Officials will extend Lerner Health and Wellness Center hours at the start of the academic year, Student Government Association President Ethan Fitzgerald announced at a senate meeting Monday.
Lerner will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, Fitzgerald announced at the meeting. He said he collaborated with SGA Vice President Ethan Lynne and the Division for Student Affairs to analyze data on when students use the facility most, and then relayed the findings to University officials like Dean of Students Colette Coleman.
“We had conversations with Dean Coleman, and she was very receptive to our feedback, and there was also a lot of tracking of data about when students are coming, when there needs to be longer hours,” Fitzgerald said.
The SGA Senate previously extended Lerner’s hours in July 2023 after officials shortened the gym’s hours during the COVID-19 pandemic when fewer students were using the center. During the 2023-2024 academic year, Lerner was open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.
SGA senators unanimously elected SGA Sen. Joseph Migliorisi (GWSB-U) as the first of two SGA Senate voting representatives on the University-Wide Programs Fund — a joint fund between GW and the SGA for large-scale University events. Migliorisi said he and another elected SGA Senate representative will work on the UWPF to advocate for additional funding for student organizations.
“I would be able to incorporate my experiences in both finance and advocacy to be a more impactful advocate for students,” Migliorisi said. “I am dedicated to ensuring the UWPF continues to support the cultural enrichment of our university.”
Senators also voted to unanimously confirm two legislative advisers to the SGA Senate, finalizing the senate’s staff for the 2024-2025 term. Senators confirmed Bred Steffens for the graduate education policy legislative adviser position and selected Robert Chung to fill the role of graduate student life legislative adviser.
The SGA Senate also approved the Graduate Business Association Constitution to replace a previous organization, the Master of Business Administration Association. Janice Morton, the assistant director of graduate programming for the School of Business, said the MBAA “disproportionately favored” MBA students over those in specialized programs.
“This inequity highlighted the need for a more inclusive approach,” Morton said. “The creation of the GBA is a crucial step toward addressing this imbalance.”
Morton said the GBA will serve as an “umbrella organization” to provide funding and support programming for all other GWSB graduate student organizations.
“Our mission is to enhance the overall experience of all graduate students at GWSB by providing diverse academic, social and professional opportunities,” Morton said.
SGA senators will meet next on August 26 at 8 p.m. in the University Student Center Grand Ballroom.
