The Associated Students of the University of Wyoming capped off the semester with its final senate meeting on Tuesday night.
The senate discussed International Student’s Association Coffee Hour, Child Care Assistance Program and the ASUW Support for a Good Samaritan Policy.
The International Students Association Coffee Hour will continue to receive funding from ASUW into the next year.
“If it’s working for the students, why stop funding it?” Kia Murdoch, ASUW’s Vice President-elect and current College of Arts and Sciences Senator, said.
Despite Murdoch’s comments, there was some concern whether funds for future years would be there. However, the bill passed 27 to 0 and reinforced ASUW’s support for the program. ASUW has supported funding for this program for the past four years. Even with the concerns, there is optimism that programs such as this will continue to be funded into the future.
The Child Care Assistance Program also was on the agenda at the meeting. The Child Care Assistance Program is a scholarship program designed to aid currently enrolled University of Wyoming students who have children.
“Yes, this is a lot of money, but it would go back directly to students going to a specific student. When you’re a parent, this money is essential,” College of Agriculture Senator Josh Messer said.
Ten students would receive a $1,000 scholarship. The scholarship would be funded by $5,000 from the endowment and the other $5,000 from student fees.
ASUW ended its last senate meeting of the semester by discussing the Good Samaritan Policy. This resolution to a current statue within the ASUW bylaws is in the beginning stages of development and deals directly with the safety and wellbeing of students on campus.
The idea behind the resolution is to support initiatives to limit culpability of students for alcohol or drug related offenses if they are acting in good faith to assist in a medical emergency. This is merely a way for students to seek medical assistance if there happens to be a need in which a call for medical help is necessary.
However, punishment would be reduced and there wouldn’t be a fear of disciplinary repercussions. After the first reading last night, the resolution has a few more steps before it can go into effect.
The resolution will have to go before the University of Wyoming’s Board of Trustees before anything further can take place.
