With the Student Senate election taking place this week, Monday marked the final regular meeting of the 44th session.

President Justin Hentges and Vice President Erin Brandt will remain in office until April 2, when the winner of the Senate presidency is scheduled to take over.

But the end to the 44th session didn’t mean there wasn’t business to be done. The United Council Review Committee presented its findings to Senate, and next year’s student technology fee allocation was adopted at the meeting.

Not surprisingly, the seven-member review committee said in its review that UW-Eau Claire’s membership in United Council “has overall been a positive experience for both the UWEC Student Senate and the student body as a whole.”

Intergovernmental Affairs Commission Director Sarah Schuh chaired the committee, which submitted a six-page document discussing the purpose of the student lobbying and research group. It also discussed its many benefits.

Each member of the review board spoke briefly about his or her contribution to the review.

Organizations Commission Director Sarah Williams raised one of the few concerns of United Council. She wrote “some committee members felt afraid at United Council to speak freely out of fear of being labeled radical conservatives.”

Williams said Eau Claire is more conservative than most other UW System schools, and some comments “would be shot down and individuals looked at as racists or against diversifying.”

But Williams also noted positives of United Council and said there is no glaring reason for Eau Claire to sever its ties with the organization.

The student technology fee allocation was approved Monday with no discussion. Information Technology Commission Director Jeffrey Noe said the Feb. 27 budget meeting went extremely well.

Hentges also said the budget meeting went well, but he said he was very disappointed in the turnout of senators. He said just seven non-commission members attended the meeting.