SGA in Action: Senate Passes Key Legislation, Advances Accessibility and Student Support Initiatives in October 2025

President Wang continues to advance the Health Insurance Initiative, with plans to pivot after SAC delays. She presented the CAC Theatre Funding Bill to the Senate, met with Provost Lounsbery and Chief of Staff Gearhart, and began discussions on expanding late-night dining options for students.

Vice President Nguyen announced new committee appointments, including members to the Health & Wellness Committee and the Student Organizations Council. She is preparing for the next Freshman Leadership Council meeting on October 30th and will attend the upcoming Swipe Out Hunger meeting on October 27th. She also reminded leadership to RSVP for the SGA Presidents Lunch on December 5th.

If you have any questions, please contact Student Body Treasurer Bumm at sgatreasurer@wichita.edu.

Treasurer Bumm reported that individual funding is nearly depleted for the semester. The Finance Commission recently heard from two organizations and is reaching out to additional groups for upcoming sessions. Due to Halloween, next week’s Finance Commission meeting may be canceled.

Chief Fritz continues to oversee Senate operations and one-on-one meetings with Cabinet members. She is working to ensure accountability and organization across all Executive Branch activities.

Director Arens is finalizing the Community Garden legislation and preparing for upcoming Senate sessions. She shared expectations for attending Senate committees and continues to lead advocacy efforts for TRIO program support.

Upcoming Senate agenda items include votes on the TRIO Resolution, Freshman Senator Eligibility Clause amendment, CAC Theatre Funding Bill, and Government Oversight Pro-Temp appointment.

Director Xiong is managing graphics and marketing for upcoming events and vacant Senate seats. She is finalizing the seventh edition of the SGA Newsletter, coordinating headshots for new members, and working with university staff to update the SGA website.

Director Gracia-Alvarez successfully hosted Boba & Ballots and Cider & Connections events this month. He is now brainstorming ideas and partnerships for next semester’s community engagement initiatives.

Director Raju has rescheduled Social Safety Week for November 10–13, which will include themed awareness events each day. She also attended the Student Insurance Advisory Committee meeting, where the potential addition of a free telehealth service was discussed.

Director Khan recently hosted the RSO Summit and is preparing for Event Planning Training on November 17th. He continues to meet with student organization presidents and will be out of office from November 5th–15th.

Director Safdar has finalized marketing and outreach for InterFEST, with several RSOs confirmed to participate. He is preparing for the orientation meeting with participating RSOs and collaborating with Director Guthrie and the Shocker Career Accelerator on international career development events.

Director Murphy is finalizing preparations for the November 4th SGA Tailgate and coordinating dining plans with Housing & Residence Life to ensure inclusive food options.

Director Olalde-Taylor announced that the upcoming SGA Market will transition into a Community Garden Showcase on November 6th.

Director Guthrie is finalizing speakers and event structure for the upcoming professional development workshop. He is currently confirming the date and location and continuing outreach to potential partners.

Undergraduate Student Advocate Island is currently managing eight active cases, addressing academic, harassment, parking, and financial concerns. He is preparing for the next Academic Data & Policy Task Force (ADPTF) meeting on October 30th and organizing a discussion panel with University Police.

SB-68-117: This Act formally added agencies under each Senate standing committee and made some edits to accurately update the language of the SGA Bylaws. The Senate amended the Act toremove and change some of the language and passed the bill.

SB-68-119: This Act adjusts the eligibility for the Freshman Senator seat to include those in their first year of undergraduate education at Wichita State University regardless of how many credits they may have earned before entering college. It was read on October 15 and passed by the Senate on October 22. Because this Act changes the SGA Constitution, it will require approval from the Student Body in the Spring Elections. Upon majority approval from the student body, the Act will take effect in the Fall 2026 elections.

SB-68-120: This Act changes the SGA Bylaws to match the recent name change of the Shocker Support Locker to the Kiah Duggins Shocker Support Locker. This change is in honor of Kiah Duggins, who passed in the tragic American Airlines 5342 crash earlier this year. The Senate approved this Act following its first read.

AR-68-002: This Resolution encourages the University to support TRIO programs and provide improved communications with students about TRIO programs. TRIO, which is funded by the federal government, is facing significant budget cuts. This Resolution comes as a response to the funding cuts, and it requests that WSU protect this program. The first reading of the Resolution was October 8th, and it was passed by the Senate on October 22.

