Ohio University’s vice president for student affairs had to convince Student Senate members he was serious when he responded to demands a student group presented to the administration.

Kent Smith referred to a document Students for a Democratic Society sent to the administration during its Feb. 2 protest. The group listed three grievances and demanded a written response from the administration by 5 p.m. Tuesday.

“We ask that the university cease and desist all threats against students who advocate for free speech and student rights,” read the document, signed only with the group’s name. The other two complaints concerned free speech zones on campus and the perceived lack of respect administrators show the student body and Student Senate.

Senate members could not hold back chuckles as Smith tried to explain his problem.

“We had no one to present our response to,” he said.In his response, Smith referred to the university’s official response — a statement from Dean of Students Terry Hogan, and said he was confused by SDS’s complaints.

“To my knowledge, we don’t threaten students. I’m really not making a joke,” he said, in response to senate’s laughter. “Students have a right to say what they believe.”

In addressing the group’s second complaint, Smith and Hogan both emphasized that the university does not use the term “free speech zone.”

“We agree that the term ‘free speech zone’ is inherently contradictory,” the statement read. “We don’t use the term, and we would disagree with the characterization of spaces available for reservation as ‘free speech zones.’ The term . . . suggests these are the only places one can express oneself when obviously that isn’t the case.”

At last week’s Student Senate meeting, Smith explained free speech zones to the senators and asked them to help administrators clarify what those spaces represent. He explained that they are areas student organizations can reserve for an event. The goal is to ensure equal access to all groups. The only official restriction the university places on speech is to prevent class disruptions.

“Student Senate has agreed, at our request, to review the current policy about outdoor space reservations to determine whether or not it meets the needs of the campus community,” Hogan wrote. “We are open to altering the policy if it does not.”

Smith was offended at SDS’s third point: a suggestion that administrators do not respect Student Senate.

“I personally take issue with that,” he said. “As a former student body president, as someone who works in student affairs, I respect what you do .

“This administration respects and will continue to work with Student Senate.”

Smith concluded his report by saying he invited a vocal SDS leader to a meeting, but the invitation was declined.

“I’m not sure how we’re supposed to make progress if they’re not willing to meet,” Smith said.

Student Senate also heard from state Rep. Jimmy Stewart and discussed higher education budget issues with him. The Senate Budget Planning Committee is waiting for the state budget to pass before they can make recommendations to OU administration.

As they discussed in last week’s meeting, senators Matt Bell and Tim Vonville formed an Athletic Affairs Commission to work to reinstate recently cut varsity sports. Two administrators will sit on the committee but will not be voting members.

Bell and Vonville said the goals of the committee will be to reinstate the cut sports and ensure more communication between students and administrators. It’s possible the sports will be “phased out,” giving current athletes an opportunity to finish their careers at OU, but no new athletes would be added to the teams.