Undergraduate Student Government will vote on a resolution opposing a federal bill that will make college student judicial proceedings public at 7 p.m. Wednesday at its first meeting at the Carbondale Civic Center.

Connie Howard, USG Internal Affairs Committee chairwoman, is sponsoring the bill to oppose U.S. House of Representative bill 715 because she says students’ privacy is at stake.

The bill will make disciplinary records public information, and judicial hearings will be open to anyone who wants to go, Howard said.

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My concern is that with all of the domestic violence cases out there and all of the sexual assault cases out there, I feel that students will not come forward and risk humiliation.

Howard’s bill also disagrees with a part of HR 715 that states criminal allegations of a college student should not be protected from the public eye.

If a student got a little drunk one night and did something stupid, should the student pay for that for the rest of his life? she said.

Howard said she hopes the student body and University administration will fight HR 715 jointly.

We can work together to fight this one instead of fighting against ourselves, she said.

If Howard’s resolution passes, it will be the first piece of USG legislation passed at a meeting not on University property.

The plan for the Carbondale City Council and USG to swap venues is designed to foster good relations between SIUC students and the city. The City Council met at the Student Center for its Sept. 23 meeting.

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USG Chief of Staff Jackie Smith said meeting at the Civic Center, 200 S. Illinois Ave., shows that the student body is concerned with its integration in the city.

If you are making yourself more accessible to the city, then people will realize that you are interested in the community, Smith said.

Smith said citizens will have the opportunity to ask USG about its collective opinion on any topic during USG’s comments and questions session at the beginning of the meeting.

Councilman Larry Briggs, who cannot attend the USG meeting because of a conflicting schedule, said that the switches in locations can be beneficial and refreshing for both groups.

It’s kind of like a field trip, he said.

USG will have its meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Civic Center, 200 S. Illinois Ave.