Ball State University students may be pledging a new code of behavior as early as next year, saying they will be honest, strive for good grades, behave responsibly and treat other people well.
Student Government Association senators approved The Beneficence Pledge, written by the Student Rights, Ethics and Standards Committee of University Senate at the weekly meeting Wednesday.
"The pledge is a positive statement to embrace and endorse our commitment to this institution," David Fried, director of the Student Rights and Community Standards Office, said. -á
The Beneficence Pledge is similar to pledges already used at institutions such as Duke and Vanderbilt universities.
"Duke freshmen stand in long lines after their freshmen convocation to sign a piece of paper [the pledge]," Betsy Mills, SGA president pro-tempore, said. -á
Some of the senators, like freshman Daniel Prince, did not agree with the pledge, because he said it is already in the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
"I read the pledge to my classes and my constituents said that if it is stated in the Student Codes and Rights, it doesn't need to be pointed out in the pledge," Prince said.
Mills, who helped author the proposal to support the pledge, said it is important to have.
"I think the senators are concerned with possible mandates of the pledge," Mills said. "But University Senate never said anything about mandates." -á
The proposal supporting The Beneficence Pledge passed with 43 senators in favor, 12 opposed and three abstentions. However, the proposal still has to go through University Senate before it is approved to go into effect.-á
"This pledge means nothing, but it means everything," Ethan White, a member of University Senate Campus Council, said. "It's something we all should support."-á
How the pledge will be incorporated at Ball State is not determined, but it could be included in the student code or read at freshman convocation.
SGA President Asher Lisec responded to concerns about budget spending and told the senators SGA is not running out of money. The term is over in March, she said, which means SGA has about four months of classes left because of breaks.-áIf needed, money can be moved around, she said. -á
In order for money to be moved around, SGA would have to propose money be moved from one part of the budget to another, and then the senators would have to vote on it with a two-thirds approval, SGA vice president Rodney Blount said.
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