A bylaw change proposal that would limit executive officers’ tuition waiver will be presented to the Student Senate tonight.

The senate will meet at 7 p.m. in the Arcola/Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

The senate also will consider recommendations regarding parental notification and the use of academic buildings by Recognized Student Organizations.

Under current senate bylaws, Student Government executive officers, including the Senate Speaker, Student Body President and four student vice president positions, receive a waiver for most of their tuition cost, regardless of the number of credit hours taken.

The proposed bylaw change, however, only would compensate the officer for 12 credit hours. It also would require an officer who left office, either by choice or by force, in the middle of the year to pay for that year’s tuition.

Senate Speaker Adam Weyhaupt, co-sponsor of the proposal along with Student Body President Katie Cox, said the proposed change would allow all executives to be compensated equally.

“Would it be rational to compensate one more than another?” Weyhaupt asked.

“The students hired us to represent them. If they hired person A and person B to represent them, why should they pay person A more?”

Weyhaupt said the proposal also would save the students money.

Some executive officers were concerned with the proposal, however.

“I don’t particularly care for (the proposed bylaw change),” said Tommy Brewer, vice president for financial affairs. “I don’t think it sends a good message, that some should be penalized for taking a full class load, which is 15 credit hours.”

Brewer said the senate seemed to be making changes just for the sake of making changes.

“I don’t see the purpose of being that nit-picky about how many hours someone takes,” he said.

Brewer said the part of the proposal requiring officers to pay for their tuition if they quit might force some officers to remain in their positions simply because they could not afford to pay tuition and not because they’d do any good for the students.

Art Davis, vice president for student affairs, also voiced concern over the proposal.

“I understand what is being said, but I think there’s going to be a lot of questions unanswered,” Davis said. “If (executive officers) are supposed to be on the same level, then (the proposal) is not fair.”

In other business, the senate will consider two resolutions.

The first recommends that student groups be allowed to set up informational/advertising tables in all academic buildings on campus.

Marty Ruhaak, co-sponsor of the resolution, said right now, campus scheduling only allows RSOs and other organizations to set up tables in Coleman Hall, Buzzard Hall and the union.

Weyhaupt said opening all academic buildings to student groups would help the academic mission of the university.

“(Student groups) should be allowed to set up in buildings to provide information and service to the students,” he said.

The second resolution recommends that parental notification of disciplinary action taken against students be stopped.

University Housing’s current policy states that the parents of students under the age of 21 who are financially dependent on their guardians will be notified by the university of certain disciplinary actions taken upon that student.

The resolution recommends that the guardians of students 18 years or older should not be notified since the students are legally considered adults and are responsible for their own actions.

“If you’re an adult here, should the university be contacting your parents as an adult?” asked Weyhaupt.

Cox agreed. “My parents recognize the fact that I’m an adult. If I did do something, I don’t want it to be the university that calls them,” she said.