A bill requiring committee chairs to meet with Executive Committee members topped the Student Government Association Senate meeting Thursday, Nov. 17.

Senate Bill 5, proposed by Chris Cherry, Anthony Lindsey and the Procedures Committee, would require the SGA president, vice president and secretary-general to have biweekly meetings with standing committee chairs to “collaborate on (SGA) business and functions.”

However, the bill was not brought up for vote because a quorum of voting senators was not present for the vote.

Secretary-General Rachel Mansfield said a quorum of senators was present at the beginning of the meeting, but that a number of senators left before the bill was brought up for a vote.

In his executive report, President James Orr told the senate that SGA has awarded 65 travel-study scholarships from the newly-instituted travel-study fee, passed by SGA in the spring. Orr said he was excited that students are taking advantage of the scholarships.

Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Al Hooten was the guest of SGA, and Hooten spoke on the progress of state-funded capital improvements, campus construction and housing.

Hooten told senators that the significantly delayed University Village housing construction was “very frustrating,” but he said the entire complex should be ready for occupation by the end of this semester. Buildings C and B are currently occupied, and buildings D and E are awaiting state fire marshal approval. Building A is still under construction. The entire complex was originally slated to open in August.

Hooten also discussed the planned progression into the Department of Housing’s “Phase II” project, in which McCord Hall would be demolished to make room for a new dorm. McCord is slated to be demolished “at the earliest in the spring,” Hooten said.

Hooten said that McCord, a “Y-dorm” that holds 530 beds, will have to be vacated to begin the demolition, forcing students to move into Ellington or Browning Halls, dorms that are already filled to capacity. “It’s a dilemma,” Hooten said. “We have more students than we have beds. We don’t know what we’re going to do.”

Hooten said the university anticipated a housing problem when Phase II began, and to alleviate the burden, housing administrators permitted that the Martin Place apartments be considered “on-campus” to fulfill freshmen and sophomore residents’ two-year on-campus housing requirement.

Some senators asked Hooten if a possible solution would be to scale back the two-year requirement to a one-year requirement, and Hooten said that is a “viable option.”

Among the capital improvement projects set for state approval and funding is a heating, ventilation and air conditioning renovation for the Business Administration Building. Hooten said that renovation would take a year and would begin in May 2007. During that time, the entire building, which houses several classrooms and offices, would be completely closed.

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning renovations are also being planned for the west side of the Humanities Building. A $1.6 million HVAC renovation project for the east side, which primarily houses faculty offices, is slated for completion in February. The west side of the building houses classrooms.

Hooten also told senators that administrators are working to find solutions for campus parking problems.

The meeting also included the first-ever “Student Organization Spotlight,” a formal recognition of campus organizations by the senate. The spotlight was proposed and implemented by SGA’s Communications Committee. The senate recognized the LEAD Academy. Students from each of the three LEAD levels gave short descriptions of the academy.

President Orr also told senators to invite students to a campus-wide forum co-sponsored by SGA and the Student Activities Council. The forum will hear students’ concerns on campus parking. The forum will be this Thursday in the Watkins Auditorium. Orr said the time is to be announced.