Kim Nguyen, chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and graduate student in art therapy and clinical counseling, and Amy Oelschlaeger, Senate Operations Committee chair and senior elementary education major, give their committee reports during the Associated Student Government meeting last Thursday. Nguyen spoke about the bill ASG passed that requires senator to attend a diversity event once a semester.
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Kim Nguyen, chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and graduate student in art therapy and clinical counseling, and Amy Oelschlaeger, Senate Operations Committee chair and senior elementary education major, give their committee reports during the Associated Student Government meeting last Thursday. Nguyen spoke about the bill ASG passed that requires senator to attend a diversity event once a semester.
Associated Student Government voted to approve a bill that requires all ASG senators to fulfill one of their weekly office hours by attending one diversity event per semester during their senate meeting last Thursday.
The bill, SB 19017 “Adjustment to Required Office Hours for Senators,” is intended to take the place of formal diversity and inclusion training, since ASG doesn’t have the resources to hold trainings, according to Kim Nguyen, chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and graduate student in art therapy and clinical counseling.
“We’re requiring senators to go out in the community and be active and meet with constituents ahd student organizations,” Nguyen said. “This also goes along with the university’s strategy for creating a more diverse and inclusive campus.”
This bill requires “each Senator of Associated Student Government to complete one office hour, each semester for the 2018-2019 academic year, by attending a diversity, equity and inclusion event or meeting approved by the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.”
Senators will complete the hour by using the honor system and emailing Megan McReynolds, chief of staff and senior sociology major, when they’ve completed it, according to Nguyen.
This is the same way that senators currently keep track of their weekly required office hour.
In the future, Nguyen hopes that formal training can be offered in addition to the office hour requirement.
ASG also approved two bills to recognize student organizations, The Students for Environmental Stability and ESU Amatuer Radio Club.
In other business, ASG voted unanimously to approve three resolutions, SR 19003 “A Resolution in Response to Hurricane Florence,” SR 19004 “A Resolution in Remembrance of Deputy Robert Kunze” and SR 19005 “A Resolution to Recognize Hispanic Heritage Month.”
The Florence resolution is in response to the extensive damage caused in September in North Carolina and South Carolina, according to Sawyer Barragan, senior modern languages major.
SR 19004 “A Resolution in Remembrance of Deputy Robert Kunze” extends ASG’s sympathy regarding the death of Sedgwick County deputy Kunze who was killed in the line of duty, according to Barragan.
The resolution to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month originated in the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
“This resolution is has to do with what the Diversity and Inclusion Committee strives to do with making resolutions, to make sure that we’re recognizing marginalized communities,” said Caylie Ratzlaff, junior social sciences and English education major.
The next ASG meeting will be 5:15 Oct. 4 in the Senate Chambers.