The director of the Office of Student Conflict Resolution addressed members of Central Student Government on Tuesday amid an ongoing revision process for the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
Erik Wessel, the director, discussed ways student could contribute input during the revision. The statement outlines expectations for student conduct, and suggests sanctions and disciplinary procedures if they are not met.
The statement is amended every three years. Wessel said it was important for students to be actively involved in the amendment process, particularly because a University student is automatically bound the statement upon their enrollment at the University.
“The statement is best served when the entire community has a voice in its continued creation,” Wessel said, “My hope is that you will join me in that process.”
CSG’s Student Conduct Advisory Board is in charge of drafting the amended statement. They draft the statement based on conversations with the student body. The next forum will be held Oct. 1 at Weill Hall.
Wessel provided examples of the kinds of conflicts that may be addressed in the new statement, such as how the University handles students who enter buildings unauthorized, such as the Big House.
“Let’s say for example a situation where a student has after-hours entered into the football stadium,” Wessel said. “We want to have an opportunity to engage that student in a dialogue around that choice.”
The new statement will go into effect July 2016.
Budget approval
CSG Treasurer Kevin Ziegler, a Business senior, presented the yearly CSG budget to the assembly.
The proposed budget would total $400,000. Currently CSG has an expected revenue $423,852.17, according to the budget report.
Ziegler said he hopes to keep the amount of general reserve — or unused — funds at a maximum of 5 percent. He said doing so would ensure students are still at the University when CSG uses the fees students pay each semester for student government.
“These fees that students are paying now — I want to see that money expended and put to use while they’re here at the University and in that semester,” Ziegler said.
According to the proposed budget, the Student Organization Funding Commission would receive 48 percent of the funds for the year, totaling $167,592.28.
Elections updates
Fall election dates were also proposed for Nov. 18 and 19.
A resolution introduced will permit a pay raise for the CSG elections director if the director holds his or her post for both semesters. The pay will remain $500 for the first semester, but will now increase to $750 for the second semester.
The elections director is typically a Law student in charge of running CSG elections. Public Policy sophomore Jacob Pearlman, student general counsel, said the role demands an approximately eight week commitment.
Pearlman said previous directors experienced mental breakdowns due to the stresses of the position, and the funds are intended to provide additional incentive to fill the position.
Executive communications
LSA junior Sean Pitt, CSG’s chief of staff, discussed increasing communication between each of CSG’s commissions and the executive committee.
Pitt proposed appointing a leader from each commision to report regularly to executive leadership.
Pitt also looks to decrease the number of CSG commissions from 19 to eight by creating new sub-commissions and turning certain former commissions into sub-commissions. For example, the Sexual Assault Commission was created as a sub-commission under the umbrella of the Student Health and Safety Commission.
Pitt said the creation of Sexual Assault as a sub-commission under Student Health and Safety would not diminish the efficacy and importance of the commission, but would instead line up more CSG members behind the issue.
Correction appended: This article has been updated to clarify the nature of the new CSG Sexual Assault Commission.