The Marquette University Student Government senate approved student organization funding allocations and passed two new pieces of legislation at its meeting last Thursday.

The first allocation was a sum of $3,000 allotted to the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship to cover registration fees for a fall conference at Green Lake Conference Center in Wisconsin. The event will take place Nov. 4 through Nov. 6.

According to an MUSG press release, the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship is covering $750 through its own fundraising. The senate approved this allocation on the premise that the conference will improve one-on-one spiritual advising and relationships with Christ. The group said both endeavors are crucial to its success.

The second allocation, in the amount of $2,583, was allotted to Step Up! Marquette — an organization dedicated to helping women in Rwanda — to provide funding for a panel discussion on post-genocide Rwanda from April 11 to 14. The event will be held as an 18th anniversary remembrance of the genocide that happened in the 1990s.

MUSG funding for Step Up! will pay for guest speakers, including Tim Gallimore, the former spokesperson for the International Criminal Tribunal in Rwanda.

According to an MUSG press release, the senate believes funding for this organization is appropriate because it is important for student organizations to have the opportunity to bring interesting speakers to campus.

Following allocations, the senate approved two new pieces of legislation.

Resolution 1, unanimously passed by the senate, strives to develop a comprehensive education program to maintain academic integrity on campus.

The new legislation was developed due to serious academic honesty violations that had recently been discovered on campus, according to a MUSG subcommittee’s final report for the legislation. The same report said many Marquette faculty members believe the university should be more involved in upholding academic integrity among students.

“With our new president, it is important to prove to him that we are willing to uphold our academic integrity and even hold our faculty to a higher standard,” said Katie Simoncic, president pro-tempore for MUSG and a senior in the College of Communication.

To diminish academic dishonesty, MUSG advocated for a more centralized system to punish violators of Marquette’s academic codes. The system would manage repeat offenders, provide educational programming for faculty and organize data for improving policy, according to the subcommittee’s recommendations.

The second piece of legislation, Recommendation 1, was also unanimously passed by the senate and focused on long-term enrollment.

Recommendation 1 compiled information regarding on-campus housing issues dating back to 2004, when, according to the Board of Trustees at Marquette, unexpected increases in enrollment resulted in overpopulation of the residence halls.

Allison Krushcke, a sophomore in the College of Communication and senator of Business and Administration said the committee believed problems regarding housing this year related to a lack of preparation. (Editor’s note: Krushcke is also a reporter for the Marquette Tribune.)

“Administration says admission is a fluid process that is constantly changing,” Krushcke said. “But changes are in conversation to ensure this problem does not continue.”

According to the recommendation, the university has an Enrollment Tactical Committee to oversee the enrollment process, although there is no system to target a uniform enrollment number.

SIDEBAR

–Following the primary matters, MUSG President Joey Ciccone said the first of three diversity round table discussions resulted in a low attendance rate. Ciccone said he hopes future discussions garner greater student attention.

–Vice president Trent Carlson said Linda Lee, currently associate vice president of student affairs, is transitioning to the role of student resource director, where she will aid students seeking advice on varied topics. He said this new position is one that MUSG has long advocated for.

–Krushcke said Mike Whittow, assistant to the vice president, and MUSG are discussing possible uses of the unused space formerly occupied by Hegarty’s, located near the Al McGuire Center. Possible solutions include transforming the lot into open green space.

–Simoncic said at an off-campus caucus, the MUSG subcommittee discussed promoting outreach concerning off-campus safety, but plans are still being discussed.

–Applications to apply to open MUSG positions are available beginning Nov. 1 and due Nov. 22.

–Sobelman’s is now accepting Marquette cash.

–Broken Yolk on Wells St. has begun construction and should be open by the spring.