The Student Government Association general board voted last Wednesday in favor of a motion to change its election policy, which would require executive board members to have a minimum GPA of 2.75 and 2.5 for general board members.

Vincent Bond, SGA’s vice president of student concerns and chair of election committee, proposed motion to amend the SGA’s election policy regarding GPA requirements.

The amendment was to raise the minimum GPA requirement for those seeking a class representative position from a 2.25 to a 2.5. Although effective immediately, it will apply those running in the spring elections, which take place in April.

Those seeking executive board positions will be required to have a minimum GPA of 2.75 from the previous 2.5.

“From the executive standpoint, we don’t want to hinder anyone’s academic ability from putting too much on them,” Bond said, speaking of the workload SGA demands. “It is our responsibility to make sure that their academic commitments are being met.”

In order to amend the election policy, the current policy was suspended. The policy said that amendments could only be made three weeks after an election. After the GPA requirement change, the policy was put back in place.

Senior Class Representative Jeremy Stull said that an amendment should only be made three weeks after the election, as it is unfair to set a new standard directly before an election. The last election was held early last semester.

“My opposition is two-fold,” Stull said. “First off, this move sets a bad precedent for Student Government legislation. Second, I don’t feel it is the province of Student Government. Our legitimacy is derived through voters and not GPA. I want to be able to choose the standard to which I choose to hold myself in all endeavors, including my academics.”

Document amendments require three-fourths majority to pass. The motion passed with a quorum of members present with four of those members in opposition to the changes of the GPA.

Senior Class Representative Vincent Simone was one of those opponents.

“I felt we were fine at our original requirements of 2.5 for Executive Board and 2.25 for General Members,” Simone said. “In my eyes, having a higher GPA requirement for general members limits opportunity for individuals to take part in the organization and develop as leaders, which I see as a goal for all student organizations here at Quinnipiac.”

Bond said that SGA members who are elected into their positions have a great deal of responsibilities in being student leaders and role models for their peers.

“I want to stress that I hope people don’t see this as a separation (from other organizations),” Bond said. “We are looking out for the best interest of our members and our peers.”

Quinnipiac’s GPA scale puts a 2.75 GPA at a letter grade between a B- and B, a 2.5 between a C+ and B-, and a 2.25 between a C and C+.