell, a senior Political Science major, said he worried the current meeting time of Friday at 2 p.m. did not work for his schedule since he does not get out of class until 2 p.m.  

   “A lot of professors don’t want to hear you have to leave early for a meeting,” Bell said.

   He suggested moving meetings to 2:10 p.m. to allow senators time to get to the meeting if they have a class letting out at 2 p.m.  

   Herring asked if everyone would bring their schedules to the next meeting, scheduled for Friday, Feb. 6 at 2:10 p.m. in the University Center Caucus Room, so the senate could set a definite time for meetings.

   Senators agreed students need a dead period during the day so student organizations can have a chance to hold meetings.

   Bell said with all the discrepancies with times he did not see how removing senators for their absences would be fair. Herring pointed out the senators being removed have unexcused absences because they did not contact her, Student Programs and Activities Director Mindy Holcomb or Michael Thomas, Student Government Association president.

Have a comment? Please e-mail us.

©The Voice 2008