SGA has started working on legislation for the spring semester including resolutions such as low-cost counseling for students.
The low-cost counseling resolution was presented by Skyler Gill, sophomore English major from Schertz and SGA Sophomore Vice President. It was created to help students under a certain income automatically have access to reduced-cost counseling rather than going through the SOAR office.
“While previously students could apply to SOAR for free counseling, this change will be applied automatically,” Gill said. “This will be helpful to students who wish to see a counselor by eliminating an extra barrier, and I hope that it encourages more students to use these services.”
Gill was inspired to create this resolution after researching mental health and mental health services at ACU.
“That statistic led me to do more research about mental health care at ACU and what we can do to expand it,” Gill said. “My resolution was that ACU should provide free mental health care to all students, but even though that goal wasn’t accomplished I am still excited for the change that is happening.”
The process of creating legislation through SGA allows for senators in each class to present their ideas, vote on them and get them implemented by the university. SGA officers can present either a bill that requires money or resolution which requires none.
“We really taught them a lot about how to present what goes into it and how we would like for them to do research on the backhand before they present to us because when a senator gets up in front of Senate to present legislation senators are going to questions,” said Amy Brock, senior communications major from Arlington and SGA vice president. “They’re going to make sure that that senator has done their research and they know about what they’re wanting and that it is feasible.”
In addition to the low-cost counseling resolution, SGA is working towards resolutions such as parallel parking lines in front of Hardin Administration, plastic bags being removed from the campus store, and opening the intramural fields for student use.
