The Student Government Association Senate will soon have a new constituency, as the representative body will incorporate graduate student senators into its ranks next year.

A measure written by Chief Justice Rana Thabata and introduced to the senate earlier this semester by Mylinh Bui, biology senior and member of the SGA Court of Review, proposed that the student government amend its constitution to allow for the representation of Loyola graduate students, with the exception of members of the law school, in the decision making body. The amendment to the organization’s legislative bylaws passed the senate in February.

The graduate student senators will have the same official responsibilities as other senators, but will also be required to meet once a month with the president of SGA.

Vice President-elect and political science junior Freedom Richardson said that graduate student representatives will undergo an election process, similar to that of their undergraduate counterparts.

“Graduate students possess the ability to select their own graduate senator, based on whomever runs,” Richardson said.

He added that how the senate will incorporate the new members is a decision that will be left to the incoming chief justice who has yet to be announced.