Senate Committee Updates
The Senate session on November 19 was partially dedicated to Student Government Association (SGA) Committees, with the senator chair and executive leader of each committee presenting the work they have done so far this semester. Part of the senators’ responsibilities is to join one of the five SGA Committees: Activities and Clubs Committee (ACC), Judiciary Committee, Merchandise Committee, Events Committee or Executive Service Committee (ESC). These committees aim to address the main concerns relating to the student body and the overall responsibilities.
Activities and Clubs Committee (ACC)
The Activities and Clubs Committee is both the smallest SGA committee and the only committee that actively meets with student clubs or students who require funding. During these meetings, ACC helps clubs organize their budgets and reduce spending, aiming to further streamline the approval process once the budgets are presented to the Senate. This semester, the committee has turned its focus towards providing clubs with feedback on budgets and prioritizing long-term impact on the AUP community as a whole.
Events Committee
The Events Committee, since the beginning of the semester, has hosted two events: the September 25 "Flash Back and Welcome Back" event and the October 17 "COMBES AFTER DARK - SGA Halloween Party." Their most recent event, "Thanks & Treats," was on November 24 in the atrium, where students were able to write thank-you cards to AUP faculty, enjoy donuts and hot chocolate, all while enjoying a seasonal movie.
Executive Service Committee (ESC)
The Executive Service Committee works to support the Undergraduate Student Council (USC) and Graduate Student Council Presidents (GSC) "in achieving their agendas and goals that pertain to the improvement or extension of service to the AUP campus and community." The committee has been working on multiple events and initiatives. One initiative, in collaboration with ESC, is the new accessibility initiative to ensure adequate accessibility within the AUP campus for students. The current USC President cited the recent November 19 campus assessment as one of the first steps of the initiative. The assessment was done to evaluate the physical accessibility of the AUP campus and whether it is accessible to those with limited physical mobility. They also discussed the upcoming November 26 bake sale, held mainly to raise money for the Senior Graduation Gala. Funds raised at the bake sale will go towards: the booking of the Gala venue, decorating the Combes lobby for the winter holidays, a maintenance initiative to ensure the coffee vending machine at the Grenelle building is fully stocked at all times.
Judiciary Committee
The Judiciary Committee is in charge of maintaining the AUP Student Body Constitution and overseeing school-wide elections. This semester, the Judiciary Committee has focused on writing the committee’s bylaws. The committee aims to draw more attention to Article 2, section 4, subsection 4.1, which states that any AUP student—meaning non-senators—is able to become a voting member of the committee, as long as they have attended a minimum of 4 meetings. Students are able to maintain their membership in the committee as long as they keep a 70% attendance rate throughout the year. Another article of importance is Article 3, section 1, subsection 1.1, subsubsection 1.1.5, which highlights the parameters of who is able to submit an amendment to the AUP Student Body Constitution. Any student at AUP is able to submit a proposed amendment, whether or not they are a senator. These amendments do not have to be submitted through the Judiciary Committee and rather can be proposed directly to the Senate in April.
Merchandise Committee
The Merchandise Committee designs limited edition merchandise that "represents AUP through the eyes of students." During the November 19 meeting, the committee presented a variety of merchandise mockups, including stickers, hoodies, zip-ups and quarter zips. The committee took a vote on the style and color of the sweater options, ultimately settling on green quarter zips, featuring black outline illustrations related to Paris life.
What to look out for
As the semester is coming to a close, multiple of the aforementioned long-term initiatives, such as the merchandise launch and accessibility initiative, will be further developed over the course of the next semester. The more short-term and active initiatives, such as events and budget amendments, are aimed at enhancing students' daily lives, especially as the last weeks of class pass by and reading days fade to finals. Students can keep events and initiatives on their radar to see if the senator's proposals to enhance the student body’s experience are followed through.
