Amplifying Student Voices

AR-68-017: This Resolution appoints Senator Andrew Beam as the Interim Academic Affairs Chairperson with Chairperson Kasirosafar being out of the country for ten or more days. This Resolution was passed by the Senate through the Consent Agenda on April 1, 2026.

SB-68-156: This Act amends language in the SGA bylaws to reclassify agencies as recognized student organizations and creates a new category for student organizations known as agencies, which will be approved by the Student Senate. Through this Act, agencies will no longer be directly funded by SGA through the President’s Budget, and the agencies will have to go through the Appropriations process. A new tier will be created in this legislation for agencies, where agencies can request up to $30,000 in funding, unless the agency requests an exception to that limit from the Student Body Treasurer. Under this Act, Agency presidents will no longer be compensated by SGA for their stipends. The first reading of the Act was on March 11th, and it was referred to the Government Oversight Committee, where the committee recommended that it be approved. This Act was passed by the Senate in its second read on April 1, 2026.

SB-68-165: This Act adds new language within the SGA bylaws to form a Wichita State University Police Department Advisory Board. The proposed board would meet at least twice per semester to bring concerns to the police department, and to alleviate concerns via conversations with the members of the board. The proposed board would consist of the Student Body President serving as Chair, the Student Services Chairperson or designee, a Senator appointed by the Speaker, the Chief of the Wichita State Police Department or designee, two employees of the Wichita State Police Department, appointed by the chief, three residence assistants appointed by the Student Body President, the President of Staff Senate or designee, the President of Faculty Senate or designee, the WSU Tech Head of Security or designee, two WSU students majoring in political science or criminal justice appointed by the Student Body President, and a representative from the Wichita Police Department appointed by the WPD North Captain. This body is not intended to serve as an appeals board. The first read of the Act was on April 1st, and it was referred to the Student Services Committee, where the committee made amendments. With the amendments, the committee recommended that the legislation be approved. This Act will go before the Senate for its second read on April 15, 2026.  

AR-68-016: This Resolution urges the University to continue to focus efforts towards improving visibility of and knowledge of research opportunities on campus to address barriers to awareness of research opportunities and help students feel more informed about undergraduate research on campus. The Resolution also urges that the University consider placing further emphasis upon offering class credit or scholarships for students who pursue research opportunities to encourage more students to participate in research or offer tuition stipends for students who enroll in independent study, collaborative study classes, or special investigation courses to address financial barriers to research. Additionally, the resolution urges the University to considerintegrating research into more courses and encourage the promotion of existing research courses to overcome barriers attributed to lack of time, encourage researching faculty to consider taking mentees and providing resources to those faculty which facilitates helpful mentor-mentee relationships to address barriers attributed to lack of guidance/mentorship. The first read of the Resolution was on April 1st, and it was referred to the Academic Affairs Committee, where the committee recommended the legislation to be approved. This Act will go before the Senate for its second read on April 15, 2026.  

SB-68-160: This Act adds new language within the SGA bylaws to establish a need-based graduate scholarship for rural students in congressional district one in Kansas. The proposedlanguage would establish a need-based scholarship for District 1 residents of Kansas to pursue higher education programs, such as master’s and PhD programs provided by Wichita State University. Recipients of this scholarship must have completed a bachelor’s program at an accredited institution and will provide proof of residence in District 1. The proposed scholarship will be overseen by the Student Government Association. The first read of the Act was on April 1st, and it was referred to the Government Oversight Committee, where the committee made amendments. With the amendments, the committee recommended that the legislation be approved. This Act will go before the Senate for its second read on April 15, 2026.  

SB-68-164: This Act adds new language within the SGA bylaws to establish a mechanism for unfinished legislative initiatives to be compiled in a report by the Speaker of the Senate at the end of the Session. At the conclusion of each Legislative Session, a report shall be created to document legislative initiatives, proposals, and policy concepts that were introduced or discussed during the Session but were not completed prior to adjournment of the session. At the beginning of a new Legislative Session, the Central Office or the former Speaker of the Senate, when available, shall present the Unfinished Legislative Initiatives Report to the Student Senate. The presentation shall serve to inform incoming Senators of prior legislative ideas, discussions, and proposals from the previous Session that may provide inspiration or a starting point for new legislative efforts. The first read of the Act was on April 1st, and it was referred to the Legislative Affairs Committee, where the committee recommended that it be approved. This Act went before the Senate for its second read on April 8, 2026.  

