Stetson's Student Government Association (SGA) met once again on November 30, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.
The night began with an update on Jimmy John's and when it would replace Papa John's as one of the restaurants which would take Hatter Bucks from Stetson students. The process for Jimmy John's to replace Papa John's began last school year with students wanting a new restaurant instead of two pizza parlors to buy food from. Negotiations have been slow not because Jimmy John's is unwilling to accept Stetson Hatter Bucks, but because of the school's contract with Chartwells. This is the same reason that there are still negotiations on what restaurant will join Stetson University in the old gas station that Stetson bought earlier this year. Jimmy John's will be partnering with Stetson University in the future. Students will be able to purchase food from Jimmy John's using Hatter Bucks, but only after 7:30 p.m. because the Chartwells contract states that Einstein Bagel Bros is to have no competition during operating hours. It is unknown when it will go into effect, but Jimmy John's should join the school by summer 2017.
Due to the Carlton Student Union Building being renovated, the SGA office will be moving to Elizabeth 113. The Coffee Shop will be moving into the SGA and SAFAC offices. During this time, the Commons will also be shut down.
One of SGA's goals is to make the university's finances more transparent to students so that students will know what their money is going to when they wish to discuss something or make complaints. A meeting about the allocation of these funds will take place on December 8th. Please, visit the SGA office in the CUB for any questions about this meeting and for questions to be asked at the meeting.
The Disability & Inclusiveness Committee took a tour around campus last week to see how accessible the school actually is to students in wheelchairs. They have found that while the buildings are up to code, they are not up to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. They found that wheelchair accessibility was severely lacking in that the ramps were too steep, the doors too heavy, or were not easily maneuverable. The Disability & Inclusiveness Committee proposed a resolution in which Stetson would fix the inaccessibility in the buildings around campus, provide routine checkups to these areas, and bring the buildings up to ADA code. This resolution has been tabled for one week per SGA rules and will be discussed again on December 7, 2016 at 7:30 p.m with a possibility of it being voted on that night.
Another resolution was brought to SGA about the American Flag. The resolution would make sure that the American Flag is always presented and displayed in good condition on the DeLand campus. On Veteran's Day, there would be a ceremony where the Flag would be replaced annually. The Flag would then be presented to the leaving Student Veteran's Organization (SVO) President. SGA would spend $100 annually for a new Flag and a box for the previous one. This makes perfect sense, as the only reason the flagpole in front of the CUB is there in the first place is due to the SVO. Given the urgency of this as the SVO President who moved the flagpole to its current position is graduating in December, the SGA rules were suspended and the resolution was voted on that night. With all but two senators voting in favor of the resolution, the resolution passed. The current SVO President will receive the American Flag that is currently on the Stetson University DeLand campus flagpole.
Please note that SGA resolutions signal what students feel about campus and shows that students are active on campus. The passing of resolutions does not mean that anything will actually go into effect. However, faculty do notice what students are interested in most through SGA. If you wish to bring up a problem or a new resolution with SGA, please visit the SGA office in the CUB or speak to an SGA senator.
Another Town Hall will happen next semester, put on by the Diversity & Inclusion Committee. The date is currently unknown. There will be a meeting on Monday, December 5 at 5 p.m. in CUB 204 to hear the voices of the 23% who felt they were discriminated against or saw discriminatory conduct. Every student on campus is allowed to attend this meeting. The Diversity & Inclusion Committee wishes to hear everyone's voice.
The Academics Committee is working on adding smartboards to math classrooms in Elizabeth. They are also collecting data from the library. They are trying to get professors to loan some of their textbooks to the library for students who cannot afford them. Many professors already do so, but the Academics Committee wants every professor to loan their books. The Academics Committee is also going to make a map of the study areas around campus for first year students. Anyone wishing to help should go to CUB 204 on Wednesday, December 7 at 6 p.m. They will be touring the campus and marking down the studying locations.
The Finances & Policy Committee released the results of the recent cap and gown survey. 67% of students voted for green caps and gowns. To sit in on this committee, please go to CUB 204 on Tuesdays at 6 p.m.
The Residential Life Committee will be releasing a new survey soon. It will be about security cameras around campus. Students who answer this survey will be entered in a raffle to win a yet-unannounced prize. The survey should be out within the next few weeks.
For any questions or suggestions for SGA, please, stop by the Student Government Association room in the CUB. It is on the right as soon as you enter the CUB. If you would like to sit in on Senate and hear everything in person, Senate takes place in LBC 108 every Wednesday night at 7:30. There will be Senate during finals week due to the lost weeks of Hurricane Matthew.
