UPDATED: Dec. 2, 2021 at 5:54 p.m.

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Syracuse University’s Student Association officially passed a bill aimed to clarify and implement special seats for SU’s unique populations.

Unique populations are existing offices in the university, offices that pertain to certain parts of student demographics and/or issues. Examples of a unique seat proposed are the Title IX seat and the student workers seat. The bill detailed the process for how students can petition for a new unique seat.

Students seeking to create a unique population seat will first have to petition the chair of the Board of Elections with a written request. After the petition is approved by a majority vote, students will then have to collect 25 signatures, of which 17 must come from undergraduate students in the offices pertaining to the unique population.

The Board of Elections has the ability to waive the requirement to get 17 signatories if the unique population is small or “elusive” in nature.

Students looking to represent these unique populations will have to seek a nomination from the office in order to run. Offices may nominate a candidate independently for the seat.

Richard Kaufman, SA’s director of transportation and commissioner of the Board of Elections, originally drafted the bill and hopes the bill will allow for further representation of unique populations.

“My vision is that we create these seats … in order to get the student association out there with the student body more while also helping increase representation to certain groups and policy areas that may or may not be always represented in the assembly,” Kaufman said.

SA also discussed a bill detailing the implementation plan for the unique populations bill. SA, with the passage of this bill, will set up an ad hoc committee that will write an official strategic plan for the implementation of the unique population seats.

On Wednesday, SA will be conducting an open meeting where students can come to review and discuss the university’s drafted Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility plan.

The meeting will be held at 119 Euclid Ave. at 7 p.m. SA Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Malique Lewis said in an Instagram post that he will be present to take student suggestions and opinions.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this post misstated that a unique populations bill was passed. The bill was discussed. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on November 29, 2021 at 11:35 pm

Contact Danis: dwcammet@syr.edu