Student needs call for change at UMKC

Despite a change in meeting location, the Student Government Association continued with business-as-usual at its Sept. 3 meeting.

Originally scheduled as "Senate on the Lawn," the meeting was planned to be held outdoors near the Playhouse in an attempt to reach out to the student body by meeting in a public place where students could see. However, inclement weather forced the meeting indoors.

The SGA voted on two resolutions which directly affect most students including an adjustment to students' printing quota of 150 pages per week and a recommendation for two 24 hour computer labs to be added to the UMKC campuses.

Both resolutions were previously discussed at the Aug. 20 SGA meeting and tabled.

Many senators weighed in about the issue of whether the 150 page-per-week printing quota was sufficient for all students.

"It is an issue students really seemed concerned with," Bridgett Johnson, SGA president, said.

The senators agreed the quota was likely most problematic for medical students who often use all of their pages and need more. The resolution was revised several times before a final version was agreed upon and tabled for a vote until last week's meeting

The senators all voted in favor of a resolution stating: "At the beginning of each academic school term at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, each student print quota account will become a roll over account; week to week, semester to semester for the entire academic term; resetting at the end of each academic term with a cap at 750 pages."

The second resolution calls for a 24-hour computer lab in Royall Hall on the Volker campus and the Health Sciences Building on the Hospital Hill campus.

Neither campus currently has a 24-hour computer lab available for student use.

The SGA unanimously approved the resolution which is only the first step in establishing the computer labs.

Now the resolution will be reviewed by UMKC leaders to see if funds are available to staff the facilities and determine how access to the labs would be granted during late-night hours. Some senators suggested using key-card entry.

The SGA also took the following actions at their meeting:

The constitutions for Graduate Art History and the African Student Association (ASA) were approved.

Also, the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship was recognized as a new campus organization.

alang@unews.com