The celebration, held during the last week of classes, will consist of special events for students who have filed their intent to graduate in addition to discounts across campus.

In order to participate in events and gain access to discounts, graduating seniors must pick up their Senior Celebration Week Pass Card during the week of April 23-27. Tables will be set up from 10 am to 2 pm Monday through Thursday, with locations inside the PSU on Monday and Tuesday and between the PSU and Siceluff Hall on Wednesday and Thursday.

Events for the week include a last lecture series on Monday, May 7th at 7 pm in Carrington Auditorium, free late-night dining in Blair-Shannon Dining Hall from 9 to 11 pm on Tuesday, May 8th, and a Senior Picnic on the North Mall from 11 am to 2 pm on Thursday, May 10th.

More information about Senior Celebration Week can be found online at: http://www.facebook.com/SeniorCelebrationWeek2012

For more information, please contact Paige Oxendine, Chief Communications Officer, at Oxendine100@live.missouristate.edu.

The project was taken to the Sustainability Commission as a proposal, but required SGA’s support since the $120,000 project would need to use more than 25 percent of the funds currently available to the Commission.

The solar panels placed atop Meyer Library will offset the nearly 32,000 kilowatts per year required to operate the lights within the JQH Fountain outside the library.

The addition of solar panels to MSU’s campus not only helps offset long-term energy costs, but also reaffirms the university’s commitment to ethical leadership and community engagement by promoting a cleaner and healthier environment on campus.

For more information, please contact Paige Oxendine, Chief Communications Officer, at Oxendine100@live.missouristate.edu.

Support for the minor comes at a time when sustainability-related careers are considered to be a high-growth area, and the addition of a sustainability minor would allow Missouri State to remain competitive with many other universities with similar offerings.

If adopted, the minor would be accessible to students of all majors, and would be made up of different tracks that students could pursue. All students would finish their requirements with a capstone course relating to sustainability.

For more information, please contact Paige Oxendine, Chief Communications Officer, at Oxendine100@live.missouristate.edu.

The Pink Route, which runs to downtown Springfield from 6 pm to 2 am on Friday and Saturday nights, has averaged over 350 riders per weekend with no reported incidents. The shuttle makes stops at Park Central Square, Plaster Student Union, Hammons Student Center, Scholars House, Kentwood Hall, and Greek Row.

SGA’s suggestion comes as a response to the high number of students utilizing the route during the trial run as well as the need for a safe mode of transportation between the downtown area and campus on weekend evenings.

The Pink Route is funded by Residence Life and Services and the Department of Safety and Transportation.

For more information, please contact Paige Oxendine, Chief Communications Officer, at Oxendine100@live.missouristate.edu.

Drafted by the Academic Affairs Committee, the resolution draws upon data gathered by Missouri State University in addition to the results of a student poll hosted by SGA. Over 1500 students responded to SGA’s Plus/Minus poll, with the overwhelming majority of students stating that they would favor the removal of the Plus/Minus grading system.

Introduced in the fall of 2009, the Plus/Minus system was aimed primarily at reducing grade inflation. However, data from Office of Institutional Research indicates that implementing the system led to the largest instance of year-to-year inflation of mean undergraduate cumulative GPA in 10 years.

Student Government Association members approved the strongly worded resolution unanimously in hopes of indicating to faculty how strongly the majority of the student body feels in regards to the current system.

The next step for SGA is to present the resolution to Missouri State’s Faculty Senate, where faculty members will have the opportunity to hear from student representatives and provide feedback on the resolution.

For more information, please contact Paige Oxendine, Chief Communications Officer, at Oxendine100@live.missouristate.edu

The community, geared towards international students, language students, global studies students, or students that either have or are interested in studying away would join the ranks of other interest-specific LLCs already in existence at Missouri State.

The creation of a Global Living Learning Community, spearheaded by Kristina Moller, would not only support the cultural competence pillar of Missouri State’s public affairs mission, but would also allow Missouri State to join the 7 benchmark institutions that currently have Global Living Learning Communities in place.

For more information, please contact Paige Oxendine, Chief Communications Officer, at Oxendine100@live.missouristate.edu.

Proposals submitted to the Sustainability Commission may aim to improve any aspect of sustainability at Missouri State, and will be reviewed and voted upon by all commission members.

Recently implemented sustainability proposals include filling stations for reusable water bottles in residence halls, additional bike racks for student use, and funding for a bike rental program.

For more information, please contact Paige Oxendine, Chief Communications Officer, at Oxendine100@live.missouristate.edu.

Schneider, who has served on the Sustainability Commission for two years, will begin his duties at a busy time for the commission, as the March 9, 2012 deadline for proposals is quickly approaching.

Schneider is a junior from Rockford, IL and currently enrolled in Missouri State University’s nursing program. In addition to his work with the Sustainability Commission he also serves as the director of Dance Bear-A-Thon, an annual event benefitting Children’s Miracle Network.

For more information, please contact Paige Oxendine, Chief Communications Officer, at Oxendine100@live.missouristate.edu.

Jenkins, who currently serves as the Chief Sustainability Commissioner for Student Government Association, has played a key role in several projects on campus this year, including the installation of hydration stations in academic buildings and MSU’s purchase of an electric vehicle for campus.

Jenkins will serve a two-year term as Student Governor, during which she will attend all meetings with the Board of Governors and serve as a non-voting representative of student interests.

Jenkins is a junior majoring in Agronomy with a minor in Chinese who hopes to pursue a career in agricultural law after finishing law school.

For more information, please contact Paige Oxendine, Chief Communications Officer, at Oxendine100@live.missouristate.edu.

Despite health care services costs increasing at an average rate of 10% per year, the Taylor Health Center Fee has not increased for the last four years.

If passed by students, the Taylor Health Center Fee would increase from $56.50 per semester to $58.50 per semester. The increase would be split with $1 going toward maintaining current Taylor Health and Wellness services, and the other $1 would be used to offer free flu shots to approximately 5,000 students.

The referendum will be placed on the spring ballot, which will be available to students for online voting April 9th through April 11th.

For more information, please contact Paige Oxendine, Chief Communications Officer, at Oxendine100@live.missouristate.edu.