In a meeting that spanned only around 10 minutes, the University of Wisconsin student government approved measures to promote a unilateral attendance policy and consult prior student judiciary decisions before making new rulings.
The Associated Students of Madison Student Council considered a class attendance policy with more broad conditions for excused absences for all students.
University Affairs Chair Carl Fergus said it is crucial for the UW campus to have a unified attendance policy and it is important for ASM to take the initiative to pursue that goal.
Fergus also said he would like to add “a reasonable amount of time for maternity and paternity leave” to the excused absences being proposed, which include court subpoenas, jury duty, military service, bereavement and religious observances.
Shared Governance Chair Melissa Hanley said she is eager to see the new policy come to life.
“This is a great example of what all of ASM should be doing,” Hanley said. “I’d really like to see a lot more of these kinds of initiatives in the future.”
The council unanimously approved the policy change and plans to begin gathering support from UW faculty and staff members.
Student Judiciary Chief Justice Kathryn Fifield also proposed a new bylaw amendment that would require SJ to consult precedents set by previous case decisions while considering future rulings.
Fifield said ASM and SJ should take any measure to ensure old cases are revisited and handled responsibly.
“It’s frustrating to deal with new chief justices who seem to be making decisions out of nowhere,” Fergus said. “I am really glad Kathryn is implementing this policy.”
The bylaw amendment passed without opposition.
ASM also considered the possibility of funding the MadFest Music Festival, scheduled for April 23.
The event aims to provide a culturally enriching experience for all UW students and will be held on campus.
Finance Committee Chair Matt Beemsterboer proposed amending several aspects of the funding to meet requirements for the festival.
Beemsterboer said he would like to add $127 dollars to the event’s advertising fund, the exact amount needed to purchase two full-color, quarter page advertisements in both campus newspapers. The fund now totals $1,127.
All members present voted to approve the funding of the event.
