ASFLC Report: New Senators, Climate Action Plans, RSO Approvals
By: Becca Day
The Associated Students of Fort Lewis College met Wednesday evening to appoint new senators, remove the position of vice parliamentarian, discuss the effectiveness of ASFLC’s structure and approve a new Climate Action Plan.
ASFLC also renewed the Pueblo Alliance and the National Association for Future Music Educators as Registered Student Organizations, and approved the American Sign Language Club and the STEM Volunteering Network as new RSOs.
New Senators
Roy Adams, junior accounting major, and Becca Judy, sophomore political science and sociology major, were both approved as new ASFLC senators.
Lisa Brown, junior Native American and Indigenous studies major, was approved by ASFLC to be First Semester Ambassador.
Mark Mastalski, director of the Leadership Center, has yet to confirm that Adams, Judy and Brown meet requirements for ASFLC positions due to his absence at the meeting, however they have been approved by the senate table, Ian Fullinwider, vice president of ASFLC, said.
Removal of Vice Parliamentarian Position
ASFLC unanimously approved Resolution 18-010 to remove the position of vice parliamentarian from the table.
Previously ASFLC discussed the functionality of the position.
The vice parliamentarian doesn't have a significant enough role to be a part of ASFLC, Dustin Fink, president of ASFLC said.
Discussion on Effectiveness of ASFLC Structure
At the last ASFLC retreat, the executive members of the board saw a need to change the structure of ASFLC, Fink said.
In the fall semester ASFLC was not as effective as it should have been and didn’t accomplish what it was meant to do, Fink said.
Now senators are required to meet one-on-one on a biweekly basis with the executive members of ASFLC for 15 minutes to discuss progress on projects, Fullinwider said.
Senator Chance Salway is concerned that the new requirements limit senator’s ability to pursue projects that interest them and threaten senator’s scholarships for being part of ASFLC in an unconstitutional manner, he said
Next Wednesday ASFLC will discuss ways to fix its structure so they can be the most effective, Fullinwider said.
Climate Action Plan
ASFLC unanimously approved a Climate Action Plan prepared by the Campus Sustainability council.
The plan outlines FLC’s goal to achieve climate neutrality by reducing and combating carbon emissions by the year 2050, Marty Pool, assistant director of the Environmental Center said.
Western State Colorado University plans on achieving climate neutrality by 2050, Pool said.
If FLC aims to reduce carbon emissions by 2050 it will make FLC competitive with other schools, Pool said.
Currently FLC has reduced its emissions by 21 percent, he said.
New RSOs
STEM Volunteering Network was approved as a new RSO I by ASFLC.
The organization will network with Destination Imagination, Durango Public Schools and Mercy Medical Center and provide students with opportunities to volunteer in the STEM field, Sidney Gordon, STEM Volunteering Network president, said.
The American Sign Language club was approved as a new RSO I by ASFLC.
Both new RSOs met all requirements and are approved by the Financial Allocation Board, Evan Wick, speaker of the senate for ASFLC, said.
RSO Renewals
The RSOs Pueblo Alliance and the National Association for Future Music Educators were approved for renewal.
Both RSOs met all requirements for renewal, Wick said.
ASFLC elections begin in February, and its next meeting is Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Senate Chambers.
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