At the first meeting of the semester, Student Council adopted a resolution to create an ad-hoc committee to explore students' perceptions of the inner-workings of Council. In addition, Council resolved to adopt a legislative agenda and introduced a bill to initiate a diversity pledge.
According to the bill, the ad-hoc committee would be created for the purpose of "researching and compiling information on all aspects of the Council's operations ... and issuing recommendations on how this information can be made more accessible to the student body."
"We want to improve Council," said College Rep. Victoria Ingenito, a resolution co-sponsor. "We want people to know who to talk to when they need something and be comfortable with that process."
According to Ingenito, the new committee will ask University students objective questions about Council, report to Council on its findings each week and then use those findings to make recommendations for improvement.
"We're going to use this as a springboard to make appropriate changes," Ingenito said.
Council also approved a resolution giving the Council's Legislative Affairs Committee the power to officially adopt stances on various pieces of legislation in the Virginia General Assembly on behalf of Council.
According to the resolution, "a clear stance will give the students of the University a voice in the Virginia General Assembly."
After much debate on the bill's wording, the bill passed unanimously.
A resolution to establish an undergraduate pledge against prejudice was introduced at the meeting as well.
According to Diversity Initiatives Co-Chair Yvonne Ng, the idea for a diversity pledge stemmed from the pledge initiated by University Law students last year after reports surfaced that two gay students were spit on at Foxfields.
According to the resolution, the pledges "are meant solely for personal reflection," and students would have the option of signing the diversity pledge after their first semester at the University.
"This past year we've had about 59 incidents [of intolerance] on Grounds," said Diversity Initiatives Committee Co-Chair Ryan McElveen.
McElveen cited statistics that showed a significant increase in the number of incidents reported after the end of first semester. Because of this, McElveen said, more attention needs to be given to diversity throughout the year and not just during the beginning of the academic year.
"It's all clumped into fall orientation of first year," McElveen said. "The University administration doesn't do anything for the rest of their academic career."
The resolution will be put to a vote next week.
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