SGA held its first meeting of the semester on Tuesday, Sept. 3 to discuss changes for the fall semester and plans for the incoming first-year senators.
Sophomore Senator Lily Onorato proposed a mentor program for new members, pairing incoming members with a mentor from a different committee to encourage a more welcoming environment.
“It’s really just, hopefully, to allow the new senators to feel more prepared for their experience on SGA,” Onorato said.
There are currently eight seats open for new senators, and elections run from Sept. 8 to 12.
Junior SGA President Kennedy Connors and junior Vice President Merrick Modun introduced a new shared calendar for all senators, encouraging them to add their own club and SGA events.
This year, these events include a biweekly visit from the UVM Connect Assess Refer Engage team to the SGA Galaxy Space, for both group and private support meetings with dates to come.
They also planned monthly meetings for the United Puppy Raisers of ACTS and their Wagging Retrievers to take place at the Galaxy Space.
“Having this master calendar is really going to help us remember all the things going on and is something that we can continuously add to,” Modun said.
One standout occasion is an upcoming dinner with UVM incoming President Tromp on Sept. 17, followed by the President’s installation ceremony on Sept. 29.
Connors also let the Senate know that they plan on working together with the Division of Inclusive Excellence to continue to make UVM a safe and welcoming environment.
“This is going to be a working partnership this year,” she said.
A federal actions ad hoc committee, which began last semester, is working on responses to federal actions that affect higher education and provide students with support, she said. They also plan on further collaboration with UVM’s Intercultural Centers, including visits to their offices.
SGA will be collaborating with the Office of Equal Opportunity to support students who are going through the Title IX process by providing them with care packages, letting students know that SGA is there to support them.
The process is set to begin in a couple of weeks, Connors said.
