Student Government will vote on two resolutions Wednesday night recommending further action to university departments in the future.

A resolution to approve renaming the Honors Program as an Honors College could promote the academics and prestige of the present program according to the resolution.

“From what I know, I think it’s a good idea because the pros outweigh the cons,” said Speaker of the Senate Bill Davidson. “I know a lot of it is the opportunity to get more money.”

The resolution states, “an Honors College will facilitate institutional development and fund-raising activities in direct support of its honors program.”

The concept has been discussed at the Faculty Senate in the past. Last week, the Faculty Senate passed a similar resolution, stipulating that its support would stand if the name change didn’t bring about substantial additional costs.

The second resolution recommends greater student involvement in faculty hiring procedures, including reviewing faculty applications.

Davidson said students should be able to choose their professors, especially since students currently serve on other university search committees.

“What a lot of people forget here is we (students) are a customer here. We can just as easily pack up our bags and go to (Illinois State University),” he said. “I know it would benefit the faculty to have student involvement.”

Students have served on search committees for the university provost, president and assistant vice president for academic affairs for technology, said Ronnie Deedrick, student vice president for academic affairs.

“You very rarely hear of a search committee that doesn’t have students on it other than faculty searches,” Deedrick said.

Students currently serve in part of the faculty search process in many university departments, listening to candidates who visit the campus teach in a classroom environment before they are hired.

“There’s real concerns with privacy and confidentiality. The students are not employees at Eastern. To my knowledge, students have never been on search committees and never been allowed to look at documentation,” Allen Davis, math department chair, previously told The Daily Eastern News.

However, the university policy on faculty hiring procedure does not specifically limit students from serving on search committees.

The resolution states the students would be forced to abide by rules those now on search committees follow: “Further be it resolved, that students be placed on any faculty hiring procedures in accordance with all laws, Internal Governing Policies of Eastern Illinois University, any regulations that may be associated with hiring searches and practices.”

If the resolution passes, the recommendation will be sent to the Faculty Senate, chairs of departments and administrators, Davidson said.

Deedrick said students should have a role on search committees partially because of the the environment at Eastern.

“We hold this principle of shared governance here at Eastern,” Deedrick said. “We spend more time with the faculty than the students. They need to have a voice on there.”

He said students need to be involved in the faculty hiring process before the applicants come to campus.

“Whenever those applications come in and you’re helping to narrow down, I want those students to see those applications,” Deedrick said. “Who better to come and decide who teaches at this university than the student.”

Under the senate’s consent agenda, Best Buddies will be approved as a Recognized Student Organization.

Student senate meets at 7 p.m. Wednesdays in the Arcola/Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.