Florida A&M University Student Senate addresses funding

Written by Luisa Miller

FAMU Senate convened on Zoom Monday with discussions about critical bills and allocating funding and resources vital for the university’s operations and growth.

Notably absent from the proceedings was President-elect Loryn May. In her place, Sen. Jonathan McClover stepped in to address and lead the meeting.

Bills presented Monday were scrutinized heavily throughout the meeting due to the Organization and Finance Committee failing to meet. Several allocation bills were not allowed first reading, with striking throughs implemented for those not vetted by the OFC.

Jamesia Jackson, a FAMU College of Law student, expressed her concerns about the lack of communication between COL and the main campus prior to the meeting. Jackson also urged the senate to be more thorough in updating the college on missed meetings, stating the situation prolonged their ability to receive the necessary funding.

“What are the procedures,” Jackson said. “Wasn’t this something set up before and should have occurred? In terms of how this will work and dates of holding up our funds…why weren’t we notified about this before?”

Senators engaged in spirited debates throughout the meeting, weighing the merits and implications of each bill. Discussions centered on the equitable distribution of resources to address pressing needs across various departments and student organizations.

Lina Ibrahim, president of the Graduate Physical Therapy Association, wanted to reiterate the concern about the lack of communication between the colleges. Ibrahim noted that the School of Allied Health Sciences was not included in the meeting agenda and asked them to be notified about upcoming meetings.

“We’re here because, on the agenda, I saw that our names weren’t on the list,” Ibrahim said. “I would like to ask that the advisor and the president [Ibrahim] be CC’d with the information so we can move forward with our funding allocations.”

The Senate also touched base on the issues surrounding the Miss FAMU elections and the FAMU Electoral Commission, along with the FAMU Supreme Court’s decision to allow the appointment of a new Miss FAMU.

Sen. Jaylin Hankerson-Strappy acknowledged the forces behind the scenes of the Miss FAMU elections and stated that SGA has no further information until the EC and judicial branches make their decisions. Strappy, however, did say information would be on the way.

“There’s a lot of things happening behind the scenes with the president and the Supreme Court,” Hankerson-Strappy said. “We should know something in the near future.”