In a vote of 27-7, the student senate chose not to pass a recommendation for student mental health surveys during its meeting on Wednesday.
The recommendation would encourage professors to conduct an anonymous mental health survey every semester for all their classes. The survey would be optional for students.
The survey was intended to check up on students regarding the transition to online learning and how well they are doing overall with their mental health, said one of its co-authors, second-year political science student senator Morgan Spinner.
However, other student senators found problems with the survey.
“I just think the way this legislation is currently written, it won’t be as effective as it could be to really help students," student senator Morgianna McDevitt, who voted "No" to the recommendation, said.
McDevitt suggested rewriting the recommendation to make it more effective and having an academic adviser, rather than a professor, send the survey to students.
Another senator, Christian Phillips, said he was worried about the anonymous nature of the survey.
“Anonymity is not ideal in this situation because now you wouldn’t know who’s got the issue,” Phillips said.
The student senate also discussed a previous recommendation for a pass/fail grading option. The author of the recommendation, second-year political science and psychology student senator Riley Rodgers, said she will meet with Provost William Tate and the head of the faculty senate next Monday to discuss grading options.
Editor's note: Christian Phillips is a reporter for The Daily Gamecock.