Scholarship money and Missouri Southern’s international mission topped action at the March 4 meeting of the Student Senate.

The Senate passed a resolution asking the University’s administration to “draft an official statement” outlining its level of support for the international mission in “concrete terms.” The resolution urges a preference for a “moratorium on future budget cuts” with the purpose of reestablishing “previous levels of funding for the international mission.”

The Senate also had first reading on a resolution in support of legislative efforts to bring “fairness” to Missouri’s Access Missouri program for student financial aid.

House Bill 792 and Senate Bill 390 in the Missouri General Assembly seek to even out the difference between four-year schools and independent or private schools.

“Four-year public students like at Missouri Southern can receive $2,150,” said Kevin Ferdig, resident director in Blaine Hall. “What the piece of legislation is trying to do is bridge the gap between the public four-year instructions and the independent schools and bring that amount to $2,850.”

A resolution to support Spiva Library was tabled and will be considered at next week’s meeting. This resolution “acknowledges the student body’s effort to be aware of the budget crisis and its impact on the entire campus community, including Spiva Library.”

In other business, Senate passed one appropriation for the MSSU Radiology Club for $1,000 and tabled a Catholic Campus Ministries appropriation request. Because the Catholic Campus Ministries is not a school-affiliated organization, the request will need a two-thirds majority to pass.

The Senate also tabled a resolution for pet friendly residence halls and greener campus, stadium liquor sales and DPS resolutions.