A freshman senator resigned from her position during the 36th Student Senate meeting Wednesday because she did not have the necessary GPA.
“I will no longer be a freshman senator,” said Amber Gray, 18, a pharmacy student from Jackson, Miss.
Although the final grade-pulling process for the fall semester has yet to be completed, Gray said she knows she has not met the minimum 2.5 grade point average requirement.
“I know for a fact that my GPA is lower than a 2.5,” said Gray, who had five classes last semester. Two of the classes were college preparatory courses, which means she will receive no credit for them.
Chemistry was one of the courses Gray pursued, but she was unsuccessful in the course.
“Seventy-five percent of my class received a failing grade,” Gray said. “I felt I had given my homework 100 percent.”
Gray said her faith helped her through this situation.
“God will never put more on you than you can bear,” she said to her former colleagues. “I feel in no way that I have failed, but I have learned from my mistakes, gained wisdom and formed wonderful friendships.”
Other senators expressed empathy for freshman senators, who must meet GPA expectations their first semester
“I feel many officials have a grace period,” said Amari Jones, 17, an environmental science student from Houston. “They have until the summer to get their grades together, but as freshmen senators we don’t get that opportunity.”
Jones said something has to be done about the disparity. “I am writing a bill,” she said.
“Please do not think you have seen the last of Amber Gray!”
Gray said as she wrapped up her speech to the Senate.
She said she plans to continue to represent the freshman class and help make progress for her peers.
Gray left the Senate with a quote by Theodore Roosevelt: “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”Other items on the agenda included the spring Activities and Services budget and committee reports.
The Senate discussed the spring A&S budget, which is collected from students’ tuition.
Ten dollars and fifty cents per credit hour is taken from each student.
The budget for spring is approximately $3.2 million. The Senate typically gives money to the same clubs and organizations every year, but the budget is now open to all recognized university clubs and organizations.
“This helps to assure that the allocation of student monies is accurately reflected of the campus environment,” said Senate President Ebony Manchion, 22, a business administration student from Fort Lauderdale.
Manchion said that because the university is constantly changing, it is important to give new clubs and organizations access to the A&S budget. But she said those clubs and organizations must be beneficial to the student body, and they must wait a full calendar year after establishment to be eligible for A&S funds.
In the committee reports, the Student Relations Committee said there will be no African Love Showcase this year because there will be no African Love Week.
It is now up to the executive branch to sponsor this event.The recreation center’s new hours were also discussed in the committee reports. The center has had to cut back its hours because of low finances.
Student employees have yet to come back to work.
Manchion said Vincent June, vice president for student affairs, is working with the center to resolve the issue.
“The rec (officials) will be taking care of that shortly,” she said.