The Student Government Association (SGA) of the University of Massachusetts Amherst reared up for Halloween weekend with costumes and treats for their 1992nd Regular Senate Meeting.
Betsy Cracco, assistant vice chancellor for Campus Life and Wellbeing, began with an announcement of the recent collaborations between the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health and the SGA in an effort to improve student wellbeing within the SGA and the student body overall.
Cracco said that their mission is “cultivating a thriving student community centered in connection and wellbeing.” Cracco presented to the SGA, understanding that many members take on leadership roles and acknowledged “how stressful it is to be a student leader.”
Amanda Waters, director of mental health promotion and wellbeing strategies, announced that the National College Health Assessment will be emailed to every student, undergraduate and graduate, to collect data about the overall health of students, and to make amendments based on what is working in specific areas and what is lacking in others. Their target response is typically around 12 percent of students, but their goal this year is doubled, as they hope to receive responses from 25 percent of students. Additionally, there are numerous incentives for completing the 20-30 minute survey, including a $10 Amazon gift card for every 35th participant.
Chair of Undergraduate Services Committee Kundayi Mazando and Student Trustee Felicity Oliveira announced UMass’s President Marty Meehan’s recent announcement of free tuition for Massachusetts resident students whose families earn less than $75,000 per year, starting in Fall 2025. This is made possible by expansions to MASSGrant Plus, providing financial aid grants to eligible in-state students. The two also noted that this program does not include tuition to the UMass Chan Medical School or UMass Law School, and does not cover room and board. This grant needs no additional application and will be a “seamless opportunity to take advantage of,” according to Oliveria.
President Colin Humphries detailed his involvement in hiring the next SGA advisor, and his interviewing and spending a day getting to know the new candidate.
Jill Alie Hercule Espinal, a senator on the Ways and Means Committee and Residence Hall Association (RHA) Executive Board president recently met with the board and announced that they will be attending a regional conference and urged the Senate to complete the National College Health Assessment detailed earlier in the meeting.
She also met with Jean MacKimmie, director of Residential Life, and discussed campus life reform. A few examples included transparency on the housing priority number process, accessibility within housing units that are not approved within The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the possibility of decreasing the minimum amount of funds necessary to pay for on-campus laundry.
Secretary of Sustainability Carol DeRose explained her recent efforts in planning the annual- Earth Day Extravaganza and collaborating with groups on campus to hold this event. Additionally, she offered a volunteer opportunity for Senators at a food safety training on Nov. 9
Secretary Charlie Goodchild recently met the Director of UMass Dining, Garrett DiStefano, to discuss possible discounted meals for veterans. Additionally, he is holding a voting tabling event in the Veteran Resource Center and is in the process of Veteran’s Day planning and working on bylaw revisions.
Motion S.41 to raise the paid hours of the secretary of Veterans Affairs from 8 hours to 12.5 hours was passed, and is effective immediately as Goodchild has been working over eight hours a week. Humphries said, “we have enough money for this, we have enough money for our other needs as well,” and that Goodchild “should be paid what is the minimum for other cabinet members.” Humphries explained that the budget was based on the budget made last year for Fiscal Year 2025, and that “we are in the process of working with Secretary [of Finance, Dylan] Bellerive to adjust the funds for things that are happening this year.” He added that this will be the last adjustment made to SGA payroll from the executive side, other than winter pay.
Secretary of Health and Wellbeing Kimberly Manyanga encouraged the Senate to attend the Narcan training in November in the SGA office.
Chair of the Ways and Means Committee Maia Shteyman is in the process of meeting with agencies to go over their budgets over the past three years, to review and track their finances, come up with budget policies and make sure RSOs are “fully operational.” She also is collaborating with the Finance Subcommittee to analyze their processes and review “how viewpoint neutrality and equity work in our processes.”
Shteyman and Secretary of Diversity Anaia Lombo also gave a presentation to the Senate about Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and keeping viewpoint neutrality.
During the Committee of the Whole, the SGA got into the spooky spirit of Halloween with a costume contest. After the Senate voted, Liam Rue of the Committee of Social Justice and Empowerment was crowned the winner, dressed as the Joker.
During the Registered Student Organization (RSO) appeals process, there were 15 total appeals, four hearings and two accepted to be motioned by the Senate.
S.39 to recognize the UMass Suicide Prevention Club and S.40, to recognize the Isenberg Sustainability Club to be both granted status as RSOs were passed.
S.33, to enact changes to Title III, Chapter 20 of the General Bylaws of the SGA was also passed. The changes detailed responsibilities for the secretary of Sustainability, enacted a Student Sustainability Coalition and outlined the positions and responsibilities of this coalition
S.36 was also passed, appointing Angel Silverio to the position of Auditor.
The African Students Association requested $20,000 from the DIA fund to fund their annual Afroball, and S.37 was passed granting them this funding. Additionally, the Arab Cultural Association requested $10,050 from the DIA fund to hold their annual Arab Cultural Night, and was granted by the Senate by the passing of the S.38 motion. Both student groups had representatives present their reasoning, mission and outline of costs for these events.
Resolution 3 was passed in support of proposed enhancements to the CHERISH Act. The Proposed enhancements detailed by the sponsors included four points: “having a Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts (PHENOM) representative on every commission created by the Act to ensure diverse perspectives from students, faculty and staff are considered,” “establish separate student advisory committees for each commission created by the Act, with each committee electing its own representative,” “create a new commission focused on developing policy recommendations for tuition-free public higher education for all in-state students, with a deadline of September 1, 2028” and “substitute the current program with the aforementioned commission on tuition-free public higher education.”
In business not anticipated 48 hours prior, Resolution 4, the Hunger-Free Campus Initiative Resolution was passed, urging, “Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll to support increased funding for the Hunger Free Campus Initiative in the FY26 state budget to support for the continuation and expansion of resources to end food insecurity on public campuses across the state to raise awareness of hunger on campus, connect students-in-need to existing services, and establish services such as an on-campus food pantry where such services are needed.”
The meeting was adjourned at 10:40 p.m.
Abby Joyce can be reached at [email protected].
