By Laura Rodell

Following the path of the Student Government Association, the University Senate turned to online voting this week to fill its empty seats.

The University Senate, separate and distinct from SGA, is comprised of individuals representing the University’s various constituencies, including faculty, administration, undergraduate and graduate students. In recent years, however, no undergraduate students have claimed their rightful place on the Senate, leaving seats empty and the University’s largest constituency unrepresented.

“It didn’t make any sense to me that, if given the opportunity to participate, why students weren’t doing so,” Ellen Frisina, chairperson of the Senate Executive Committee and associate professor in the Journalism, Mass Media, Public Relations department, said. “Students would come up and ask me why the University isn’t doing this or that for them and my response is to ask them why students don’t get involved in what is probably the most powerful governing body on campus?”

The Senate bylaws entitle four undergraduate student senators, one graduate student senator, the president of SGA and the president of the Graduate Student Organization (GSO) to hold seats on the University Senate, where they can vote on a wide range of campus issues. No other interest has offered nearly the amount of positions as students, with the School of Communication, for instance, holding only one voting seat.

Those elected to a one-year senatorial term were Cristal Kayel, Kathleen Hunker, Michael LaFemina and Kate Legnetti. The remaining five students became senators-at-large. Additionally, Vincent Perniciaro was elected graduate senator, along with four graduate senators-at-large.

Together, the seven student senators make up the Student Affairs Committee, along with four undergraduate senators-at-large and one graduate student senator-at-large, who do not hold voting power in the Senate.

In February, four students who expressed interest were appointed to senator. As members of a makeshift Student Affairs Committee, they made a priority of resuscitating the Senate’s student sector.

“We started meeting in March to discuss issues like financial aid, student accounts, commuter parking, statues on campus, student elections and basically how to maintain student involvement in the democratic process,” Kayel, a freshman chair of the Student Affairs Committee and a newly-elected senator, said.

Applications to become a student senator were available throughout April on the Hofstra Portal and online elections were held last week to select four undergraduate senators out of a pool of nine candidates.

“The turnout was incredible, with 381 students casting votes,” Caroline Porr, the University’s Senior Support Specialist, said.

Students are enthusiastic about having their voices amplified.

“It’s great that the committee is back up and running,” Peter DiSilvio, president of SGA, said. “Anything that gives students a place to have more input is an amazing accomplishment for us.”