Representatives of the Student Government Administration will present a proposed document to the student body in Room 420 of the Student Union at 5:00 p.m. on Monday.
The document that will be presented “aims to ensure true consultation for the student body on all major university policy and fee changes,” according to a description on the SGA’s Facebook page.
SGA President Sïonan Barrett and Vice President Chantal Barbosa also plan to address a letter to Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy, which refers to the Wellman Document of 1973 and writes that students “have a responsibility to advise on policies affecting the University,” according to Barrett.
In the letter, Barrett and Barbosa write, “To ensure student governance bodies can collect student feedback and advise the Chancellor and Board of Trustees on matters that are of students’ primary responsibility, the Wellman Document requires students be given the capacity to initiate recommendations after appropriate consultation.”
The letter also requires that an administrator at UMass will set up a website which allows students to provide feedback and ask questions about proposed major policy changes.
Barrett and Barbosa also say the SGA and Administration must host an open forum for students one hour before the Senate votes to support or oppose a proposed change. Students will be informed of the open forum at least two weeks beforehand through email.
After the presentation, students will be able to ask questions about the document, and provide feedback to SGA representatives.
The Open Forum is scheduled to last for an hour and will provide snacks to students who attend.
The issue of fee changes at The University of Massachusetts became more prominent this summer, when the University announced the introduction of a $250 annual fee to improve Information Technology on campus.
The IT fee was seen as excessive by a large number of UMass students, and the SGA Senate voted to oppose the fee in a Coordinating Council last July.
Stuart Foster can be reached at [email protected] or followed on Twitter @Stuart_C_Foster
