The Student Government Association senators discussed the recreation center, parking decals, and the Colonel Express Program at their meeting on Nov. 6.
Quoc Ho and other SGA senators are trying to get the recreation center rescinded. Vice President Shenee’ Grove explained that there has been a question on the interpretation of the Board of Supervisors’ rules. According to the rules, “A student self-assessed fee, other than a fee used to pay bonded debts, shall be subject to recall by a vote of the students in accordance with each institution’s SGA’s Constitution.”
One way to interpret “other than a fee to pay for bonded debts” is to say that this self-assessed fee passed in the recent elections is a fee to pay off a bonded debt, therefore the Board of Supervisors would strike it down on rescinding. The other interpretation is “other than a fee to pay for bonded debts” is the bonds have not been sent out yet.
Eugene Dial, vice president for student affairs, had his own interpretation.
“The referendum was passed by the students who knew that the fees would pay for the construction of the building. If the students pass a fee, the University begins a process. Banks will only lend money if there is a way to guarantee payment. The board is saying that the State will guarantee payment,” said.
“The recreation center is not like a service such as cheerleaders, the newspaper, radio station, or SGA. When the Judicial Board ruled on the election and upheld the vote, the administration reported it to the Board that the students approved the assessment and the President of the University told Mike Davis to proceed.”
If this passes the senate and a faculty board, there will be a revote.
“If it goes that far, I don’t think there’ll be enough time to vote this fall. It would probably go on the spring ballot,” SGA President Alcie Maxwell, government senior from Houma, said.
According to Dial, plans for the recreation center are still in motion.
“If this was approved by the Senate, an election would be held in the spring and nothing would be done for four or five months,” Dial said.
The University has planned to proceed forward unless the Board of Supervisors thinks they should do it differently.
Students who are paying fees for the center in the even of a 4-5 month wait would complain that they are paying a fee and that nothing has been done to accomplish completion of the project.
If there is a reelection and it passes again, people will complain that we haven’t done anything for several months,” Dial said.
“If a vote has to take place next semester, then the whole motion to rescind is pointless because the bonds will have been set, Senator Jana Stewart said.”
Dean Daniels, dean of student affairs, also has an opinion.
“We are operating on a mandated vote authorized by the students to proceed. We have to move forward legally. The Judicial Board, which is the highest authority of the Senate, has authorized that the results of the vote stand. You need to avoid turning this into a political process.”
In other SGA business, the $25 yearly parking decal fee will remain the same. The senate has been trying to find a way to make parking improvements in the shortest time span. An idea was proposed to raise the decal fee from $25 to $60. However, due to the University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors’ rules, parking decals cannot exceed $35 a year. Therefore, the senate has dropped this proposal.
The Colonel Express Program has been canceled. The Colonel Express Program, which ran twice this year, transported residence hall students to and from Wal-Mart. The University supplied vans, drivers and funds to run the program.
Recently, Michael Davis, assistant vice president for business affairs for procurement and physical plant operations, told the senate that transportation of resident hall students was not University business.
Maxwell argues that transporting students to and from Wal-Mart is the University’s business.
“This program will help retain residence hall students,” he said. “There might be a situation where a student needs supplies, such as poster boards and markers, to complete an assignment, and does not have transportation to buy it. This program would help students be more successful.”
Davis is checking with the state to see if the University can continue this project. A response was supposed to have been received Oct. 15, but has not come yet.
The senate is taking action to keep the program alive. They will first contact the Chamber of Commerce for help. Next, it will contact private businesses, such as Wal-Mart, to see if it will sponsor a shuttle bus service to local businesses for students.
In addition to these plans, the senate is considering suspending or cutting its scholarships and cutting funds from the tutorial learning center in an attempt to maintain its budget.
“We give about six student scholarships at $1000 a semester,” Maxwell said. “We are thinking about cutting it down to $500 a semester or cutting them.”