The Student Government Association dealt with member absences during their regular meeting Thursday night.

SGA President James Orr told the senate during his executive report that his administration will keep up and enforce the senate’s absenteeism policy.

According to the SGA Constitution, senators are allowed two unexcused absences before senators can bring articles of impeachment against a senator.

“At the beginning of the year, (the Executive Council) said we were going to take absences very serious,” Orr said He then asked Secretary General Rachel Mansfield which senators were over their two-absences allowance.

Orr continued to press the issue during a presentation on senate procedures given by Sen. Chris Cherry.

Orr asked, “If I’m a senator and one of my senate members haven’t been attending meetings and I think that’s not fair, what do I do?” Cherry told Orr that it would be the job of the senate to proceed with impeachment.

“If you’re not here to serve the students, then you’re not doing your job,” Orr said.

In new business, senators moved to impeach Eric Rivera, who represents the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences. However, Orr recommended tabling the motion “until he can get his excuses together.”

Senate documents show that Rivera has currently has four unexcused absences.

The senate unanimously voted to table the articles of impeachment, and Orr said Rivera would be notified.

Orr said SGA’s meeting was successful and that he was “proud that when (senators) saw things that weren’t to procedure, (senators) spoke out.”

In other SGA business: • Adviser David Belote told senators that the first five scholarships were awarded from the student travel study fee for trips to Australia and Germany. The grants were for $500 each.

• Campus Recreation will make a presentation to senate about a new recreation facility. Student Trustee Amy Prevost has challenged every senator to bring students to the presentation, Orr said.

• Allison Martinez was unanimously confirmed and sworn in to senate as an at-large member.