The exceptionally productive March 5 SGA meeting kicked off with officer reports, starting with SGA President Tamia Smith. Smith reported she had her first session with the student trustee search committee. In an effort to voice concerns of students, the president’s office is actively promoting applications for this role, which has a term limit of two-years. Smith notified students who meet the qualifications to apply via email on March 5.
The current student trustee, Fouad Hamami, was appointed to the position by then-Governor Eric Halcomb on July 1, 2023. Hamami is term-limited and set to graduate from USI in May.
In an effort to foster campus engagement and awareness, Timothy Rosignol, Administrative Vice President (AVP) of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), announced his partnership with USI Disability Resources to host a unique game show event. The game show, Misconceived, will take place in WA Forum 1 from 5:00 to 6:00 PM on Thursday, March 20th.
According to an Instagram post by SGA, the interactive game will test the knowledge of USI student teams regarding common misconceptions surrounding disabilities. A trophy will be awarded to the winning team and additional prizes, including t-shirts and gift cards, will also be available.
During executive officer reports, SGA Chief Financial Officer Emily Campbell introduced a discussion regarding Resolution 2425.H, a transparent report from the grant committee chaired by Campbell.
The grant committee approved the following grant applications, therefore recommending the amounts for a vote by the SGA general assembly:
The resolution passed without opposition, granting each organization with the allotted amounts. The funds may be used for only the expenses outlined on the application and may not exceed awarded amounts.
Following the passing of Resolution 2425.H, Tamia Smith opened the discussion on her progress with updates for the February 27 open listening session. Smith recognized the outcome in attendance during the session, noting SGA took seven pages of notes.
“It took me a second to organize. I took the seven pages and narrowed it down to two or three, along with the departments and the people that it goes to,” she said.
Smith also emphasized that progress would take time, stating, “A lot of these things won’t happen this year. It’s also up to SGA members next year to continue the work that we are doing now.”
The floor was then opened to general assembly members for discussion.
Michael Will, Veteran Student Member at-large, provided a follow-up on a particular concern raised during the listening session concerning political bias in classes. Will took it upon himself to research any Indiana higher education regulations regarding this subject, which led him to Indiana Senate Enrolled Act 202, also known as SEA 202.
SEA 202 allows for any student or faculty member to file formal grievances with the state if they believe intellectual diversity is not being promoted within coursework. For example, if a student believes an instructor is allowing for “inappropriate expressions of political bias” to interfere with academic coursework, they can file a grievance with the state to be filed and reviewed with the annual report. The instructor would therefore be investigated by the state to determine an outcome, such as: termination, denied tenure, or tenure revocation.
In a press statement following a September 2024 lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Indiana, the organization said: “We believe these policies infringe upon faculty members’ free speech and academic freedom, violating the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution.”
According to a policy brief by Indiana University – Bloomington, Senator Spencer Deery (R-West Lafayette), the bill’s key author, defended the bill by stating he feels that the bill encourages belonging for all students.
Micheal Will concluded his report by saying, “”I just thought that might be something to make students aware of, so that, like, if professors are acting in that way, students are able to understand the resources to report that.”
Following the new and old business reports, the general assembly meeting moved into an SGA executive session, which was closed to the public, before adjourning.