Senate Bill 21-22-16
| Bill ID: | 21-22-16 |
| Name: | Implementation of a SGA Ex-Officio Representative on the Senate Standing Committee for Academic Procedures and Standards |
| Proposed: | 10/07/2021 |
| Sponsor: | Madhulika C. Nallani, UMD SGA Director of Academic Affairs |
| Proposal: | Currently, there is no Student Government Association (SGA) representation on the Senate Standing Committee for Academic Policies, Standards and Procedures. Since SGA represents the entire undergraduate student body, and has a committee dedicated to improving the academic experience for all undergraduate students, it is important for the SGA to be present in important discussions relating to academic affairs. Thus, having SGA representation in the Committee for Academic Procedures and Standards is essential. The Senate Standing Committee for Academic Procedures and Standards should add an SGA ex-officio representative to their committee members. SGA serves as a platform for the entire student body to voice concerns and advocate for issues they see as important. SGA’s reach is far and extensive, allowing them to work with students of different backgrounds, and advocate on behalf of them to administration and the greater College Park community. Adding an SGA ex-officio representative to the committee would significantly increase the student body’s ability to better understand improvements made to their own education. Through consistent student outreach, weekly committee and general body meetings, and collaboration with administration, SGA members have a unique perspective they can bring to meetings allowing for meaningful and productive conversations. Furthermore, given that academics are at the forefront of why students come to school, having this position will prioritize students in the implementation of undergraduate student education. In the document, “Bylaws of the University Senate at the University of Maryland”, under Section 6.1, clause A outlines membership of the Academic Policies and Standards committee. This should be revised, by adding that the “President or representative of the Student Government Association” will sit on the committee. Section 6.4 Clause A of the same document can be used as reference as it pertains to membership of the Educational Affairs Committee. Senate committees such as Educational Affairs, Campus Affairs, Student Affairs, and the Athletic Council all include a SGA representative within their membership. |
| Active? | Yes |
| Policy: | https://www.senate.umd.edu/system/files/resources/bylaws.pdf |
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Status
| Status: | Under Review |
| Reviewer: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) |
| Received: | 2022-04-26 |
| Actions: | The SEC reviewed the motion at its meeting on May 16, 2022. It also reviewed a related memo from the ERG Committee about student organization representation on the Senate and its committees (see Senate Document #21-22-35). The SEC voted to charge PORC with considering the principles associated with student government representation on the Senate and its committees and delayed consideration of the motion from the Senate until its August 2022 meeting. At its meeting in August 2022, the SEC voted to postpone considering whether to charge the ERG Committee with revisiting the APAS Committee appointment procedures until PORC completed its work reviewing the guiding principles for student government representation on the Senate and its committees. See Senate Document #21-22-35. |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate |
| Received: | 2022-04-19 |
| Decision Date: | 2022-04-26 |
| Decision: | The Senate voted to refer the proposal to the SEC. |
| Actions: | The Senate approved a motion to refer the ERG proposal to the SEC to charge the Plan of Organization Review Committee (PORC) with considering the membership and appointment procedures for APAS and the guiding principles regarding representation on and appointment to Senate Standing Committees. |
| Next Step: | SEC Review |
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| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) |
| Received: | 2022-04-05 |
| Decision Date: | 2022-04-12 |
| Decision: | The SEC voted to place the item on the agenda of the April 26, 2022 Senate meeting for consideration. |
| Next Step: | Senate Review |
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| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Elections, Representation, & Governance (ERG) Committee |
| Received: | 2021-10-18 |
| Decision Date: | 2022-03-29 |
| Decision Due By: | 2022-03-30 |
| Decision: | The ERG Committee voted to forward its recommendation to the SEC for consideration. |
| Next Step: | SEC Review |
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| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) |
| Received: | 2021-10-11 |
| Decision Date: | 2021-10-18 |
| Decision: | The SEC voted to charge the Elections, Representation, & Governance (ERG) Committee with reviewing the proposal. |
| Next Step: | Elections, Representation, & Governance (ERG) Committee Review |
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