Crow’s Nest file photo
By Dylan Hart
All three USF student governments passed a new constitution last week, which decides how SG will function in a consolidated university and gives the authority to administer Activities and Services fees to a senate based in Tampa and populated primarily by Tampa senators.
Senators at USF St. Petersburg passed the bill with 11 votes and one abstention on Oct. 14. USF Tampa’s legislative branch passed the bill unanimously on Oct. 15. The next day, senators at USF Sarasota-Manatee passed it as well.
The constitution changes the structure of SG to follow a federalized model, where senators from all campuses will be part of an overarching senate in Tampa. Each campus will also have an independent “campus council,” which will oversee local legislation, as well as a campus court and a campus governor.
The general student population will have a chance to vote on the constitution later this month in a referendum. If students reject the constitution, it will be turned over to university administration for a final decision.
