Duke Student Government held its first meeting of the 2023-24 school year, during which President Isaiah Hamilton highlighted yearly goals, organizational changes and cultural changes that he hopes to implement in the coming year.
“We really wanted to ground ourselves in something this year that was going to be all-inclusive and in the spirit of inclusivity,” Hamilton said as he declared inclusion as the overall goal for DSG this academic year. “We wanted to make sure that we are not only monitoring our work internally as well as trying to develop more equitable processes for external collaboration as well as our project work.”
Under this overarching goal, Hamilton introduced DSG's new project auditing process to senators. In this process, a project idea is internally proposed by a senator or vice president in one of DSG's five committees. If the project idea is accepted, it will be added to either the fall or spring student survey. If the project gains majority approval from the student body, the project will pass and begin.
Five new cabinet positions were added to the organizational structure of DSG — educational equity and student success, mental health and wellness, residential experience and policy, social engagement and space advocacy.
Additional positions were added to the operations teams, including a diversity, equity and inclusion chair and an outreach coordinator. The communications team will also expand to include a communication director, two graphic design chairs, a newsletter chair, a website design chair and a historian.
In other business
DSG senators confirmed members of the operations team and presidential cabinet. The senators nominated and confirmed appointments for the presidential committees, provost committees and senate committees.
Senators approved a new Board of Elections. Annie Cui, a senior and attorney general of DSG, presented the elections rules and proceedings for fall 2023 which the senators approved as well.
Committee heads for academic affairs, campus life, Durham community affairs, equity and outreach and services and sustainability also defined their goals.
DSG senators allocated $5,117.50 to the Duke Dance Council for the upcoming fall showcase on Sept. 2, and $6,000 to the Asian Students Association for an affinity group information session on Sept. 16.
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Ishita Vaid is a Trinity junior and a senior editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.