SA recently passed several resolutions. These resolutions express SA’s desire to diversify Cane Transit, provide a lottery for commuter parking, and create a committee to discuss ways to solve accessibility problems for those with disabilities. A resolution currently in the works would allow students to inquire about their meal balance.
Freshman Senator John Talmage brought forth both the Cane Transit and meal balance inquiry resolutions.
The Cane Transit resolution is a “support resolution.” It indicates SA’s willingness to continue working with Housing in the off-campus shuttle program. Talmage said he met with Mark Bernhardt, the Associate Director of Housing, to discuss ways to improve off-campus shuttles.
According to Talmage, one possibility includes “(taking) a shuttle out to a popular place in Tulsa every now and then,” an idea similar to Hurricane Thursday. This change is soon to come into effect.
Another change is occasionally having the shuttle run on a day other than Saturday, which is the current schedule.
Lauren Holmes, Student Investigative Committee Chair, said Cane Transit has already started planning “new and interesting places” to go occasionally. “SIC came in on the closing side of things,” she said.
Talmage said the meal balance resolution came from a suggestion last semester by a student. The resolution would allow students to check the amount of cafeteria meals and Dining Dollars left in their account.
Such an inquiry service would be “simple to implement, cheap to support, and would benefit a lot of students,” said Talmage.
The service will be online “fairly soon,” according to Talmage. He expects students will be able to access the service through Housing’s CaneLink login. This detail has not yet been finalized, however.
This resolution has not passed through Senate, as Talmage said Senate wanted a “solid implementation plan in place and agreed upon before bringing it to the floor.” Talmage expects it to be passed “in the very near future.”
Lauren Holmes, a junior studying Biology, said her resolution is “a precursor for many parking resolutions to come.” Last year, she worked on a plan to overhaul the entire parking system, but it was “too much change for such a short amount of time.” She plans to do future resolutions regarding parking in increments.
Her resolution allows commuters to pick their lots on the same day as residents. This resolution, she said, “is the start of justice for commuting students.”
“It’s safe to say that cars for commuters are extremely important and necessary for them,” Holmes said. She plans to write another resolution that “allows for residential lots to be open X days and then commuting students can select the same lots. Same for commuting lots.”
Rob Egan sponsored a resolution that “entails addressing accessibility problems on the TU campus for those with disabilities.” Egan’s resolution will establish a committee to examine and find solutions for accessibility problems. Although the committee has not been formed, Egan hopes both faculty and students will be on the committee.
Egan said the resolution will “get greater awareness of problematically accessible or inaccessible areas on campus.”
Through this awareness, Egan hopes that “our community at large and especially the administration will create swift and effective solutions whenever possible.”
While the resolution has been in the works “for a couple of months,” Egan does not expect results until at least fall 2015.
All resolutions will undergo a final decision by the administration.