SB-68-167: This Act authorizes the allocation of funds of $60,000 to establish and support the Shocker Fridge Program. This initiative aims to provide students and faculty/staff with access to free food from the RSC food court to address food insecurity and promote student well-being at Wichita State. $40,000 is a one-time cost, and $10,000 is budgeted for all IT onboarding, and an additional $10,000 to fund the ongoing cost for the first fiscal year (FY27). Funding for this project is dependent on approval of the Data Management Committee of the University and signed contracts. This program will be housed and staffed by the Kiah Duggins Support Locker Staff. Chartwells Dining Services will be the primary operational partner responsible for food preparation, stocking, safety compliance, and ongoing maintenance of food inventory within the refrigerators. The Student Government Association Central Office, in collaboration with the CARE Team and Chartwells, will coordinate the implementation of the Shocker Food Fridge Initiative, including vendor communication, campus placement, and program oversight. This Act was passed by the Senate in its first and final read on April 1, 2026.

SB-68-168: This Act amends language within the SGA bylaws in restructuring the Student Organization Council. The first read of the Act was on April 1st, and it was referred to the Government Oversight Committee, where the committee made amendments. With the amendments, the committee recommended that the legislation be approved. This Act will go before the Senate for its second read on April 15, 2026.  

SB-68-146: This Act amends language within the SGA bylaws in establishing the International Student Mentorship Program shall be to support the successful transition, integration, and retention of incoming international students at Wichita State University. The program is established to provide structured opportunities for academic, social, and cultural engagement to enhance student success and sense of belonging. The International Student Mentorship Program shall be primarily administered and overseen by the Student Government Association. The Student Government Association shall collaborate with the Office of International Education, to support program implementation, coordination, and student engagement.  The first read of the Act was on April 1st, and it was referred to the Diversity, Empowerment, and Inclusion Committee, where the committee made amendments. With the amendments, the committee recommended that the legislation be approved. This Act will go before the Senate for its second read on April 15, 2026.  

SB-68-159: This Act amends language within the SGA bylaws in adjusting the required documentation for the semester report. The new language will require organizations to submit documentation to confirm conference/competition attendance in their email report if an organization is a Tier 3 organization. Documentation can be, but not limited to Event registration confirmation, hotel confirmation or receipts, travel itineraries with travel confirmations, conference or competition acceptance letters. For organizations that have not yet attended by the time of the Annual Report deadline, this information shall be added to the next report. The first read of the Act was on April 1st, and it was referred to the Government Oversight Committee, where the committee made amendments. With the amendments, the committee recommended that the legislation be approved. This Act will go before the Senate for its second read on April 15, 2026.  

SB-68-169: This Act adds new language within the SGA bylaws to establish language for Senator Floor Speeches. The first read of the Act was on April 1st, and it was referred to the Legislative Affairs Committee, where the committee made amendments. With the amendments, the committee recommended that the legislation be approved. This Act went before the Senate for its second read on April 8, 2026.  

SB-68-154: This Act amends the Student Bill of Rights to include universal protections for students. Within the amendments, no student shall be precluded from participation or discriminated against in any way at Wichita State. The bill defined protected classes, discrimination definition, and accessibility definition. The first reading of the Act was on March 25th, and it was referred to be reviewed by the Student Services Committee. This Act was approved by the Senate for its second read on April 8, 2026.

AR-68-015: This Resolution urges the University to prioritize the safety of students, staff, and faculty during inclement winter weather by aligning its inclement winter weather policies with those of USD 259. If USD 259 cancels or delays school due to inclement winter weather, the University is urged to match USD 259’s call. The Student Government Association also urges the University to consider moving all classes online or simply cancelling classes for the day as alternative options. The first reading of the Act was on March 25th, and it was referred to be reviewed by the Student Services Committee. This Act was approved by the Senate for its second read on April 8, 2026.

