By Joe Suszczynski
Debates in the Student Government Association meeting were enthusiastic when the House Bill 5030 and Finance Committee recommendations were brought up on the agenda, both being resolved.
Senator Chris Marcelli brought up a resolution that he wrote in opposition to House Bill 5030.
The Bill states that the regional community-technical college system, the Connecticut State University System and The University of Connecticut, shall develop a general education core of courses for which thirty academic credits shall be given by each regional community-technical college as part of its liberal arts and sciences programs and any other degree program designated as a transfer program.
A student who graduates from any such transfer program and transfers to the Connecticut State University System or The University of Connecticut shall transfer thirty academic credits toward the general education core curriculum requirements of the Connecticut State University System or The University of Connecticut.
Senator Matt Hubbard was in favor of the resolution due to the senate’s efforts in passing Bergenn’s General Education resolution as well as Marcelli’s previous resolution.
“The majority of us had in our minds that we don’t want this,” said Hubbard. “We are a senate of intelligent, able-minded leaders on campus. This is open for amendments, we can think of other ways that we can propose that can try and achieve that, but also maintain the things that we wanted a few weeks ago and bring it all together.”
Senator Jamie Canny said Marcelli’s resolution was “insane,” and that he is being inconsiderate in terms of speaking for the whole student body without asking their opinion first.
“We represent the entire student body so are we sure that what we student body feels because we are the biggest university of the four, so we are saying this entire university believes this,” said Canny. “Before we make such a big bold move we better be sure if the majority of the people will feel this way. I am not convinced we have heard from the student body; we should be talking to them before we represent them in such a big bold way.”
Senator Marcelli said he was open to compromise.
“We can do both, I have no problem doing both, this is a first step,” said Marcelli. “I am absolutely open to talk to anyone and everyone who wants to come up with another plan. I would love to see us with our own plan. We don’t have a complete and detailed plan at this moment so we can’t, but I would love to see that happen and I see no reason why this can’t happen.”
The resolution failed with a vote of nine yes votes to thirteen opposing votes with three abstentions.
Earlier in the meeting, the Student Government Association had sixteen recommendations made by the Financial Committee to vote on. Thirteen recommendations were for the allocation of money to assorted clubs on campus. The other three were to deny contingency requests.
The thirteen allocations and two contingency denial requests were passed unanimously, while FC12-070, which denied the Criminal Justice Club a contingency request, failed to pass.