In an effort to improve poor relations between ASG and student groups, ASG senators Wednesday unanimously approved new student group guidelines.

Associated Student Government members amended the guidelines to make Executive Committee meetings open to all students, although the committee can still hold confidential meetings at its discretion.

“We need to emphasize communication and accountability, which we have not had in recent years,” said A&O Productions Senator Ben Patterson and author of the amendment. “The student body should be able to decide if a group is worthwhile on the campus.”

Senate also passed two other bills, one asking for cable television in dorms and another asking for group study space for McCormick students.

Major changes to the student group guidelines include overhauling ASG’s annual review procedure and renaming C-status student groups to temporary, or T-status.

The status of each student group will now be decided by majority vote.

Under the old guidelines, committee members ranked groups on scale of 0 to 100, and status was determined by the average score. Many students said the numerical evaluations allowed individual votes too much weight.

“They could give a really low number to a group they didn’t like and a really high number to a group they did like,” said Hilary Zalar, ASG executive vice president. “This is another step in the direction ASG has been going for a number of years. It is more important to have a system in which consensus of the committee is represented.”

Instead of applying for A-, B- or T-status, now student groups will just apply for status. The Executive Committee will then decide on a group’s status, Zalar said.

“We have changed it (so) that you can’t become (T)-status if the committee determines it more appropriate for the student group to be B-status,” she said.

Senators said the change to T-status is not much more than a simple name change.

Also at Wednesday’s meeting:

• Senators passed a bill to lobby administrators for cable TV in dorms.

Students have been asking for cable since 1981, and the university now plans to implement an Internet video system that will allow students to watch cable TV on their computers.

Although administrators have promised to bring high speed Internet access to all dorm rooms by Fall 2000, senators voted to continue lobbying for cable. They said the Internet video may not offer the programming that cable TV would guarantee.

• A bill to make the executive vice president appointed by an ASG selection committee was withdrawn after another piece of internal legislation failed.

• Senate passed legislation to create more group study facilities for McCormick students.

• President Steve Spaulding presented ideas for hiring a professional legal counsel to provide legal advice for NU students.

• Spaulding also proposed budgeting ASG money for paddleboats in the Lagoon. The university will provide funds if ASG agrees to fund as well. Administrators told ASG leaders paddleboats could be in the lagoon by Fall Quarter 2001.

• Spaulding said ASG and Peggy Barr, vice president for student affairs, have come to an agreement on spending funds from the Office of Student Affairs. ASG may spend no more than $20 per person on food for an ASG event and must inform Barr a week prior.