The Student Association Assembly is looking for UB to support companies that are conflict-free.
SA Assembly discussed forming a conflict-free task force Wednesday – an initiative that would push the university to support companies that use conflict-free minerals in electronics.
Conflict minerals are minerals mined in areas of armed conflict and human rights abuses. They are commonly found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
SA Assembly discussed working toward creating this group, the recent Athletics Town Hall meeting and reviewing constitutional amendments in its meeting on Wednesday night.
The conflict-free task force, which will be formed by the assembly, will also be open to non-members, according to SA Assembly Speaker James Corra.
“The task force will brainstorm and research ways to ensure university support of companies that support conflict-free minerals,” Corra said.
The Assembly also discussed its recent initiative for professors include sexual assault and Title IX information on all course syllabi.
In December, the Assembly asked the Faculty Senate to create a resolution that requires professors to do this. The Faculty Senate has yet to pass such a resolution.
The Assembly also discussed further reviewing its constitutional amendments.
Corra said he met with the Rules Committee on Tuesday to discuss the Assembly’s constitutional amendments.
He said they look at amendments regarding Student-Wide Judiciary (SWJ) and also formatted the amendment on Assembly meeting plans. Corra said the amendments will be further discussed at the Assembly’s next meeting.
SA Assembly also recapped the recent Athletics Town Hall meeting that occurred last week. Four administrators from UB Athletics and Recreation attended the meeting, which allowed about 70 students, mostly from SA club teams, to ask questions and voice their frustrations with the state of recreation and lack of student funds that go into it.
The SA executive board is calling for a split of the athletic and recreational fee.
“We pay about $250 to $275 a semester to Athletics but your total fee is $290 because 92 percent goes to Athletics and 8 percent goes to recreation,” Corra said.
He said the recreational facilities were not up to par with what the students desired for such a hefty fee.
“Another issue a lot of students saw is that the athletic program right now is funded at about 4 percent by ticket sales and about 77 percent by subsidies, both in the university and students so it’s not bringing in a huge source of income on its own,” Corra said.
The next SA Assembly meeting will take place on March 9 at 7 p.m. in Student Union 330.
Ashley Inkumsah is a news desk editor and can be reached at ashley.inkumsah@ubspectrum.com.
