SGA Senate met Sept. 20 to talk about several changes in policy affecting transfer students and overcrowding at graduation.

Senate has looked over information about graduation from years past and has determined that with UNA’s transfer to Division I, the university will have to change its policy on graduation.

“During graduation there are problems with how many people we can fit in our hall (Flowers) right now,” said William Nash, senate pro tempore.

Senate resolved to separate the two ceremonies into two distinct graduations, both happening the same day but several hours apart so members from one graduation can attend another.

Two issues senate addressed were the seating arrangement for faculty and where the graduations should be held.

UNA student Christian Bayens said the faculty could sit on the stage if the graduation was held at Norton Auditorium, but Nash said the seating for both students and attendees would be more limited.

Nash said a poll could be put up for students to vote on what they thought of the resolution.

“With the students kind of pushing (the resolution), we can probably get it done and have it in effect for graduation in December,” Nash said.

Nash said the two graduations include one of the bigger colleges paired with one of the smaller colleges.

However, the resolution was tabled for the time being.

The next order of business was the resolution for a new residency requirement.

Faculty senate said the old clause in the undergraduate catalog stating the transfer hours for students needs amending.

The new resolution would amend this statement so that transfer students would only need 50 percent of earned credits from a senior college, or the 300-400 level range, and 25 percent from UNA.

“We’re seeing more students from community colleges coming in and coming to graduation and being held up because they’re shy of having those senior level hours,” said Tammy Jacques, SGA adviser.

The resolution went up for vote after some discussion about whether it was beneficial or could hurt a student who had transferred in.

The resolution passed with seven senators dissenting.

In addition to the new resolution, 14 new senators were sworn in, and all new members had passed their Code of Laws test.