SB-68-164: This Act adds new language within the SGA bylaws to establish a mechanism for unfinished legislative initiatives to be compiled in a report by the Speaker of the Senate at the end of the Session. At the conclusion of each Legislative Session, a report shall be created to document legislative initiatives, proposals, and policy concepts that were introduced or discussed during the Session but were not completed prior to adjournment of the session. At the beginning of a new Legislative Session, the Central Office or the former Speaker of the Senate, when available, shall present the Unfinished Legislative Initiatives Report to the Student Senate. The presentation shall serve to inform incoming Senators of prior legislative ideas, discussions, and proposals from the previous Session that may provide inspiration or a starting point for new legislative efforts. The first read of the Act was on April 1st, and it was referred to the Legislative Affairs Committee, where the committee recommended that it be approved. This Act was approved by the Senate for its second read on April 8, 2026.  

SB-68-169: This Act adds new language within the SGA bylaws to establish language for Senator Floor Speeches. The first read of the Act was on April 1st, and it was referred to the Legislative Affairs Committee, where the committee made amendments. With the amendments, the committee recommended that the legislation be approved. This Act went before the Senate for its second read on April 8, 2026.  

SB-68-166: This Act amends language within the SGA bylaws to amend the Clerk of the Senate position to clarify Clerk responsibilities and scenarios regarding absences. This legislation skipped its committee read as it was drafted by the Legislative Affairs Committee. The first read of the Act was on April 8th. This Act will go before the Senate for its second read on April 15, 2026.

The following legislation has been signed and filed as Law: SB-68-145, SB-68-149, AR-68-011, AR-68-012, and SB-68-152.

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

The Government Oversight Committee continues its work to review, strengthen, and clarify the governing policies that guide the Student Government Association. The Government Oversight Committee remains committed to ensuring transparency, consistency, and structural support across SGA. If you have any questions, please contact Chairperson Tiwana at sga.govoversight@wichita.edu.

Over the past two weeks, the committee has been focused on advancing key legislation and preparing items for committee read and Senate consideration:The following bills were scheduled for committee read the week of 4/8:

• SB-68-168, which proposed restructuring the Student Organization Council to enhance its effectiveness as a communication bridge between SGA and Registered Student Organizations
• SB-68-159, which established a formal Student Organization Tier verification process
• SB-68-160, which proposed the creation of a need-based higher education scholarship for rural students in District One of Kansas.

Following approval from the Legislative Affairs Committee, the following bills will be up for second read in Senate the week of 4/8, both authored by Senator Otten:

• SB-68-164, established a framework to record and report unfinished legislative initiatives for future Senate sessions.
• SB-68-169, added provisions for Senator floor speeches into the SGA Bylaws.

Additionally, Chairperson Tiwana worked alongside Speaker Phan and Senate leadership to draft legislation amending the SGA Bylaws regarding the role of the Clerk of 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.

Senator Hatch’s “Act to Amend the Student Bill of Rights” and Senator Tims’ “An Act to Prioritize the Coordination of WSU and USD 259’s Inclement Winter Weather Policies” Passed unanimously in the Student Services Committee on April 1st and was on the floor for their second read April 8th.

Senator Winslow’s “An Act to Create a University Police Advisory Board” had its first read on April 1st, and the Student Services Committee voted on it on April 8th.

Senator Argumedo met with Speaker Phan and Student Services Chairperson Hansenon April 6th to discuss the potential finalization of the Lyft Medical Rideshare initiative and the upcoming deadlines.

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.

Senator Artiaga’s International Student Mentorship Bill is up for committee reading this week where there will be amendments made regarding some bylaw changes.

Additionally, Chairperson Peng and Speaker Phan met with ISU President Dion Samuel regarding the mentorship legislation. With the Session ending, Senators are making goals and legislation they wish to achieve in this upcoming new Session.

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

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

The Academic Affairs Committee has been reviewing next steps after the veto of the " An Act to Consider the Adoption of an A+ Grading Designation at Wichita State University.”

The committee reviewed and recommended that the Student Senate approve AR-68-016: An Act to Address Barriers to Undergraduate Research. As the Session comes to a close, the committee will be finalizing goals, legislation, and initiatives that they wish to address in the next Session.