Undergraduate Student Senate updates governing documents, plans for the new year
It has been a semester of reflection and transition for the Undergraduate Student Senate. Members of Virginia Tech’s undergraduate governing body, entering its third year since restructuring from the Student Government Association model, saw this fall as an opportunity to reevaluate and update governing documents.
When the Undergraduate Student Senate shifted to its current structure in 2021, the transition team developed a matching set of bylaws and a new constitution. This year, an ad hoc committee convened to review the performance of these governing documents, resulting in recommendations to streamline and update established processes.
One of the outcomes of this review was the establishment of the Resolutions for Undergraduate Student Body Referendum the provides a pathway for the undergraduate student body to bring issues before the Undergraduate Student Senate by petition and to vote on referendums directly rather than through the senate. The senate passed the referendum at its Oct. 1 meeting, and it is now active.
An analysis of the Undergraduate Student Senate (USS) bylaws resulted in USS Bill 2024-2025C, proposing amendments to the text that provide more comprehensive guidance to assist elected officials in executing their duties and that better reflect their responsibilities. The senate will vote on the bill in January, and, if passed, the bill will take effect during the spring semester.
Come spring, the committee will also compile recommendations for updating the Undergraduate Student Senate constitution into a resolution. This resolution will need to proceed through the university’s shared governance process before the Undergraduate Student Senate can implement the committee’s recommendations.
These updates to the governing documents and guidelines come at an opportune time for the the Undergraduate Student Senate’s new cabinet members elected this semester, who in their new roles will bear responsibility for putting them into practice.
Kylie Seckinger, a sophomore criminology major, was elected internally to fill an upcoming vacancy in the vice president for administration role and will take office in the spring. Seckinger will oversee internal operations, communications to the undergraduate student body, and legislative records.
Aarav Parikh, a junior aerospace and ocean engineering student and the new vice president for shared governance, slotted in as a voice for undergraduate students within the university’s shared governance system, coordinating undergraduate appointments to university governance committees and commissions. Parikh also acts as a voting member of the University Council and chairs the Commission on Undergraduate Student Affairs.
And Henry Berger, a sophomore philosophy, politics, and economics major and the new vice president for finance, now chairs both the Appropriations Committee and the Student Activity Fee Allocation Board. These boards oversee the Undergraduate Student Senate's budgeting and appropriations for student organizations, ensuring funds are allocated and distributed fairly.
Previously a member of the Appropriations Committee, Berger said he looks forward to making an impact in his new role and “will continue to work hard on changing funding policies so that each and every student organization at Tech continues to have more opportunities.”
Eligible student organizations can apply for funding from the Appropriations Committee by following appropriations policy guidelines and deadlines. Please visit the Student Organization Funding page for more information.
The Undergraduate Student Senate represents over 30,000 undergraduate Hokies within the shared governance system. It creates legislative recommendations that support a positive and inclusive student experience and administers a portion of the student activity fee to registered student organizations.
