In an effort to improve communication with the student body, Duke Student Government proposed this week to publish more information about its activities on its Web site. The bylaw changes will be voted on at next Wednesday's meeting.
Proposals include additions to the site such as senators' attendance records, as well as the publication of house rules that will be updated annually. The Senate also voted in favor of a resolution to publish senators' voting records online.
"It should not be a mystery how we operate," said Academic Affairs senator Gregory Morrison, a sophomore and Chronicle columnist. "These [resolutions] are designed to increase the ability of the student body to have direct oversight over DSG-it's a large measure of accountability."
According to the proposed bylaw changes, each senator's attendance record will be updated on the DSG Web site within two days of the most recent meeting. Students will be able to access senators' records by clicking on their names, and senators with excused absences will be differentiated from those whose absences were unexcused.
Senators' voting records would be published online, allowing students to keep track of how senators vote on significant pieces of legislation. With the publication of voting and attendance records, students can make more informed decisions during election season, Morrison said.
"The idea is that from now on, we'll be building public records-all serious [legislative bodies] like the House and Senate do this," he said.
In an e-mail sent to DSG members following the meeting, Executive Secretary Cami Parrish, a sophomore, notified senators of DSG office hours to be implemented from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, "in order to increase accessibility and communication with the student body." The office hours are open to students and will be held in the DSG office.
During the meeting, the Senate also approved of the five organizations that received chartered or recognized status from the Student Organization Finance Committee: Triathlon Club, Public Speaking Club, Duke Swing Dance Club, La Societe Francais-a group to promote French cultural awareness-and Net Impact, which looks to impact society through business and corporate responsibility.
Because DSG and SOFC have been put under the spotlight because of scrutinized budget allocations, SOFC Chair Sam Halls, a junior, said SOFC is still looking to reassess the number and importance of campus groups.
"We are in the process of working through the approval process-we want to streamline things and examine the necessity of groups and make sure that they will do or accomplish something," he said.
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