The Associated Student Government Senate met Wednesday to discuss a proposed revamp of the shuttle system and a new sustainability program.
Mary Desler, Northwestern’s dean of students, made a guest appearance.
As the first speaker of the meeting, Desler spoke about Dillo Day topics ranging from safety to free food offered on campus.
“Dillo Day is honestly one of my favorite days,” Desler said. “I think you’re going to have a great time at the Lakefill.”
The senate unanimously passed a bill in support of the NU Sustainability Fund, a proposal that would allow students to apply for funds for environmentally-friendly initiatives. ASG President Mike McGee said the purpose of the bill was to show ASG’s support for the sustainability proposal.
“We need to get support from the administration,” the Communication junior said. “We need to show student support behind this first.”
As of now the initiative would receive funding from various grants, though McGee said it could possibly receive ASG funding in the future.
“This is just the first step in showing our support,” McGee said.
Following up on a campaign promise, ASG Vice President Tommy Smithburg presented a proposed change to the shuttle system, which he said has been approved by both ASG and University Services. He said the main goal of the proposal is to increase ridership, which has dropped off significantly since 2006, according to statistics from University Services.
The proposal includes changes to the shuttle routes, including the addition of Campus Drive to the current Purple and Purple Express routes. Construction north of the University Library currently blocks the street, and Smithburg said construction was expected to be completed by this fall.
“We think it will definitely increase rider numbers,” the Weinberg junior said.
Smithburg said changes to the shuttle system, which also include adding GPS to shuttles, are currently undergoing testing and he expects the updates to be in place in the fall.
Senators also elected seven new members to the Student Activities and Finance Committee, who deals with funding for A-status groups.
