During the Student Government Association’s weekly meeting on Thursday, senators voted on Bill 21-25-S, which restructures the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee and renames it to the Action and Opportunity Committee.
This amendment also includes a change in title for the committee members, being renamed from Chief Diversity Officers to Chief Engagement and Opportunity Officers.
This change follows President Donald Trump’s executive order in February which dismantled DEI mandates across the country.
Campus Improvements and Sustainability Officer Rush Robinson moved to table this bill, which would push voting to the fall semester, but senators decided to vote.
In order for the vote to take place, the Senate needed 21 members present either in person or on Zoom. This week’s meeting saw a lower turnout than normal, so members quickly called on absent officers to join the Zoom call so the bill could be officially voted on.
After two more members joined and were quickly briefed, the bill was passed unanimously and now awaits the final vote from students.
Co-author of this bill, Chief Justice Morgan Gammons said in a post-meeting interview, “The change that we’re making is mostly a formality.” Gammons declined to comment on how this change could affect WKU students.
When asked if resistance to a change could result in a loss of federal funding, Gammons said, “I’m not sure of the formality of that and if we would lose it, but it has been alluded to that it would become an issue, and there are similar things happening across the country.”
Students can vote on this amendment, as well as elected members of SGA, on TopNet during the SGA election, which runs from 9:30 pm on April 13 to 9:30 pm on April 15.
Also at the SGA meeting:
- Chief Communications Officer Preston Jenkins gave updates on ordered shirts that featured a white squirrel and the WKU logo. This design was denied by WKU because they are trying to move away from the white squirrel as a second mascot.
- PCAL Senator and Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Officer Sophia Bryant proposed Bill 17-25-S, which outlined a plan for Mental Health Week, requesting $424.90 to fund events taking place throughout the week. This bill was passed.
- Sophomore Senator and Enrollment and Student Experience Officer Savanna Kurtz proposed Bill 18-25-S, which allocated $200 for grilling supplies at SGA-Pollooza.
- Campus Improvements and Sustainability Officer Rush Robinson proposed Bill 20-25-S, which allocated $99.00 for supplies for making recycled vases out of glass bottles that will be available for students to design during tabling for the WKU Earth Day Event.
