STORY BY CORIE LYNN
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As students return to the Fort Hays State University, they prepare for the classes and events that are beginning across the campus.
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One of the organizations that is reconvening is the FHSU Student Government Association.
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In the coming week, the Student Senators of the SGA will hold their first meeting of the semester. According to President Brad DeMers, students can expect changes to the organization in the coming semester.
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New to the SGA\u2019s roster of events will be the Town Hall: an event in which students can meet with members of the Student Government to discuss their concerns and answer their questions.
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\u201cOur job is to represent all students and we\u2019re not able to do that in the best way possible if we don\u2019t know people, if we don\u2019t connect with them, and if we don\u2019t know their issues,\u201d DeMers said.
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The SGA will also look into accessibility issues on campus. A major concern is the sidewalks that have become uneven with time and difficult to maneuver, especially for wheelchair users.
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\u201cI think we need to have a discussion about that because some of those things need updating,\u201d said DeMers.
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This semester, the SGA is also working to simplify the allocation application process.
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Allocations is the time in the Spring semester in which students apply for funding from the Student Government Association. The application is currently online on TigerLink, but, according to DeMers, is complicated and prone to glitching.
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\u201cNow, temporarily, we have a form,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s an excel form that we really dumbed down so that more organizations can apply for allocations and it\u2019s easier.\u201d
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In the meantime, they are negotiating the current TigerLink contract with its provider called Campus Labs. This is in the hopes of getting a new, more friendly allocations application tab on the website.
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This year, the SGA is also hoping to pass a Dead Week policy. According to President DeMers, they wrote one over the summer and gathered feedback from students and faculty. It will then be presented to the Faculty Senate in September.
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\u201cWe know they have concerns about it, but we\u2019re actually the only institution in the Regents here in Kansas that does not have an official policy on this,\u201d he said.
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Should the policy pass the Faculty Senate, it will then be sent to Provost Jill Arensdorf and President Tisa Mason. If it does not pass, DeMers hopes that there is still some recognition that Dead Week is not a part of the university.
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\u201cIt\u2019s just confusing for professors and students of what we\u2019re doing at the university level when it comes to this,\u201d said DeMers.
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In addition to these new projects, the SGA will continue to provide their past services. This includes free legal counseling for students, Safe Ride, and party pack registration.
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