During the Nov. 3 Student Government Association Senate meeting, UCCS senators voted to join the CU Divestment from Fossil Fuels resolution and to fund Pause for Paws for another two semesters.
CU Divestment from Fossil Fuels
The CU Boulder Faculty Assembly proposed the campaign, which calls for all schools in the CU system to unite, divest from the fossil fuels industry and invest more in green energy by 2027. The assembly will send the resolution to the CU Board of Regents for the final decision.
Keenan Powell, speaker of the senate, spoke on behalf of the resolution to the rest of the senate, telling his colleagues the CU system is lagging behind 1,500 other institutions in the country that have already begun to divest from fossil fuels.
“In a state that has been ravaged by natural disasters, such as the Marshall Fire, climate change has never been more prevalent. We believe it is prudent that we begin to secure Colorado’s future by not contributing to the very problem that devastated our economy and our community,” Powell said.
Powell also emphasized that the decision is ultimately up to the regents, not the student government. “I want to make it kind of clear. As we all know we don’t have that much power. The biggest thing about this initiative is making sure the regents know … making sure they know that this has been on student’s minds,” he said.
Pause for Paws Bill
The senate passed a bill to aid the Kraemer Family Library’s Pause for Paws event at the end of the semester to help relieve student stress during finals.
Senator at Large Elizabeth Inman authored a bill asking for $600 to help pay the handlers that bring therapy dogs to the library during finals week. The money will cover both the fall and spring semesters for the academic year.
Associate dean of the library, Tabatha Farney, spoke on behalf of the bill, noting this event is one of the biggest events the library holds, with about 500 students attending this event in previous semesters.
“It’s just a way to make the library feel more inclusive. Yes, we are a place where you can do your studying, but also a place for you to rest,” Farney said.
There will be five to seven dogs for students to come and pet.
Senator of Public Affairs Carson Hodges, who voted in favor of the bill, said, “I know for a fact that students love dogs … I think this is a wonderful idea. It will really boost the spirits, especially in such a hard time as finals.”