Duke Student Government passed a resolution in hopes of improving the diversity of senate and approved over $20,000 in funding requests during its Wednesday meeting.
The senate also received an update on DSG’s financial state in a closed session. In April 2024, SOFC experienced insufficient funding, forcing some campus groups to limit their programming.
Representation within the DSG senate
Senators passed a resolution that seeks to make efforts to include underrepresented groups within the senate. The proposal outlined a new committee that will pass legislation to establish senate seats for identified groups, such as students from Duke Kunshan University and multicultural organizations. The resolution was introduced by juniors Yash Sharma, speaker of the senate, and Edison Chen, vice president of the Engagement and Advocacy Committee.
Sharma explained that the legislation’s main purpose is to have “topic experts” within the senate who are able to speak on “umbrella organizations that they oversee.” This addition will ensure representatives can speak on particular funding requests or other pieces of legislation. However, Senators must amend the senate’s bylaw to create these new seats…