USUSA Executive Council meeting brings procedural and campus changes
On Tuesday evening, members of the Utah State University Student Association Executive Council met to discuss and vote on changes at Utah State University that will affect students.
The first issue discussed with a series of changes to the Student Code of Conduct to comply with Title IX. Title IX is a federal law that, among other things, protects students from sex discrimination in education. It typically deals with equity in student athletics, but an amendment in 2011 brought sexual harassment to the forefront of its purpose.
Eric Olsen, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, and Stacy Sturgeon, USU Title IX Coordinator, presented the proposed changes. Though the changes were federally mandated, the Executive Council was still procedurally required to pass them.
Since the changes were required, and had been reviewed by USU legal counsel, Graduate Studies Senator Ty Aller moved to pass the changes before Olsen and Sturgeon were finished with their presentation. His motion passed, and the changes were codified.
The modifications are strewn throughout several sections of the code, and most are fairly minor changes in language to ensure compliance. The most significant changes are in regards to issues of sexual misconduct and how they are handled.
Students on the USU hearing board — a faux-legal body of students, faculty and staff who hear and arbitrate violations of policy and academic integrity — will no longer hear cases regarding sexual misconduct. Instead, hearing boards for these cases will now consist solely of faculty and staff members who have received specialized training in sexual misconduct and sensitivity.
The next item that was discussed was a new testing center set to open on campus this fall. The testing center will be attached to the south side of the library near the business building. Though it will be attached to the library, the library will not be accessible via the testing center — students must still enter through the east entrance.
USU currently operates a small testing center in the Distance Education building, but the expansion of online classes, and the subsequent increase in the number of tests that need to be proctored, has necessitated a higher-capacity facility. The new testing center will offer approximately 200 comfortable, roomy desks for students to test in, said Chris Dayley, E-learning Support Coordinator.
Dayley said the center will provide tablet computers to students who are testing online, and that hopefully the tablet accessibility and transition to Canvas will help eliminate the need for Scantron tests. The center will allow students to schedule their tests in advance, and won’t be bound by the library’s schedule.
When one of the council members asked how many students would be employed at the center, Dayley replied that it will likely take 40-50 proctors to help the center run smoothly. The center will hold a town hall before the center opens to gather teacher input. Beards will likely be allowed.
The Executive Council also passed a bill that provides funds and support for Aggie Radio to purchase Low Power FM broadcast equipment. Aggie Radio has a permit that will expire on March 15, and the one-time $21,000 payment will aid Aggie Radio in its transition to a better broadcast format that doesn’t require the same permit.
Also up for discussion was a charter for the USUSA Student Alumni Association Vice President. The SAA VP position has existed and operated without a charter in years prior, but on Tuesday, the Executive Council formally approved one. It was drafted and presented by the current SAA VP, Oakman Kennedy.
USUSA Programming VP Sawyer Hemsley said the new charter laid out clear expectations for the position, and was consistent with the charters of other USUSA positions. Senator Aller and USUSA President Trevor Olsen both amended the charter, but made only minor changes in phrasing and language.
— braydensobrien@gmail.com