Two of Student Government’s committees met on Oct. 3 to discuss goals for the academic year, brainstorm future initiatives and approve travel requests for UNF student Linh Nguyen and SG’s Deputy Chief of Staff Avery Colbert.
Following senatorial appointments last week, the Rules and Oversight Committee discussed possible initiatives, reviewed routine parliamentary procedure and suggested bonding activities for the members of SG. The Budget & Allocations Committee approved two travel requests.
Rules and Oversight Committee meeting
The R&O committee covered two workshops during the meeting: the Robert’s Rules Workshop and the Initiatives Workshop.
The Robert’s Rules Workshop, conducted by Pro-Tempore Carrasquillo-Lebron, covered Robert’s Rules of Order in a brief slideshow. Article XI of UNF’s bylaws states that Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, is the parliamentary authority for all procedural matters not covered by the university’s own bylaws or specific rules.
Carrasquillo-Lebron indicated during the meeting that the workshop aimed to inform new members of the rules and procedures of SG meetings.
Through their Initiatives Workshop, the R&O Committee members discussed and proposed their plans for the 2025-2026 year. Multiple members of the committee initiatives focused on student advocacy, including Sen. Slaughter, who proposed stronger internal reporting from SG.
“Spinnaker reports on what we’re doing…but I would love to see if our Instagram or our website can be better maintained to show the students what we’re doing,” Slaughter said.
Senate President Audrey McGrath mentioned her own initiative, expressing the longevity of her efforts to provide more accessible walkways across campus. Under UNF’s ADA compliance, it is the university’s responsibility to “continuously improve the accessibility of campus, programs, and activities for individuals with disabilities”.
The meeting concluded with a proposal of on-campus sports events, volunteering opportunities and gatherings in the E-Sports lounge as future SG bonding opportunities.
Carrasquillo-Lebron noted the importance of familiarity within SG during the body’s discussion of potential bonding opportunities. “Most of us only know each other by their last names…we don’t even know the person’s first name,” said Carrasquillo-Lebron. “So that’s also an initiative that we’re trying to work on…to be better on.”
Budget and Allocations Committee meeting
During the B&A committee meeting, the committee heard two travel requests from student Linh Nguyen and SG Deputy Chief of Staff Avery Colbert.
Nguyen expressed her interest in attending the Firms, Trade, and Development Conference held at Yale University, a conference pertaining specifically to her major in Transportation and Logistics. Nguyen requested $500 for transportation and lodging in her travel request.
The committee unanimously approved the request.
Individual students who are not associated with an eligible registered student organization can request up to $500 in travel funding from Student Government, according to the UNF Budget and Allocations Committee website.
In a brief presentation, Colbert expressed plans for Kayla Charde, SG’s Chief of Staff, and herself to attend the American Student Government Association Conference in Chicago, IL. Colbert requested $355 for the flight and transportation fees.
The committee unanimously approved the request.
Following the committee’s approval of both requests, the travel request budget stands at $38,505.48.
Up Next
The University and Student Affairs Committee did not meet this week.
The SG Senate will meet Friday, Oct. 10, at noon in the Senate Chambers (Bldg. 58E, Room 3200).
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