The Undergraduate Senate is attempting to improve its image with the creation of a committee to find ways to improve “constituent relations,” according to the bill that created the committee Nov. 6.
“There’s been a lot of talk, including within the Senate, about whether we’re doing enough to relate to the University community, through transparency and communications,” Class of 2014 Senator Franky Irwin said. “I really want to make sure that students know we are upholding our commitments to them and this Senate.”
The Senate needs such a bill because they believe that students hold a negative image of the Senate, Senator-At-Large Joe Wisniewski said. Many view the Senate as unwelcoming, Wisniewski said.
“A lot of people either hate the Senate or don’t know we exist,” he said.
The Senate is also working toward being more open and transparent this year in order to combat the negative perception some students have about the Student Government.
“This year’s Senate seems to stressing the need for a more open government,” Freshman Senator Patrick Kelly said.
Some senators, including Wisniewski, believe the Senate’s formal dress code contributes to this negative public opinion because it makes them seem overly formal.
Class of 2014 Senator Rob Battaglia disagrees.
“I think, by having professional attire on, it just sets the tone for how the meetings and how the body should be run,” Battaglia said. “We need to take ourselves seriously because we have a very serious job.”
The SG has other measures in place to improve its public image.
The Undergraduate Senate regularly tables outside on the Quad and in MGC to reach out to the student body.
The Senate’s website also features agendas, minutes and the legislation from Senate sessions for the student body to see.
“The website is definitely important because we need to have that tool so people can reach out to us,” Battaglia said.
The senators are also required to hold office hours in order to meet with their constituents. Class of 2012 Senator Bart Thompson sponsored a bill at the Oct. 23 meeting requiring senators to keep their doors open while holding office hours to encourage more students to visit and discuss issues on campus.
Although the Senate passed the bill, the senators spent a few minutes arguing about the cost of a doorstop.
“Everything wrong in the Senate can be focused in on that debate,” Wisniewski said.
The Senate runs on parliamentary procedure, a set of rules that govern debate using “motions” and “points” to determine who speaks and whether a measure will be considered.
“If you are so focused on parliamentary procedure and the legislation process, then you end up weakening the body,” Wisniewski said.
Other senators disagree.
“We have parliamentary procedure to keep order in the Senate,” Battaglia said.
Some senators also believe the last Senate has inherited negative public perceptions from older Senate classes.
Senate Speaker Brett Atanasio said today’s Undergraduate Senate is still trying to overcome the negative image brought on by these earlier Senate classes.
In 2009, the Undergraduate Senate brought impeachment charges against former Comptroller Matt Handverger for negligence and failure to complete his weekly time commitment to the SG, The Eagle previously reported. The charges were dropped, but Handverger resigned from his position the following week.
“There was a lot of conflict in the Student Government as a whole, but that all played out in the Senate, so it really hurt out public image really badly,” Atanasio said. “And I think we haven’t been able to recover from that, we are, but we haven’t fully recovered from our image taking that kind of hit.”
Staff writer Zoe Crain contributed to this report.
