A Recap of SGA Senate Legislation from the Spring 2024 Semester

Image Courtesy of The Catholic University of America

By Anthony Curioso

The ninth iteration of the Student Government Association (SGA) Senate, or Senate IX, continued its crucial role in advocating for student needs in the Spring 2024 semester. Just as busy as the Fall 2023 semester, senators from across the University voted for ten resolutions, one bill, updates to the SGA Treasury Board Bylaws, and budget approval for the then-incoming tenth SGA Executive Board this spring. 

Here is a recap of the range of legislative actions that Senators voted on in Spring 2024. The recap includes each action’s intended goals, the vote margin (where available if not unanimous) by which the Senate passed each legislative action, and the current status of each piece of legislation as of the last update to the legislation tracker. The commentary shown in this article from the sponsoring senators of each bill or resolution is taken directly from the meeting minutes available on the SGA website.

Resolution 008, sponsored by Class of 2026 Senator Michael Kish, called for the installation of whiteboards in the Centennial Village study bubbles on a trial basis.

Senator Kish commented on his rationale for advocating for the whiteboards.

“Whiteboards are often critical for students to study effectively,”  Kish said. “By voting for this resolution, you will support students whose education rests on these whiteboards.”

As of September 2024, the legislation tracker on the SGA website lists the Resolution as “in progress.”

Resolution 009, sponsored by Busch School of Business Senator David Fritz, called for a trial of extended hours at the Kane Fitness Center.

Senator Fritz said the resolution was a compromise after discovering that his constituents wished for measures that were not feasible to increase Kane Center resources.

“I have heard calls from my constituents to increase the size of the Kane,”  Fritz said. “However, it became clear that this was not feasible right now. A more feasible solution would be to increase the hours at the Kane.”

As of September 2024, this resolution is missing from the Legislation Tracker, so it is still unclear whether any progress has been made toward its implementation.

Resolution 010, sponsored by Class of 2025 Senator (and now Student Body President) Jeffrey Lance, called for additional meat-free options in Garvey Hall on days of abstinence within the Catholic Church.

Lance defended his choice to spearhead this resolution by calling attention to Catholics on campus.

“Last year on Ash Wednesday, there was a bounty of meat options,” Lance said. “There were precious few options available for Catholics practicing abstinence.”

The legislation tracker currently lists Resolution 010 as being “in progress.”

Resolution 011, sponsored by Busch School Senator Maximilian Morris, proposed installing ice machines in one of the residence halls as a pilot program. The legislation tracker lists Resolution 011 as “in the advocacy pipeline.”

The Treasury Board bylaw amendments for the 2023-24 school year created a standardized procedure for student organizations that receive pre-allocated funding from the student activity fee to present their proposed annual budgets. The amendments were passed by a vote of 22-0, with three senators abstaining due to conflicts of interest.

Resolution 012, sponsored by Class of 2026 Senator Arianna Salerno (now Student Body Secretary), called for implementing a pilot program to transport students to and from Capitol Hill for their internships. The Senate passed this resolution 20-4, and the pilot program ran from April 2-26.

Resolution 013, sponsored by School of Engineering Senator Allison Ewing, called for creating a collaborative group of students to meet with Technology Services to discuss issues and suggestions within that department’s purview.

Senator Ewing commented on Technology Services’ desire for such a group.

“Tech Services feels like they’re out of touch with the student body, and have been for a long time,” Ewing said. “The professional staff I spoke with told me they want a collaboration group to happen, but they need SGA to reach the general student body.”

Resolution 014, sponsored by Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art Senator Kyle Holcomb, called for switching the locations of the diploma ceremonies for graduating Rome School students and master’s degree students from the School of Arts and Sciences.

Senator Holcomb, a then-soon-to-be Rome School graduate, proposed this resolution after learning that the diploma ceremony for the Rome School would initially not be held in the Hartke Theater, home to the Rome School drama department.

“Hartke Theater is a special place for the whole Rome School community,” Holcomb said. “We want to graduate on a stage we know and love.”

Less than twenty-four hours after the meeting at which senators unanimously passed Resolution 014, Rome School students received an email notice from Dean Jacqueline Leary-Warsaw confirming the switching of diploma ceremony locations exactly as was proposed in the resolution.

Resolution 015, sponsored by Architecture School Senator Elisabeth D’Albero, proposed a system for students to report issues with miscommunication from Facilities regarding when they would be stopping by to fulfill work orders. This resolution passed 22-1 with no abstentions, and the legislation tracker notes that it is currently “in progress.”

Bill 003, sponsored by Class of 2024 Senator Molly Mullin, clarified that write-in candidates for SGA Senate elections must still abide by the senate election and campaign bylaws, except for the rule that states candidates must draft a ballot statement as that particular rule was irrelevant for write-in candidates. Since senators draft bills to amend the SGA Governing Documents, Bill 003 was implemented immediately upon its signing by the SGA President.

The budget for SGA’s tenth Executive Board followed much of the precedent set by previous SGA Executive Boards, with a few minor changes made because of President Lance’s desire to streamline the SGA Executive Initiatives. The budget proposal, with a total cost of $28,160, received unanimous approval.

Resolution 016, sponsored by Class of 2027 Senator Jack Hermes, proposed adding a vending machine to the Kane Fitness Center to dispense energy drinks and other protein sources. This resolution passed 24-0, with one senator abstaining, and was implemented at the beginning of this semester, partly by a system in the DuFour Center called the Bird Feeder.