The Student Government Association approved funding for study abroad scholarships during their meeting on Tuesday night.

Bill 8-17-F allocates $1,500 to the Office of Study Away to help fund study abroad scholarships. The bill was brought before the senate and was unanimously passed without debate.

Junior Emily Houston, who spoke on the bill, said the scholarship is technically already in place.

In other SGA scholarships for study abroad, such as the Winter, Summer Term and Study Abroad/Teach Abroad Scholarships, Houston said SGA picks recipients themselves. For this scholarship, Houston said the Office of Study Away goes through the applications.

Houston said the scholarships directed towards study abroad send a positive message to students. She said it shows that SGA and WKU want students to study abroad and are able to do so no matter the circumstances.

The specific bill is a “routine” process, Houston said. As the money is being used from the scholarship fund rather than Senate Discretionary.

In addition to passing the bill, SGA swore in senators and approved appointments. Freshman Ashlin Jones was appointed as chair of the SGA SAVES committee. Freshman Garrett Edmonds was appointed to chair of the Campus Improvements committee.

SGA President Andi Dahmer encouraged senators to apply for strategic initiative and planning working groups.

During the Board of Regents retreat over the summer break, President Timothy Caboni presented the idea of working groups for the nine month strategic planning process. Caboni proposed that the working groups would include various university stakeholders working towards creating a plan for WKU.

Dahmer said she anticipates six working groups with two potential positions in each group. During the retreat, Caboni said each group would be dedicated to a different part of WKU, such as academic innovation and excellence.

Dahmer said she recently met with Caboni regarding the positions. She said they were open to any student, undergraduate or graduate and encouraged diversity in the students participating in groups.

Reporter Rebekah Alvey can be reached at 270-745-6011 and [email protected].