Suffolk University’s Student Government Association introduced two resolutions at their meeting March 26, focusing on lowering the student ID replacement fee and increasing transparency from university administration. Both resolutions were reviewed and will be revised before being brought back for a vote at a future meeting.
The Student Affairs Committee introduced their resolution regarding the cost of replacing student ID cards. Currently set at $25, the resolution proposes lowering the fee to $10 to better reflect production costs and reduce the financial burden on students.
The resolution, originally introduced last academic year by SGA President Charlie Reyna-Demes, is a compromise between eliminating the fee entirely and maintaining a reduced cost to account for the $7 cost of production. According to campus card services, the purpose of the replacement cost is to prevent students from losing their IDs.
“$10 makes a lot more sense,” said SGA Treasurer Frank Ezhan. “It’s not that good that the school is making profit off this. This is not what they’re looking to do. They’re looking to just deter us from losing our cards and we feel like $10 is a good way to just keep that same balance.”
The resolution emphasized that student IDs are essential for accessing campus buildings, dining halls and residence halls, meaning students without immediate funds to replace a lost card may be temporarily unable to access basic resources. The proposal also includes consideration of a digital ID option as an alternative.
Discussion surrounding the resolution included questions about how a digital ID system would function. Senators noted that while a digital ID is already partially implemented for dining purchases through the GET Mobile app, it is not currently usable for building access.
The Academics Committee introduced a second resolution addressing what senators described as a lack of communication between university administration and the campus community. The proposal references several recent decisions, including layoffs and program changes, that were not directly communicated to students, faculty or staff.
The resolution calls for more consistent and direct communication from university leadership, including emails from top administrators regarding major decisions, updated university website information and the implementation of SGA-led town halls. It also pushes administrators to notify SGA leadership during significant decision-making processes and to provide clearer points of contact when staffing changes occur.
In the treasurer’s report, Ezhan presented an outline on how SGA will reinvest $73,000 in surplus funds back into the student body. The surplus resulted from higher enrollment estimates over the past two years. Ezhan proposed allocating $40,000 for SGA initiatives to support clubs, $10,000 for student experience funding such as sports tickets, $10,000 for senior week and $13,000 for upgrades to the Ridgeway gym. The funds will be incorporated into this year’s SGA budget.
Some senators suggested expanding the range of student experiences funded, including options such as theater performances and ballets in addition to sports tickets.
“We’re in Boston, we’re right next to [the] theatre district,” said Eliza Bryant, Academics Committee chair and class of 2028 senator. “What about those who don’t like sports or support Boston teams?”
During the president’s reports, Reyna-Demes shared updates from a recent meeting with the African Student Association, Black Student Union, Caribbean Student Network and SU Amplify. Advisors from each organization, along with Diversity Committee Chair Divinity Johnson, were present.
The groups proposed reforms aimed at improving inclusivity within SGA for the remainder of the term and beyond. Johnson will first present these reforms to the Diversity Committee before they are brought to the full senate.
As part of these proposed changes, the role of the Diversity Committee is expected to expand. The committee would review SGA election candidates and current senators’ social media activity and public statements to ensure they follow the student code of conduct. Any concerns would be referred to the Student Judiciary Review Board for further action.
