Student senate unanimously passed a recommendation to the university administration that would extend the hours of Thomas Cooper Library during the week leading up to final exams during its session Wednesday night.
The recommendation, SBL 115 21, was made to keep the library open for 24 hours during the week before exams because of the library's popularity as a place to study for “its central location, the abundance of resources it offers, and its tranquil disposition,” according the text of the legislation. Currently, the library is open until 2 a.m. Sunday night through Thursday night and until 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays while classes are in session.
While the recommendation was passed unanimously by the student senate, it still has to be approved by Student Body President Emmie Thompson and signed by USC President Michael Amiridis.
The earliest the recommendation would go into effect, if it is approved, would be for the end of the spring 2024 semester.
Speaking on the bill, co-sponsor senator Tyler Morgan said that other schools in the state, such as Clemson and Coastal Carolina University, keep their libraries open for 24 hours during final exams and that USC should follow their lead since it is the state’s flagship university.
“The point of the university is to be there to provide the resources for the students to succeed, no matter what those resources look like,” Morgan said.
Senator Emma Creed, the chairwoman of the academics committee and co-sponsor of the bill, agreed with Morgan and said that the library is an important space for all students, especially students living on campus, so it needs to be made more available for them during exam season.
“There is a lot of students who live on campus that rely on these spaces. So to be closed during that crucial week is something that I feel that needs to change,” Creed said.