On Thursday evening, the Student Government Association Senate voted unanimously (with Sen. Wykowski abstaining due to his involvement with the official committee deciding on the proposal) to pass a bill declaring their opposition to the University Bookstore’s proposal to include the cost of textbooks into tuition, also known as Follet Access. The bill (S-131119002) was presented by the Senate Committee on Intellectual Climate. Chairman Kyle Smith (Senator for the Class of 2022), expressed the Committee’s overall reasoning for presenting the bill, saying, “We believe it was important for our Committee to speak on behalf of the student body by exploring the eFollet proposal and, consequently, writing legislation that voiced unanimous disapproval for the proposed textbook policy. Passing the bill through the Senate allowed my committee, as it represents all undergraduate students at Villanova, to officially record our position on the matter in a civil and effective way.” 

The legislation presents four primary reasons for the Student Government Association’s opposition to the proposal in its current form. First, the proposal would assess increased financial burden to students. Second, the metrics used to justify the proposal are incomplete and inaccurate. Third, the reference data and testimonials presented in support of the proposal are obscure and selective. Fourth and lastly, the fundamental structural details that would underpin the proposed program are absent. The President of the Student Body, Patrick Treacy, signed the bill, stating “Although access to classroom materials is a priority, the current state of the Follet Access proposal fails to address the needs of all students.” 

The Student Government Association works to effectively promote the best interests of and to constantly voice the opinions and concerns of the undergraduate student body to the University administration. As an organization, we are committed to ensuring that students have a say in the policies that shape the Villanova student experience, and that policy proposals under consideration are subject to the full scrutiny of student feedback. We believe this will ultimately lead to policies that best serve the priorities of students, and we look forward to continuing to work with the University to achieve our shared goals. 

The Villanova University Student Government Association is an organization that is run by undergraduate students and works for the undergraduate student body as a whole by ensuring that their respective needs and wants are communicated clearly, represented accurately and enacted upon promptly. They can be contacted at [email protected], online at www.villanovasga.org, or by visiting their office in 206 Dougherty Hall.