SGA voted on making September “Campus Fire Safety Month” and discussed changing laws regarding formal campaigning and membership on the Elections Board at its weekly Senate meeting.

Max Zinner, graduate school senator, presented an amendment to Chapter 702 of the Code of Laws that removed a statement stating that members of the Election Board must be full-time students or enrolled in the University graduation course.

Zinner said that being a full-time student was not a requirement of serving as a senator or other officer, and he felt it was unnecessary. Zinner also argued that graduate students were unfairly excluded by a full-time requirement.

The amendment would shorten the law’s requirement of members remaining in “good academic standing” to “good standing.”

Zinner said the change would make the language more concise and simplified, not to create a new barrier of entry.

The amendment would also remove the possibility of members of the Elections Board from being members of the senate, executive cabinet or an executive officer.

Zinner presented another amendment that would alter Chapter 708, which addresses formal campaigning. The amendment would remove a section that said no campaigning may “mar the dignity of Auburn University or its campus.”

Zinner said the statement is too broad and could be abused for favoritism and corruption in the Elections Board.

The section also contained a statement on banning libelous or slanderous language, but that statement was kept in the law.

Senate successfully voted on making September the official “Campus Fire Safety Month.” The Office of Risk Management and Safety will be hosting activities throughout the month of September to educate students on how to prevent housing-related fires.

During the open-floor time, a potential new set of benchmarks for graduation were discussed known as “Living the Creed.” 

These benchmarks would be based on individual portions of the Auburn Creed and would require undergraduate students, starting with the fall 2019 freshman class, to take certain classes such as financial literacy and do community service in order to graduate.