The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) senate unanimously voted to pass a resolution stating that the senate will pressure Stony Brook University faculty and staff to conform to university policies regarding course syllabi and textbook requisitions at its final meeting of the semester Thursday evening.

Each year, course material requisitions are due on April 5 for the summer and fall semesters and on Oct. 12 for the winter and spring semesters, according to Office of the Provost’s Liaison policy. USG Vice President of Academic Affairs Steven Adelson, who proposed the resolution, said that not all course instructors adhere to this policy, and not all syllabi conform to the Minimal Instructional and Student Responsibilities endorsed by the University Senate.

The resolution also contains the senate’s request that course syllabi be reviewed by the Stony Brook Curriculum Implementation Group, the university committee directing the transition to the new curriculum that will apply to incoming freshmen in Fall 2014.

Sen. Jawad Mourabet and Sen. Vincent Justiniano proposed a failed bill that would have required USG members would notify the USG president of any appointments to university committees outside of USG.

The bill was a redraft of another bill Adelson had previously proposed, which would have given the University and Academic Affairs Committee the authority to approve and remove appointees for university committees and to collect monthly reports from the appointees. Adelson presented his version of the act at the May 1 senate meeting, and the senate voted unanimously to send the act back to the Academic Affairs committee for further deliberation.

Mourabet and Justiniano’s version of the act, which was originally titled the Steven Adelson External Committee Appointment Act, was renamed the Jawad Mourabet External Committee Appointment Act after Adelson said that he did not want his name attached to an act he did not write.

Although the senate’s vote on this act was 10-6-4, the amendment did not pass by the majority of filled senate seats needed.

The senate voted, 19-0-1, to pass another resolution in which the senate requests that the hours of operation for the Health Sciences Library would mirror those of Melville Library, and that the Health Sciences Library would offers extended hours during final examinations as Melville Library does.

The resolution states that the senate requests extended hours of operation for both libraries during the winter and summer intersessions.

The senate passed the 2014 Responsible Hall Council Funding Act to replace the repealed 2011 Responsible Hall Council Funding Act. The new act allows the Residence Hall Association to fund recently created quad councils. The vote on the new act was 16-0-1.

The senate voted unanimously to pass an act that changes the bylaws of the Student Activities Board (SAB) so that the USG treasurer and vice president of communications can designate assistants to carry out responsibilities to SAB. The act also requires the presidents of RHA and the Commuter Student Association to give the vice president of student life at least 24-hours notice if they plan to send proxies to SAB meetings.

The senate voted, 16-0-1, to pass an act that appropriated $30,000 from USG’s unallocated funds to SAB. Vice President of Communications Mario Ferone said that because SAB did not receive a significant amount of revenue from the Brookfest concert, the board will likely go over its budget without addition funds.

President Adil Hussain briefed the senate on his decision to veto the Full Disclosure Amendment to the Election Bylaws that was passed by the senate during its May 1 meeting. The amendment would have changed the deadlines for submitting rosters for party coalitions and for submitting party bylaws. Hussain said that Election Board had not been consulted about the amendment.

The senate also recognized Esam Al-Shareffi, who is retiring as the senate’s parliamentarian. Al-Shareffi, who has been involved in USG since 2003, records the minutes of senate meetings and consults the senate on Robert’s Rules of Order and parliamentary procedure. Al-Shareffi said that he will continue pursuing his M.D. and his Ph.D. at the university.

Meeting in Brief:

• President Hussain briefed the Senate on the repeal of the Full Disclosure Amendment to the Election Bylaws
• The Conformity of Course Instructors to University Policies Resolution was passed
• The Jawad Mourabet External Committee Appointment Act failed to pass
• The Extension of Library Hours of Operations Resolution was passed
• The 2014 Responsible Hall Council Funding Act was passed.
• The Student Activities Board Bylaws Act was passed
• The Unallocated to SAB Appropriations Act was passed