What is a USG Resolution?

By Paul Samaha ‘17

So you’ve probably heard a lot about “resolutions” over the past few weeks– from the diversity climate resolution to the college affordability and tuition transparency resolution, there has been a lot of talk, hype and speculation about what these resolutions are, and what they can do. There has also been some rumors and misconceptions on what exactly happens when and if a resolution is passed within the Undergraduate Student Government Legislative Branch (USG Senate). As your Trojans 360 USG rep, I’m here to clarify everything you may or may not know about resolutions!

Graphic courtesy of Rachel Yedam Kim

How does one start a resolution?

As two parts of the USG bylaws outline:

Section II.4.E.1: “Any student can bring an issue to a Senator. In order for a resolution to be presented to the Senate, the resolution must have at least one sponsoring Senator. Resolutions considered by the Senate shall be limited to calls for action in improving the USC Community.”

II.4.E.5: “Any resolution brought before the Senate must be actionable, that is, the resolution must outline and focus on actions the Senate will take to advocate for the interests of the USC undergraduate student body.”

This means that any student, whether you are in USG or not, can spark the idea of a resolution to improve the USC community. And as long as the student finds a senator to sponsor the resolution, the student can author the resolution, or find a group of supporters to co-author it with as well!

Photo courtesy of Beverly Pham

How does a resolution pass?

A resolution is presented to the senate, and a week later the senate holds the vote. There are 12 senators in the USG Senate. Each senator must vote yes or no– there is no abstaining. No matter how many senators are present, a resolution requires 7 “yes” votes to pass. This was shown on November 10th’s senate when four resolutions passed: the Diversity Climate Resolution passed with 11 out of 12 present senator’s support, while the Request for a Bicycle Coordinator Position, the Addition of the Service Student Assembly, and the College Affordability & Tuition Transparency Resolution all passed unanimously by the 12 senators. It was especially exciting for me to see the College Affordability & Tuition Transparency Resolution pass, because I was one of the co-authors of this resolution. I encourage everyone to read these resolutions if you are interested, which I have linked into the title of each resolution. They might seem long and boring, but I promise they’re all very important, and have the capability of making a big impact on our campus.

Photo courtesy of Joseph Chen

What happens after a resolution passes?

As USG President Rini Sampath explains, a resolution passing is “step one. In essence, we, the students, pour the concrete to the building’s foundation. But, it is up to the University on whether or not they want to construct the building.” At the end of every resolution document, you will see a paragraph that lists the exact administrators the resolution is required to be delivered to if passed. The goal is that the passed resolution will create constructive conversations between the students who authored the resolution and the respective administrators, resulting in the eventual implementation of the specific actions outlined in the passed resolution. There are no guarantees with a passed resolution outside of the delivery, it is step one as Rini explained. However, as a student government, we are optimistic that the conversations that will be held in the coming weeks will lead to long-term, tangible successes. 

Photo courtesy of Beverly Pham

How can I let my voice be heard?

We hold our USG Senate meetings every Tuesday night at 7 pm in TCC 352. At every senate meeting, there is a time period during the first five minutes of senate where students can express any new ideas or concerns that are on their mind. As the senate presentations and votes go on, as according to the agenda, student voices are allowed to be heard throughout the entire process as long as a senator yields to the floor. It’s important to have student voices from all different walks of life at every senate meeting– your voice can truly make the difference in shaping a vote, thus improving and/or creating something new at our University. We look forward to seeing the amount of student involvement and advocacy work remain strong as the school year goes on. We look forward to seeing you at Senate on Tuesday. Fight on.