Mark Forbes, the Academic Advising Council (AAC) Chair, was the featured guest speaker at this week’s Student Government Association (SGA) meeting on Oct. 13. As the AAC chair, Forbes oversees the collaboration efforts between the council and academic advisors as well as enhancing this experience for students. 

Forbes proposed two items to Senate members. Firstly, SGA working to establish a formal feedback mechanism to improve the student advising process at UNC Wilmington (UNCW). Secondly, Forbes suggested that SGA and the AAC create a more formal relationship that includes meetings on a regular basis. 

Following Forbes’s presentation, the Senate approved and inducted five new members. Michael Garcia as a junior class senator, Karen Metcalf as a non-traditional students senator, Kendall Dixson as a Watson College of Education senator,  Jackson Porter as a freshmen class senator and Kaitlyn Cannon as a transfer students senator. These new senators were approved by a unanimous 33 votes. 

Following their induction, the SGA executive board members and chairs moved into their weekly reports. 

Matt Talone, SGA President, reminded senators about the upcoming student open forums hosted by the UNC System Racial Equity Task Force which will occur on Oct. 20 and 27 at 10 a.m. and Oct. 29 at six p.m. 

Talone also recently met with interim Provost Dr. James J. Winebrake about the SGA’s pass/fail resolution and the possibility of professors lightning up the workload next semester in lieu of when spring break would have occurred since it was canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and travel concerns. 

Brianna Ramirez, SGA’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion, included a reminder about the next Emotionally Intelligent Leadership (EIL) session on Oct. 29. This session titled Oh Look, Another White Man Running the Show: Understanding Whiteness and Leadership will be hosted on Zoom from 12:30 to 1:30. Students can register here. 

Ramirez also mentioned that her committee is also working on a campaign against cultural appropriation during Halloween as well as creating a pledge for students to sign. She also recently met with Dr. Edelmira Segovia, the Director of Centro Hispano, about creating something similar to a green book, but called the Laxtinx Resource Book, for Hispanic students at UNCW.  

The Upperman African American Cultural Center currently has a greek book that houses information about all the Black faculty and staff, Black-owned businesses in Wilmington and several other resources. The Centro Hispano one would have similar information but related to Hispanic students at UNCW.  

Thomas Wilson, SGA’s Academic Affairs Chair, gave an update regarding the state of the pass/fail resolution that SGA previously passed and introduced to UNCW’s Faculty Senate.

“We’re in process of reaching out to faculty senate, again, given that they did not have a senate meeting that was originally scheduled for this afternoon,” Wilson said. “I’m trying my best to attend their November meeting so that if they have any questions they know who to ask. But just trying to push them to really consider that our stance on it, and what has been requested from the student body.” 

The Faculty Senate’s next meeting is Nov. 10. 

Lastly, Chris Harris, SGA’s Sustainability Committee Chair, mentioned that despite recent inquiry there are no plans to add any more reverse osmosis stations on campus. This is due in part to the fact that it takes three gallons of water to remove one gallon of GenX water and at this time it is not feasible. UNCW currently has four reverse osmosis stations located in the Cultural Arts building, Dunkin Donuts, the Health Promotions building and Wagoner Hall. 

SGA hosts its weekly meetings on Tuesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.