The Southern Utah University Student Association held their weekly meeting on Tuesday, discussing the Nearpeer app and the possibility of establishing a women’s center and health clinic on campus.
College of Science & Engineering Senator Kamryn Burnside and Business Senator Matthew Matheson proposed to implement the Nearpeer app for the use of all students at SUU.
The app is a space for students to meet like-minded people and make friends, or to connect with others for group projects and build social networks. It is “professional but also very flexible,” said Matheson.
SUU’s First Year Experience & Orientation program encouraged freshmen to use the Nearpeer app this semester after going several years without it.
The senate passed the motion to support further development and investigation to allow all SUU students to use the app.
Humanities & Social Sciences Senator Amanda Walton and the Center for Diversity & Inclusion Representative Cynthia Hawke proposed to establish a women’s center and a health clinic for student use on campus.
The women’s center would provide resources for survivors of sexual assault that are separate from Title IX and SUU’s Counseling and Psychological Services. It would also provide education about consent and trauma responses.
The women’s center motion was tabled.
The health clinic would provide free health services for any student at SUU.
Hawke listed four barriers that potentially limit students from receiving standard health care: lack of health insurance, lack of transportation, financial issues and fear of discrimination.
“We want to make this school happy and healthy,” said Hawke.
The health clinic would use donations to get it started, and then rely on students fees to keep it going. If approved, the clinic would probably not be fully established for at least two years.
The senate passed a motion for the health clinic discussion to refer to committee.
SUUSA senate meetings take place every Tuesday from 1 to 1:50 p.m. in the Sharwan Smith Student Center’s Living Room.
Story by: Tori Jensen
reporter@suunews.net
Photos by: Tori Jensen
