As a student and the SGA vice president of Senate, I think it is very important students know what is going on at their university. The Senate branch of SGA is the legislative branch that deals directly with student concerns. It is very important students voice their concerns to their SGA representatives so they can implement what students would like to see happen on campus.

Your SGA Senators have been working hard to ensure your voices are heard. One of the main things the Senate branch is currently working on is improving campus beautification and navigation. Senate made contact with Assistant Vice President for Facilities Administration and Planning Michael Gautney to discuss the possibility of acquiring new benches in front of the Amphitheater and building a campus map to help new students navigate to their classes. SGA Senate allocated $5,000 of its budget in a campus improvement budget line item to address these goals.

Another major item your SGA Senate branch is working on is the implementation of gender-neutral or family restrooms on campus. Senate is pushing for each building on campus to have at least one restroom that is labeled “gender-neutral” or “family” restroom. However, Senate is not pushing for any new bathrooms to be built on campus at this time. The senators encourage all students to give feedback on this possibility while we are working on details and researching the topic.

Senate is also working on a resolution to push the administration for better enforcement of the campus smoking policy. This resolution will push enforcement of the “30-feet rule” that is already in place. This rule states there will be no smoking within 30 feet of any facility entrance. Senate plans to revisit the idea of a smoke-free campus resolution in the spring semester when research and student feedback have been gathered.

All of these goals and initiatives are strictly for the students at UNA. This is just a highlight of what your senators are working on. They address many projects throughout every week of the semester. I encourage you to come by the SGA office and speak to any officer or SGA representative about any issue. We value any feedback on any campus issues. Your voice as a student is vital to everything we do. It is important we as students work together to make this campus the best it can be.