The USG meeting on Feb. 19 passed four bills and tabled two requests for funds. The first bill passed was the Finance Committee Manual Bill No. 16 which serves to amend the USG bylaws to include changes to the requirements surrounding the Finance Committee Manual. This manual will contain all procedures of the Finance Committee, and changes to this bill that get submitted will be subject to a two-thirds majority vote for approval.

Also passed during this meeting was the USG stance on Test Optional Admission. USG, due to the resolution of the stance, has a recommendation to DU that the admissions process include a test score optional method, meaning that sending scores for tests such as the ACT would be optional. Support on this stance during the meeting will mean the recommendation will be sent to multiple members of DU’s administrative team.

Two new business items were passed, the first of which is the Carbon Offsets Bill. This bill is the USG’s aim to contribute to DU’s 25 by 25 Sustainability goals in reducing carbon emission of the university by 24 percent by 2020. This includes adding a subsection that reads, “carbon offsets will be purchased through Cool Effect’s Native American Methane Capture by the Sustainability Committee for all USG funded flights” in the Finance Manual Section 3: Conference, Competition and Retreat Funding: 4. Travel and Lodging: a. Airfare. This methane capture method takes the gas released from the shifting Colorado mountains and turns it into energy.

The second new business item was a proposed USG Internal Operations Fund from the Diasporic Consciousness Community Art Show which applied for funding to help put on the art show. Approving funding for this event will allow space for a variety of backgrounds and personal stories to be shared through art.

Tabled for next week’s meeting include a Collaboration Fund Application from the DU Backpacking Club + DU Club Climbing and a Supplemental Emergency Fund for the Food Recovery Network. Also discussed during the meeting was the update to the Finance Committee Manual as seen as a result of Bill No. 16 mentioned above.

Here are the upcoming important dates:

March 7: 7 p.m., AAC Loft: IGNITE Preliminary Information Meeting

March 9: 5 p.m., Shwayder foyer: Community Art Show