Student Senate Agenda
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
1:30 Approval of Minutes (2 minutes)
Moved and seconded, no objections, minutes approved!
1:32 Chair’s Report (3 minutes)
New members: Nathan (New Student at Large) – from Jersey, very excited!
Amelia (Parliamentarian) – from Oregon!
Executive elections
1:35 Treasurer’s Report (3 minutes)
Budget things, Treasure’s recommendations for reallocations.
1:38 Roll Call (2 minutes)
There were some peeps missing. Where Cat and Bobby at?
1:40 Committee Reports (20 minutes)
SSSF: May Fair planning and publicizing
General: Letter from Mary Dillard concerning adoptive leave for faculty, “family leave” in general for faculty, guest faculty. Concerns raised over General Committee’s decision to limit senior week to seniors.
Admissions: Student Work: 2 requests for reinstatement to college
Curriculum: Teaching days, next year’s classes
Student Life: Take Back The Night, Conference week alternatives to SLC Anon
Spring Formal: Planning stuff
Taskforce for Student Union: Renegotiating “atmosphere”
Committee for Socially Responsible Investing: Compiling list of interested students
Club Liaison Updates
Model UN thing was really successful we represented Palestine. QVC did some stuff. Live music club was successful, Easter Egg Hunt was bomb!
Class President Updates
Planning end of the year event (field days), retreats, etc…
Bacchanalia bands booked!
NEW BUSINESS
2:00 Approval of New Space Managers (10 minutes)
Publication Space: Melody Lee – unanimously approved!
Black Squirrel: Michele Huber and Emma McCumber – 17 yeses 1 no (Miles)
Discussion as to whether or not it appropriate to approve space managers if they weren’t present, even though there is no stipulation in the bylaws that they must be present.
Teahaus: Seth Partner and Kiley Ford – unanimously approved!
Common Ground: TBA
2:15 Reallocation of Student Senate Funds (20 minutes)
Moving money from contingency fund to Senate Operating Budget ($2000), Clubs ($5244.32), Publications ($5244.32), and Summer Senate lines ($679.08).
Unanimously motioned to table discussion after 15 minutes to resume discussion for 5 more minutes after presentation by Alcohol and Other Drug Policy.
2:25 Alcohol and Other Drug Policy (20 minutes)
Presentation by the Alcohol and Other Drug Policy Taskforce
Polly Waldman: Look at current policy, the culture of college, laws (federal and local), peer institutions, Senate and Student Life recommendations – Took up the charge to come up with a policy whose focus was health, safety, and well-being of members of the community – not directly punitive always. Clearer language, simpler format of policy. Came up with idea of putting problematic behaviors and sanctions in a chart. New “Good Samaritan” policy. Publication of alcohol availability in publicity of registered parties approved.
Discussion of difference between marijuana consumption and other substances, legal issues, Mary talked a LOT.
Unanimously approved to cut Announcements and move the last 5 minutes of the Reallocation discussion to the end.
2:50 Budget Proposal: Pornography Marathon (20 minutes)
Conversation about the educational aspect surrounding the event. Body positive, queer positive, and gender identity diverse pornography. Unanimously approved!
2:55 Continuation of Reallocation of Student Senate Funds
Mary explained we have spent $10,600 in operating budget line and should actually say $8,600. We’re over by $600 in operating budget, and Josh anticipates an additional $1400 required.
Informal poll – bout half people were willing to vote on the motion
Motion made to vote, some objections
Vera, Jasmine: Why are we spending $1400 on copies?
Neil: We don’t need to worry about the rollover too much. Why do we need to have $5000 in Senate/Student Affairs Joint Purchases, and $11,000 in speakers? Suggestion to amend this to put more in Special Events: $2000 from Joint Purchases and $2000 from Speakers.
Hayleigh: We’re going to need funding for purchases for equipment (sound tech.).
Mary: Equipment has been increasingly used outside of Blue Room, we need more portable systems which is why we need more.
Elliot: Friendly amendment suggested – take $4000 from Speakers line, half of it going to Dances/Parties line half of it going to Special Events line.
Miles: We should be more fiscally conservative given the economic climate
Lily: We have money in SAS but it doesn’t mean we’re not being discerning about how we fund stuff.
Mary: Rollovers have ranged from $20,000 to $70,000 dollars. Continuing to have substantial rollovers makes it more difficult for Student Affairs to make the case to the Board of Trustees that we should increase the Students Activities fee.
Vera: Called the question, 16 yeses, 2 nos
Angelina: Motion to approve Hayleigh’s recommendations with a friendly amendment.
15 yeses, 1 no, 2 abstentions
3:10 Announcements (5 minutes)
3:15 Adjourn