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SA voted on and approved revisions to SA’s constitution and bylaws, which SA worked on over the past two years, in March 2021. The revised constitution included provisions that will allow for the addition of unique population seats to the SA Assembly. 

The addition of the unique population seats is meant to further increase student representation within SA, something that Helen Cohen, the chair of the SA Board of Elections, felt the organization could improve on.

Any undergraduate student population managed by university departments or resource centers will be entitled to full active representation within the SA Assembly, according to the newly revised SA Constitution, after following the procedures for creation laid out in SA’s bylaws.

Some of the groups being considered for representation include Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, the LGBTQ Resource Center, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Center for International Services, Cohen said, all of which don’t currently have formal representation under SA. 

The SA Board of Elections is currently in the process of formulating a list of specific student groups to be represented by the newly added population seats.

“We’re trying to get students involved that aren’t traditionally involved in SA,” Cohen said. “We obviously are not able to represent every single aspect of the student body, and we want to do that better, which is the goal of these seats.”

“If you want your community to be more represented,” Cohen said, “get in touch with administrators and just have your voices heard. This is a great opportunity to do so.” 

The new unique population seats are meant to accommodate various aspects of the campus community through formal representation, according to David Bruen, the president of the SA.

“During the pandemic, the separation of different niches and student communities has become even more apparent,” said Bruen. “It was our intent to do whatever we could to bridge that divide.”

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Bruen said he hopes when SA creates the seats that students will come out and engage with SA. He said he believes this will help SA reach parts of the campus that they don’t always reach.

Students can apply for these unique population seats at the beginning of the spring 2022 semester. The application process will be the same as it is for other SA seats in terms of submitting a letter of intent and getting signatures from students, Cohen said in an email to The Daily Orange.

Elections for the unique population seats will be held at the beginning of the spring 2022 semester. SA plans to release more information on the voting process in the near future, Bruen said. 

As SA continues to develop the specifics surrounding the addition of the new population seats, Bruen said that ideas and suggestions from the student body are welcomed and encouraged. 

“I encourage students to reach out to us if they have ideas for seats that should be created, because that’s part of the process in creating these seats,” said Bruen. “I would really encourage students, especially as we’re coming out of this pandemic, to reach out. Our email is available, our meetings are open to the public. We want you here.” 

Published on November 10, 2021 at 12:30 am

jjstreck@syr.edu