Morgan Gammons, Student Government Association chief justice, told the Herald after SGA’s weekly meeting on Tuesday the SGA Constitution may require amendment to its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives following U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s executive order directing federal agencies to terminate all DEI mandates.
When Trump took office on Jan. 20, he signed an executive order directing all federal agencies to “terminate all discriminatory and illegal preferences, mandates, policies, programs, activities, guidance, regulations, enforcement actions, consent orders, and requirements,” to enforce “longstanding civil-rights laws,” and to “combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities.”
Gammons told the Herald the SGA Judicial Council will soon meet to discuss whether an amendment is needed. If the council votes in favor of an amendment, a constitutional referendum will be made before the Senate.
“Since we are a public university, we receive federal funding,” Gammons said. “With some of the executive orders that have been signed, we have to reevaluate.”
Additionally, SGA appointed senators Julianna Mitchell, Van Zing, Katie Lewis and Maggie Yelton to new positions at its weekly Senate meeting. Gavin Grawe was voted to fill the role of associate chief justice.
“We still have a couple more of the senator-at-large positions to be filled for this semester,” SGA President Sam Kurtz said.
SGA Chief of Staff Anne-Marie Wright also announced Fresh Food Company vouchers are offered across campus to help with food insecurity. Vouchers can now be found in the Housing and Residence Life office, the Dean of Students office and the Office of Sustainability.
“Our responsibility right now is to promote that and help people know that it exists,” Wright said. “We’re going to work on promoting that on social media.”
Staff Photographer Anna Bell Lee can be reached at [email protected].
