On Tuesday, Feb. 17, the Student Government Association (SGA) convened for its 20th weekly meeting of the academic year.
President Vishnu Dontu opened the meeting by noting the approaching student elections before clarifying that proposed initiatives regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) remain an ongoing conversation with university administrators.
The meeting continued with a discussion of concerns about the coordination and timeline of upcoming SGA elections. Much of the meeting was devoted to this subject and the status of the Committee on Student Elections (CSE). Senators raised concerns about the short notice for mandatory information sessions. This year’s elections being held before spring break is a departure from precedent. One senator described the timeline announcement as “unprofessional,” while others cited communication lapses that could affect ongoing legislation and candidate eligibility.
A CSE representative attributed the short notice to internal coordination challenges and confirmed that four vacancies remain for the next academic year. He also said that no members are currently serving on CSE due to a failure to reappoint members earlier this year, highlighting some organizational challenges. This discussion concluded with an announcement that the Leadership Engagement and Experiential Development office, the judiciary and CSE plan to clarify timelines and procedures.
Senator Kevin Xu shared that the credit overloading survey targeting Krieger School of Arts and Sciences students was approved by administration and will be distributed in the coming weeks.
Several funding bills were also announced. First, Senator Jason Yu introduced the JHU Umbrella Loaner Program, which would provide short-term umbrella rentals during rainy weather. Some senators raised concerns about feasibility and the proposal remains under discussion. Senator Seán Durkis-Dervogne proposed a Course Transparency bill, which would allow people to access grade distributions via a student-run site. Concerns about Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) compliance, inaccurate self-reported data and institutional oversight were raised.
The senate approved funding for “Fast with JHUMA,” a Ramadan dinner organized by the JHU Muslim Association. Before the meeting adjourned, senators announced upcoming Registered Student Organizations outreach and a Chick-fil-A tabling event to foster engagement between senators and students.
