Editor’s Note: Previous wording was changed on the Senate’s stance on the pass-fail system. The old wording declared an official stance.
The faculty senate is considering implementing a new grading system, said the student government vice president of academic affairs, Carlos Rodriguez.
According to Rodriguez, a sophomore psychology major, EIU has been yielding high failure rates and withdrawal rates in underclassmen due to students coming from academic backgrounds that did not challenge them. The faculty senate is considering altering the grading system, wherein high-risk general education classes would have a pass/fail system and all other classes would have the a plus/minus system.
Unofficially, the student senate generally disliked the idea of a plus/minus system but favored the implementation of the pass/fail system in general education classes.
Brianna Hull-Dennis, student government vice president of student affairs, asked what the faculty is doing to take accountability for failure rates. Rodriguez said that the faculty senate has plans to address professors and courses with low pass rates and evaluate their curriculum and syllabi.
Academic Affairs has partnered with professional photographers on Flickr for an event so that students can take professional headshots free of charge, said Rodriguez.
The student senate’s graduate advisors announced that each committee will have to make a budget proposal for next year’s budget. Student government committees will be having meetings with their graduate advisors in these upcoming weeks and Laurel Hutchinson, the account manager for student life affiliated groups.
While student government is undergoing this process itself, it will be approving university board, the apportionment board and all other RSOs that receive funding from the student activity fees’ budgets before they are sent to Anne Flaherty for final approval.
The Business Affairs Committee has a financial literacy week coming up in the final week of February with events such as a FAFSA workshop and student fee tabling. Students will have the opportunity to understand the breakdown of their tuition bill and the services provided to them through the university.
Also on the agenda for the general body meeting was the approval of the renewal of the leadership and excellence club.
This club is open to ROTC students and serves to foster an understanding of and interest in ROTC by developing leadership skills and techniques. Further, they hope to build relationships between student cadets and the greater EIU student body.
In a unanimous vote, the student senate approved the renewal of the club.
The Miss Black EIU pageant will be held in the Grand Ballroom on Feb. 24 from 7-9 p.m. There are three contestants, and the dress code is formal.
The senior political science major and executive vice president of student government, August Biernbaum, shared that the student action team will have a lobbying day in Springfield on March 6. The team had their Wednesday meeting to discuss and decide their proposed legislation after the student senate adjourned at 8 p.m.
Veronica Gipson can be reached at vmgipson@eiu.edu or 581-2812.
