Emporia State Associated Student Government held its first meeting of the 113th session on Thursday, Sept. 4 in the senate chambers. The meeting was called to order by ASG Vice President Josh Manahan in his first term and laid the foundation for the rest of the legislative session.

14 new senators were sworn into the senate, with 2 additional senators to be sworn in on Thursday, Sept. 11. Teachers College Senator Sasha Joy was the sole nominee for president pro tempore and was voted into the position unanimously.  President pro tempore is a member of the cabinet who presides over senate meetings in the absence of the vice president.

“I love ASG …I love the senators…I really love just about everything about ESU. So I’m excited,” said Joy in her first address as president pro tempore. “I’ll try my best, I won’t let you guys down and I will discharge the duties of my office faithfully.”

During committee reports, Senate Operations Chair Kesiena Lesso and Student Engagement Advocacy Chair Mia Rodriguez shared their committees are working together to put on the Student Leadership Conference, which will take place in October. The Student Engagement and Advocacy Committee formerly operated as the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. 

Stinger Showdown, also slated for October, is in the works according to Campus and Community Relations Committee Chair Hailey Gant. 

The senate also unanimously passed two bills to recognize Entrepreneurship Club and UNICEF Club as recognized student organizations. A third bill, also passed unanimously, approved the name change of the RSO previously known as Xenos to Reach College Ministry. 

The senate also heard from Vice President of Student Experience Taylor Kriley and Faculty Senate President Rochelle Rowley. 

Rowley told the senate ESU will submit nominations for the Kansas Board of Regents Faculty of the Year award for the first time. In the past, the university has not participated in award nominations because KBOR only allowed tenured and tenure-track faculty to receive the award. Now, the Regents have included a category for non tenure-track faculty. 

In her remarks, Kriley emphasized that her team’s biggest priority was the students of ESU. She challenged ASG to continue to push for more student involvement in student government and to try and hear the voices of more students so that they could do their best to meet the needs of all students on campus.

“It starts here with you telling us how to be better,” she said.

There has been a 25 percent increase of on-campus students and a 22 percent increase of on-campus residents, according to Kriley. She hopes to increase the retention and graduation rate at ESU with the increase in enrollment. Currently, ESU’s graduation rate sits at 43 percent Kriley said, which matches the “average compared to our peers.” 

“We’re trying to make progress from start to finish,” she said. “Not only on access and getting more students to become students and to go to higher education, but then to be successful.”

Associated Student Government meets every other week, and ESU students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend. ASG senate chambers are located on the third floor of Memorial Union.