SB-68-119: This Act adjusts the eligibility for the Freshman Senator seat to include those in their first year of undergraduate education at Wichita State University regardless of how many credits they may have earned before entering college. It was read on October 15 and passed by the Senate on October 22. Because this Act changes the SGA Constitution, it will require approval from the Student Body in the Spring Elections. Upon majority approval from the student body, the Act will take effect in the Fall 2026 elections.  

SB-68-121: This Act approves $150,000 from the Special Projects Account for Phase I of the CAC Theatre ADA Compliance Renovation Project. This is the first step in a renovation plan that will make the CAC Theatre accessible to all students. Phase I will include restructuring the seating area in the center-top of the theatre to create wheelchair and mobility aide accessible seating, renovating the restrooms to make them ADA accessible, replacing the main entry doors, and installing a wheelchair lift in the front of the building. In total, Phase I will cost $300,000 with the other $150,000 coming from the RSC Board of Directors. The Senate approved this funding following a first read of the bill.

SB-68-122: This Act appoints Senator Otten to serve as Pro-Temp of the Government Oversight Committee. This Act was moved to the consent agenda and the consent agenda was adopted with no objections.

The following legislation has been signed and filed as Law: SB-68-115 through SB-68-118 and SB-68-120.

The Government Oversight Committee meets in Smoky Hills Room, RSC 258.

The Government Oversight Committee remains committed to reviewing, updating, and clarifying the policies that guide our student government—ensuring structure, compliance, and support for all members of SGA. If you have any questions, please contact Chairperson Tiwana at sga.govoversight@wichita.edu.

Over the past two weeks, three new senators, Senator Alex Le, Senator Aidan Thibodeau, and Senator Mason Fouquet, have joined the committee, bringing fresh perspectives and enthusiasm to our work. The committee held its first meeting with the new members last week, continuing discussions on ongoing legislative efforts. The Government Oversight Committee also presented the Freshman Definition Bill for its first and final read in Senate, aimed at clarifying eligibility criteria for first-year students.

Additionally, Chairperson Tiwana has appointed Senator Abby Otten as the Pro-Tempore for the Government Oversight Committee, which was approved by the Senate.

The Student Services Committee meets in the Meeker Room, RSC 238.

If any students have thoughts or concerns regarding services on campus, please do not hesitate to reach out to Chairperson Hansen at sga.studentservices@wichita.edu.

Since the last newsletter, Chairperson Hansen has continued reviewing bylaws, policies, and websites for various departments and agencies. Furthermore, she have continued 1:1s with her committee members, including the newly elected midterm senators, in addition to meeting with the new Graduate Student Council president and the president of the First-Generation Student Organization.

Senator Miller’s TRIO legislation passed in the Diversity, Empowerment, and Inclusion Committee and the Senate, and other committee members are working hard on their initiatives.

Senator Argumedo has begun discussions regarding a HIPAA-compliant transportation to specialty medical appointments for students on campus, including discussions with the Director of Student Health Services Heather Stafford about referral data and potential avenues.

Senator Owens is currently going through the International Review Board process for her independent research project regarding grief accommodations in hopes of creating a policy proposal in the spring using this data. She has also had discussions with Director Heather Stafford concerning the financial barriers students face while trying to receive medical care.

As a committee, Student Services has had several discussions regarding parking services, dining services, and housing.

The Diversity, Empowerment, and Inclusion Committee meets in Lancelot Room, RSC 203.

If you have any questions, please contact Chairperson Peng at sga.diversity@wichita.edu.

The Diversity, Empowerment, and Inclusion Committee is working to hear concerns from international students and from students overall by attending agency meetings and events. Chairperson Peng is currently working on a resolution regarding Health Professions students and is still conducting research regarding that legislation.  

The Academic Affairs Committees meets in Mayfield Room, RSC 240.

If you have any questions, please contact Chairperson Kasirosafar at sga.academics@wichita.edu.

Chairperson Kasirosafar has been working on several important projects. The main focus is the Plus/Minus Grading System, with ongoing efforts to prepare legislation introducing an A+ grade to the WSU grading scale. Each senator has been assigned specific tasks, including drafting the resolution, conducting surveys to gather student input, and coordinating outreach with the Faculty Senate to ensure the proposal is well-supported and feasible. The committee is also reviewing academic advising concerns across colleges, focusing on communication, scheduling, and advisor accessibility to identify improvements.

Additionally, Chairperson Kasirosafar attended the Academic Affairs Committee meeting with Raina Rutti and other representatives, where updates were reviewed in Communication, Journalism, and Sport Management programs.