The voting field remains empty as UB’s Undergraduate Student Association prepares to hold Senate elections from Sept. 19-23.
“Senate Candidates are coming in slowly because of [low] student interest in serving as a representor,” Tendaji Ya’Ukuu, an assistant director of communications for the SA, said.
The coming election will look to fill 12 vacant seats in the senate. There are 23 total seats in the senate, 11 of which are currently occupied by three SA e-board members, seven coordinators and the Student Affairs Director.
SA senators will oversee the organization’s annual budget, hold power to recognize and derecognize clubs and work with the executive committee to advocate on behalf of UB undergraduates.
Students seeking a seat in the senate must be currently-registered, full-time UB undergraduates in “good academic standing.” They also need to obtain at least 50 signatures from current UB undergraduate students on their petitions for submission by Friday at noon, in 350 Student Union.
Students will also vote in a referendum on the mandatory student fee, a $109 “student activity fee” paid by UB’s undergraduate student body that goes straight to the Student Association.
The fee funds SA events — such as Fall and Spring Fest — clubs, services, advocacy and SA-provided services including the food pantry, tutoring and legal consultations.
Voting will take place both online and in person in the SU lobby from Monday, Sept. 19 at 9 a.m. to Friday, Sept. 23 at 4 p.m.
Kyle Nguyen is a senior news/features editor and can be reached at kyle.nguyen@ubspectrum.com
Kyle Nguyen is a senior news/features editor at The Spectrum.
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
