The University of Central Florida Board of Trustees unanimously passed a controversial amendment dictating the role of student government. However, before the vote, SGA President and Trustee Chris Clemente proposed a revision to the regulation which enables the Senate to determine the “allocation and expenditure” for the Activity and Service Fee budget.

That revision was passed unanimously by the Board and is included in the amendment, a major win for students and student government.

The original Board proposal changed the role of the Senate from determining how the Activity and Service Fee budget is spent to proposing how it is spent for final Board approval. Several current and former SGA members condemned the original Board amendment.

“After consulting with cabinet members and with the four students that came to me…I felt it prudent to propose the amendment” which continues to grant the Senate the power to determine how the Activity and Service Fee budget is spent, Clemente said to the Board.

The amendment Clemente proposed seems to indicate that SGA is still a “real”  government as defined by state law, and therefore must comply with laws regarding public records and open meetings.