Some senators in the Undergraduate Student Government expressed concerns that its new Multicultural Affairs Committee may strip power from minority groups on campus.

The committee, which is run by USG Vice President Rose Weisenstein, will be a round-table style discussion between different Registered Student Organizations — specifically those representing minority groups. The committee comes as a direct result of the protests and racial concerns during the spring semester, such as the May 2 Strike, Weisenstein said.

Cedric Nartey, a freshman senator for the Black Affairs Council, said the committee would put the power in the hands of USG, taking it away from groups like BAC.

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“I feel like they’re trying to do this with various umbrella groups that they claim this [committee] will help,” Nartey said. “These issues are already solved by the umbrella [groups] themselves. Take BAC — whenever there’s a social issue on campus with the black student body, we’re able to take care of those issues ourselves.”

Nartey and Bethany Peppers, associate coordinator of BAC, said they welcome responses to issues involving race on campus, but don’t like the approach being taken by USG. Peppers said a more beneficial tactic for USG would be for it to send representatives to BAC meetings.

Nartey is also concerned sending representatives to a committee would take away from his job, which is to report BAC needs to USG.

“For USG to be the ones in charge of all these social issues on campus … it’s kind of overbearing on them,” Nartey said. “I see it as there would be no need for having delegates or representatives in the senate.”