Student Senate passes bill opposing proposed budget cuts to Center for Law, Justice and Culture

Student Senate. Photo by Tim Zelina.

Ohio University Student Senate passed a bill Wednesday night opposing the recently proposed budget cuts to the Center for Law, Justice and Culture (CLJC).

Both the academic and pre-law programming budgets would be slashed, while crucial funding of the master’s program would be withdrawn. The cuts, announced by Florenz Plassman, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, would also transfer Pre-Law Specialist Larry Hayman to a broader advising center within the college.

The proposed cuts could also impact Ohio U’s Mock Trial team, the Ohio Innocence Project’s Ohio U chapter and the Southeastern Ohio Legal Services Access to Justice Internship Program.

The Senate bill was sponsored by Treasurer Eliza Ivan and Senator for College of Arts and Sciences Andrew Cornelison.

“Larry Hayman is someone who has had a positive influence on many pre-law students, including myself,” Ivan said. “Having Larry Hayman, who was named president elect of the Midwestern Association of Pre-Law Advisors, relocated to a general position within the college will be detrimental to the Center of Law, Justice and Culture.”

Some students angered by the decision created a Change.org petition to show their support of the CLJC. The petition has accumulated over 500 signatures.

“The petition on Change.org currently has 540 signatures. There’s movement for this,” Cornelison said.

Ivan shared the statements of two students who were displeased with the cuts, but were unable to speak during the student speakout portion of the meeting. 

“The decision to make budget cuts to the CLJC is one that would have detrimental effects to an ever-growing program,” Sydney Sears’ statement said. “The program is more than just a program, it’s a family and I am urging you to keep this support system that hundreds of students at the College of Arts and Sciences utilize every single day.”

The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio expressed its concern with the budget cuts, asking the college to reconsider in a letter written by Executive Director J. Bennet Guess to Plassman and Ohio U Executive Vice President and Provost Elizabeth Sayrs.

A copy of Wednesday’s bill will be sent to both Plassman and Sayrs.

The Senate discussed another bill that demanded that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits be accepted at all campus markets. The bill was sponsored by Ivan, Chief of Staff Elaina Tartal and Vice President Elizabeth Lilly.

“I’ve seen commentary on Jefferson Market closing not being a big deal because students who have SNAP benefits can take the bus to Walmart,” Ivan said. “Students with SNAP benefits deserve the same accessibility to food and groceries as everyone else.”

Senator Maxeen Ramlo asked if the Senate could postpone passing the bill so more could be added to it. With 19 votes in favor of that motion, the bill was tabled until next week’s meeting.

Student Senate also passed a new resolution that would allow student organizations to submit appeals to the Senate Advisory Committee (SAC). The resolution was sponsored by Ivan, SAC Commissioner Sam Carryer and SAC Vice Commissioner of Operations Brogon Speraw.

“Prior to this if an organization made a mistake, it was ‘too bad, so sad’ for them and life moved on,” Carryer said. “Now student organizations, if they feel that they have a genuine actual reason to submit an appeal, they can do so.”

Student Senate also appointed Kurumi Yamada to the International Affairs Commission with support from International Affairs Commissioner Laura Ndoigo and Vice President Lilly.