On Wednesday, April 17, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Student Association (SA) met to hear from Cassandra Ziegler from the Green Fund and to review resolutions written by various members of SA.
Third-year Student and sociology major Cassandra Ziegler brought three resolutions to SA from the Segregated University Fee Allocation Committee (SUFAC) regarding Green Fund grants. These resolutions have been recommended for approval by SUFAC, which would provide funds for the following three projects: “Resolution to Approve the LED Green Fund Grant for the Childcare Center”, “Resolution to Approve the LED Light Green Fund Grant for the REC Climbing Wall” and the “Resolution to Approve the Dumpster Diversion Program Green Fund Grant.”
All three will be revisited by SA during next week’s meeting to receive amendments and to be voted on for approval.
SA next looked at three resolutions introduced during the last SA meeting. These resolutions were: “Resolution to Extend the Length of Canvas Course Shells”, “Resolution to Encourage the Adoption of a Mid-Semester Grading Policy” and “Resolution to Encourage the Use of Native Plants in Future Campus Landscaping Efforts”.
These resolutions underwent amendments and corrections throughout the past week and were voted on again this week by SA, with all three passing unanimously.
Following the three resolutions that SA had already seen and the three brought forward by the Green Fund, seven new resolutions were introduced to SA. The first was titled, “Resolution to Approve the UWL Student Association Legislative Affairs Committee Bylaws”. SA reviewed the resolution this week and will take a more in-depth look at the bylaws in their next meeting.
Next, “Resolution to Include Senator Office Hours in Their College’s Respective Newsletter” was introduced to SA. This resolution proposed senator office hours should be published in each college’s newsletter, which is sent to every student in the respective college.
A portion of the resolution reads as follows, “…by including senators scheduled office hours in their college’s respective newsletters, students will have more information on how they can go about sharing their needs with their respective representatives.”
Another resolution that SA reviewed came from the Director of Recreational Eagle Center (REC) Sports Jeff Keenan, who requested help from SA to address the REC’s overcrowding issue. “Resolution Requesting Rec Sports Management Propose a Plan Addressing Overcrowding at the Recreational Eagle Center” was introduced by College of Business Senator Helena Alisch. The resolution states that by Oct. 14, 2024. SA will request a plan be created and shared with Student Senate and the Student Services and Buildings Committee.
The next resolution SA reviewed was titled, “Resolution to Establish a Reoccurring ‘Notes from the President’ Section in Printed Versions of The Racquet Press”. This resolution would set a precedent for all future SA Presidents to share their updates and announcements with the rest of the student population on campus.
Another resolution SA reviewed was titled, “Resolution to Approve 2023-2024 Student Association Higher Education Advocate of the Year Award Recipient”. It stated that the Higher Education Advocate of the Year Award be given to La Crosse County Circuit Judge Mark Huesmann. Last year, SA presented the award to UWL’s own Dr. Tim Dale.
As stated in the resolution, the award was created to, “…highlight the achievements of an individual outside of Student Association who has been an active part of the community and advocated for the student body.”
“Resolution Thanking Interim Chancellor Betsy Morgan” was next introduced to SA. This resolution focused on thanking Interim Chancellor Betsy Morgan for her work representing UWL as Interim Chancellor.
The next resolution was titled, “Resolution to Welcome UWL’s 11th Inducted Chancellor, Dr. James Beeby, on Behalf of the UWL Campus Community,” written to recognize his achievements throughout his career up to this point. The resolution also set the stage for a collaborative relationship between Beeby and SA in the future.
The final resolution reviewed was, “Resolution Approving the Spring of 2024 Election Results”. UWL students participated in this SA election via a digital ballot sent to their email on April 16. Students voted on a new President, Vice President and College Senators that will serve on SA during the 2024-25 academic year.
Below are the results of the 2024 Spring Election:
President of Student Association:
Emma Latus (178 votes)
Vice President of Student Association:
Avery Winders (176 votes)
Senators for the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities:
Amelia Fortner (39 votes)
Isabel Piarulli (44 votes)
Jackson Skarp (44 votes)
Senators for the College of Business Administration:
Kiersten Kobussen (29 votes)
Peter Kopperud (28 votes)
Marlee Simpson (27 votes)
Senators for the College of Science and Health:
Alexa Fleegal (55 votes)
Morgan Hahn (49 votes)
Gavin Hanke (63 votes)
Anastasia Grochowski (53 votes)
Ellen Poels (54 votes)
Senators for the School of Education:
No Candidates Were Elected
SA will meet again on Wednesday, April 24, to continue to review the seven new resolutions that were presented this week. Senators will assess whether they need any amendments or if they are ready to be passed and go into effect.
