our SENATE
Senate Description
Throughout its structural changes, the StUDent Senate at the University of Delaware has maintained its goal of providing students with a forum for their voices to be heard. StUDent Senate provides student leaders the opportunity to interact both with each other and with prominent administrators on a bi-weekly basis. Not only is StUDent Senate an opportunity for communication about the current issues on campus, but is a place to propose changes for the future of students at the University of Delaware.
Recent History
The first session of the Delaware Undergraduate StUDent Senate was held in the spring of 2005, and has experienced several structural revisions and improvements since its inception. Significant accomplishments of StUDent Senate were an extension of Morris Library hours and the installation of email internet express stations in the student centers, both accomplished in the 2007-2008 academic year. In 2008-2009, the StUDent Senate passed a significant amendment to the Drug and Alcohol policy, administering a “Good Samaritan” rule to protect those seeking medical attention for alcohol-related illness.
In previous years, the Delaware Undergraduate StUDent Senate (DUSS) has operated under the domain of the StUDent Government Association, yet maintained relative independence from SGA’s elected and executive officers. A new structure has been adapted for the 2009-2010 academic year in order to further incorporate the two entities into one, allowing students to have a greater voice within the StUDent Senate.
Structure
The StUDent Senate is divided into five committees, each overseen by an elected officer. The StUDent Senate will hold bi-weekly meetings, during which the entire Senate will discuss current issues and committees will update senators on the progress of their work. Periodically, a member of the university’s faculty and/ or staff will attend a Senate meeting to discuss a relevant topic and answer student questions. Senate meetings are closed to the public.
The twenty-five senate members are chosen as Senators from the University of Delaware. Fifteen are selected from each of the University of Delaware’s colleges (10 College Senators), leading UD Councils (5 Council Senators). The remaining ten senators undergo an application and interview process with the elected board of the StUDent Government Association, and are designated as Appointed Senators.
On alternate weeks, during which the StUDent Senate does not meet, the committees meet independently at a mutually organized time. Committee meetings are open to all students who wish to express their concerns about issues on campus. The agenda of committee meetings are posted online for viewing by the student body.
Senators indicate their preference for membership within one of the following five standing committees, subject to review and modification by the elected board of the StUDent Government Association: University Affairs (11 Senators), Special Projects (4 Senators), Public Relations (4 Senators), Community Service (3 Senators), and Proposal Review (3 Senators).
Committees
University Affairs Committee will be further divided into sub-committees: Academic Affairs (4 Senators); University Life (4 Senators); and City Relations (3 Senators). The University Affairs committee is responsible for monitoring student needs on campus and devising appropriate proposals and courses of action.
Special Projects Committee is responsible for planning, organizing, and arranging the main events sponsored by the StUDent Government Association: ONE: United to Help Make Poverty History, FestivALL, and Senior Day. In addition, the Special Projects Committee is responsible for the organization and implementation of ad-hoc projects and programs with which SGA will be represented.
Public Relations Committee is responsible for creating all advertisements to be placed in the school newspaper, flyers and announcements from the SGA to the student body. The Public Relations Chairpersons work in conjunction with University webmasters to ensure the SGA website is maintained.
Community Service Committee serves to coordinate SGA’s service projects, including but not limited to Trick or Treat for UNICEF, Daffodil Days, and Relay for Life.
Proposal Review Committee is responsible for reviewing and amending proposals, taking attendance at Senate meetings, organizing placards, assisting in writing resolutions, and assisting committees in the proposal writing process. Ad-hoc committees may also be formed for temporary projects or issues undertaken by the StUDent Government Association.
