The Slippery Rock Student Government Association announced Monday night that they will host the 2016 Board of Student Governor Presidents Leadership Conference from October 14 to 16.
The BSGP Conference consists of 14 different schools throughout the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, and will allow the student leaders to convene for a weekend in October. The conference will hold several keynote speakers, as well as a chance for student leaders to express ideas to one another.
Additionally, SRU President Dr. Cheryl Norton addressed the former e-board as well as its senators for one last time. She discussed some numbers with SGA and thanked the former group for all their hard work.
“I’m very pleased with the trend of enrollment heading into the fall semester,” Norton said. “Fall semester enrollment is up four to six percent from last fall. Undergraduate enrollment is up nearly 12 percent. The US Department of Education has recognized SRU as one of 11 higher education schools for sustainable activities on campus as well. I’m looking forward to the fall semester with fresh new faces, and a new beginning.”
SGA will begin a new initiative to open their meetings beginning next semester, in which they will say the Pledge of Allegiance. The Pledge of Allegiance is said before most meetings and is a symbol of respect and recognition to the flag, SGA President Logan Steigerwalt said. This proposal is one of the many new initiatives we hope to achieve starting next year, Steigerwalt said.
SGA also approved the Kings organization and the Pre-Med club to be recognized as part of the campus.
The Kings organization will act similar to the Queens, but act as a mentor program to young male students, a club representative said.
“We are looking to build character in young men and teach them things they won’t necessarily learn in the classroom,” he said. “We would definitely like to collaborate with the Queens and maybe do a big event with them.”
The Pre-Med club will mentor young students who aren’t as interested in Pre-Physcial Therapy or the Athletic Training Club but more in medicine, a club representative said.
“We will visit other medical schools to see how they go about their fields,” she said. “Mentoring younger students and helping them along in their medical careers is what we are hoping to achieve.”
Following the motion passes of the two new organizations, the vote on the new senate and executive board would come to the floor. This would be the final vote of the 2015-2016 senate and the start to the 2016-2017 senate’s tenure. The new senate announced that it will have the option to be able to call emergency meetings over the summer at the request of the executive board.
The Senate’s first vote allowed some funds to be given to the Special Olympics for the fall of 2016. These funds would be used for equipment rental and food for volunteers as well as competitors.
The next SGA meeting will not occur until August of 2016 when school resumes for the fall semester.
