The Undergraduate Student Government approved three new clubs Sunday: volleyball enthusiasts, the women’s rugby club and the pre-optometry club.

Junior Megan Tappe said the pre-optometry club will help students interested in this specific field of health shadow professionals, work on applying for optometry school, learn more about the career and volunteer.  

Tappe said she administers eye tests at local elementary schools as part of her volunteer work at the Phillips Eye Institute, and she hopes to make volunteering experiences an important part of the club.

“We’re going to share our experiences with them and try to get them interested as well. As far as financial matters go … just reimbursing for driving to volunteer,” Tappe said.

There are 15 junior and senior members in the club, and Tappe said they plan on recruiting freshmen and sophomores too.

USG also passed a resolution to stop providing plastic bottled water at all general council meetings, senate meetings, committee meetings and other gatherings related to USG.

The resolution is part of a wider effort to promote sustainability on campus and reduce its carbon footprint. The council hopes to encourage other clubs and organizations to make a similar pledge.

Linda Dorn, systems specialist in the office of institutional effectiveness, spoke about the Campus Climate Survey that will be conducted in February 2013.

The survey will test the “climate” at St. Thomas.

“My goal is to get feedback from faculty, students and staff about what are the strengths and weaknesses here in our campus climate … whether or not an individual feels safe, listened to, valued, treated fairly and with respect,” Dorn said.

Dorn has met with groups on campus during the semester to help her design the study, but she said students can fill out an online form to voice an opinion about what they would like asked in the study.

Four clubs that are on probationary status, women in business, special olympics, CRU and the Spanish club, were all approved to receive the $250 maximum budget request for the semester.

USG will conduct its annual give-away at two basketball games in November and December.

Shortly before the basketball games on Nov. 28 and Dec. 3, USG will give away long-sleeved T-shirts in the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex. Megan Matheny, vice president of public relations, said the time and place are both part of an effort to encourage students to also attend the basketball games.

Heidi Enninga can be reached at enni5264@stthomas.edu.