SA Senate Calls for Increased Transparency in University’s Admissions Process

BY MCKINLEY KANT

The Student Association Senate met Monday evening in the Grand Ballroom of the Marvin Center to pass a resolution in response to the university’s admission that the Office of Admissions sometimes takes into account applicants’ financial aid statuses when deciding whether or not to admit them.

The Senate passed the Administration Transparency Act, co-sponsored by Sens. Ryan Counihan, Nick Gumas and Ben Pryde, around 40 minutes after the Senate invoked a rare executive session, where they asked members of the public to leave.

“I’m tired of this sentiment of finding out that the university screwed up again and saying there’s nothing we can do about it,”  Counihan said.

Many non-undergraduate senators voted ‘present’ because they felt uncomfortable voting on a resolution pertaining only to the undergraduate admissions office.

Others questioned the reasoning behind the resolution.

“I’m concerned that [the resolution] could be interpreted in a negative light,” Senator Daniel Egel-Weiss said. “I want to commend the university for coming forward and being honest.”

The resolution does commend the university for coming forward, though it firmly states that the Undergraduate Office of Admissions must take clear steps toward better transparency.

SA Senate Looks to Build off Susuni's Summer Accomplishments

By Myles Goldman

The GW Student Association Senate met for the first time this academic year Monday night in a packed Funger Hall classroom to review summer accomplishments and approve a variety of SA President Julia Susuni's nominations to various SA Cabinet posts, Student boards and student representatives to the Faculty Senate.  

Susuni reported that she and Vice President Kostas Skordalos were able to work with administrators to successfully increase the number of printing kiosks on campus, expand space and staff for the University Counseling Center, and after many years of student leaders advocating, work out the details to have many frequent food trucks on campus  accept GWorld cards as a form of payment.  

The Senate itself spent the majority of the evening approving Susuni's appointments to an open SA Executive Cabinet position, the SA Student Court, and seven Student Representatives to the Faculty Senate.  Susuni said that this is the first time in several years that there will be student representatives attending Faculty Senate committee meetings.  Susuni hopes that this will allow the SA and the Faculty Senate to work together on projects of mutual interest.

"There is a need for students to voice their opinions through as many channels as possible," Susuni said after the meeting.  "Putting students on the Faculty Senate allows us to take advantage of all the resources we have."

One surprise at the meeting was an announcement Senator Chris Stillwell (ESIA Undergrad) made.  Stillwell announced that a Greek Life Caucus was being formed in the Senate in response to the discussions regarding Greek Life housing policies that took place this summer between GW student leaders, administrators, and neighbors in Foggy Bottom.  Senator Nick Gumas (CCAS Undergrad) questioned the proposal arguing that there is a perception that the Senate already overly focuses heavily on Greek life because many Senators are themselves in fraternities and sororities.  

Following the meeting Senator Daniel Egel-Weiss, (Undergrad At Large) who has agreed to become a member of the Caucus, said that the Caucus already had a half-dozen Senators agree to join and that more are interested in signing-up.  

"Many members of the SA called for this Caucus," Egel-Weiss explained.  "Any senator may sit in on the Caucus' meetings and there is no official capacity in which the caucus operates."