On Mar. 12, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) completed its process of voting on how to ratify the USG constitution, which includes 13 amendments that focus on improving the body’s ability to engage with students. The next step in the ratifying process is for at least 15 percent of students (at least 900) to vote on the amendments, where they can do so on Involvement Link or at usg.mtu.edu.
According to David Reeves, a member of USG’s judiciary committee, the most important amendment is the changes to the Ways and Means Committee which determines the budgets of all registered student organizations (RSOs) and anything the Student Activity Fee goes towards. “We are adding two student assembling members, that means any two students – they don’t even have to be on USG – can join the committee and determine budget hearings, determine opportunity reserve fund hearings. We know that students may not like the process that’s going through so we want to invite them in, give them a chance to be in the discussion, vote on the discussion, have a say in the discussion.”
Another important amendment is allowing incoming students to become part of the undergraduate student government as non-voting members. “We believe that we represent incoming students, especially if they’ve already paid their enrollment deposit as they’re [a] voting part of our husky pack,” said Reeves.
If more than 900 students vote, then the next step is for the board of trustees to vote on it. There is no deadline for voting. At the week’s USG meeting, Reeves emphasized, “If people get up and vote…we can get it to a very soon Board of Trustees meeting and hopefully get the amendments in effect by the next fall.”
Students can find more information on the rest of the proposed amendments at usg.mtu.edu.
