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The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

SGA tackles new semester, agenda

In+session%3A+Dr.+Daniel+F.+Mahoney%2C+candidate+for+the+provost+position%2C+speaks+to+SGA.+%0AAlthough+from+a+state+university+background%2C+he+expressed+interest+in+Jesuit+education.%0APaul+Brunkhorst+%2F+Associate+News+Editor
In session: Dr. Daniel F. Mahoney, candidate for the provost position, speaks to SGA. Although from a state university background, he expressed interest in Jesuit education. Paul Brunkhorst / Associate News Editor
In session: Dr. Daniel F. Mahoney, candidate for the provost position, speaks to SGA.  Although from a state university background, he expressed interest in Jesuit education. Paul Brunkhorst / Associate News Editor
In session: Dr. Daniel F. Mahoney, candidate for the provost position, speaks to SGA.
Although from a state university background, he expressed interest in Jesuit education.
Paul Brunkhorst / Associate News Editor

 

 

 

 

 

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Provost candidate, elections, gender inclusion among subjects

SLU’s Student Government Association held its first Senate meeting of the year Wednesday, Jan. 21.

Proceedings began with Dr. Daniel F. Mahoney, Dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Services at Kent State University, who is one of the candidates for the position of provost. Mahoney’s preliminary remark centered on the impact SLU creates. “When I looked at the values of this institution and what is the focus, it’s really focused on having an impact,” he said.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Mahoney attended Virginia Tech, where he got involved in student government. Following graduation, he worked in the Virginia governor’s office before substitute teaching and coaching at the high school and college levels. After earning his Ph.D., he served in various administrative positions.

Questions succeeded Mahoney’s remarks. When asked what he hoped to bring to and improve at SLU, he expressed a desire to go out and listen to faculty on necessary changes. Citing the University’s Strategic Plan, he said: “Most of the things that you’re focused on…all of those things are things I believe in and want to focus on.”

When one senator evoked SLU’s Jesuit tradition in relation to Mahoney’s state university background, Mahoney reiterated his commitment to impact and referenced SLU’s mission. “When I left accounting and I left college athletics,” he said, “the thing that always drove me was I didn’t feel I was having much of an impact. When I look at the Jesuit mission, to me, the word impact just keeps coming back in multiple different ways.”

One of the final questions addressed the Common Core curriculum. Mahoney said he was “flexible” on the issue. “What I liked about it was there are certain themes that should run through all the class. To me, what was most important was there were certain things that we wanted to come out of that Common Core experience.”

SGA’s next order of business was the distribution of its Upperclassmen Scholarship. The five recipients “have demonstrated exceptional involvement and service to the University community”: seniors Jimmy Canning (Parks), Ellie Cash (Education & Public Service), Tiara Harrison (Cook), Veronica Lowe (Nursing) and Kate Sulkowski (Doisy Health Sciences).
Jaisel Patel, Vice President of Finance, subsequently discussed Annual Funding Directives for fiscal year 2016.

Election Commissioner Liz Stark disbursed packets for upcoming SGA elections. She and her team have planned three information sessions for students that will address SGA’s functions, available positions, eligibility requirements and advertisement methods.
Bills and resolutions occupied the remainder of the night’s session. The first called for the induction of seven new senators to the ranks of SGA. The bill passed and the inductees took the SGA oath of office.

Landon Brownfield, Diversity Leadership Cabinet member, proposed two resolutions. The first would establish a committee that would ensure inclusive housing policies pertaining to transgender and gender non-conforming students. Brownfield sought recognition of the “complexity of our neighbors’ identities” so that SLU might “embrace the diversity of these identities”.
Mike Degnan, senator to the College for Public Health & Social Justice, commended Brownfield for his efforts, saying, “This is a big step for the University.”

Brownfield’s second resolution was to appropriate existing areas for the development of gender-neutral restrooms.

The session concluded with remarks from SGA’s executive board. SGA president Ann Knezetic, prior to adjournment, reminded the assembled senate of election protocol for the coming weeks.

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