ASG semester in review

This semester featured a number of internal changes for Miami University's Associated Student Government (ASG). Though senators made progress on initiatives to improve the dining plan for on-campus students and access to health resources, ASG's primary focus since January has been on itself.

This was necessitated by the ramifications of last semester's racial slur incident and the dissolution of student court, both of which highlighted the need for a new system to hold senators accountable.

Changes were then made to the structure of ASG's Oversight Committee to create an "improvement period" for senators who have conducted themselves poorly to demonstrate better behavior. The incident also served as the catalyst for ASG to amend their "statement of non-discrimination" to include additional aspects of students' identities.

ASG attempted to further their goal of inclusivity by allowing senators to display their preferred pronouns in senate and on ASG's website.

The chair of the Safety Committee was elevated to an executive cabinet position, as senate felt safety should be a higher priority on campus.

As the semester comes to a close, so does the one-year trial period for ASG's Red Brick Rewards program, which was initially rejected by senate for the first time this semester due to disagreements over tier requirements. The disagreement highlighted logistical flaws in the system, and ASG voted to amend the process so that student organizations have more time to familiarize themselves with and complete funding requirements.

The high senator turnover rate due to resignations, study abroad and other conflicts meant that five of senate's twelve meetings this semester featured elections as ASG tried to fill its empty seats.

glynnee@miamioh.edu

@ee_glynn