Student Senate Meeting Minutes
September 18, 2007
7:00 p.m. Belknap Research Building
I. Call to Order- 7:03 p.m.
II. Roll Call (see attendance record)
III. Executive Cabinet Reports
a. President Hoffman
i. Wants to solicit opinions and ideas to give to the Board of Trustees about where the University should be going
b. Executive Vice-President Brueggemann
i. Let her know about Listserv problems
ii. House of Representatives will be talked about at all RSO meetings
c. Academic Vice-President Flairty
i. Update on Senate Resolution 4- has spoken to Faculty Senate, Writing Center, Disability Center, and REACH
ii. College Textbook Affordability Act by Senator Dick Durbin has been introduced, wants to suggest that we support this
d. Services Vice-President Spencer
i. Update on Campus Safety Month
1. Jacob Spencer, fake Facebook Account- how to be safe online
2. Canceled drunk driving course because of parking issues
ii. Services Task Force Committee meet September 26th at 3:30 to speak about Student Activities Center
iii. Thanks Senators for giving feedback on parking, will bring it up before Parking Board
IV. Reports of Boards and Standing Committees
a. E-Board- EVP Kate Brueggemann
i. Nothing to report
b. Academic Policy- AVP Matt Flairty
i. Met last Thursday, some colleges still need representation, next meeting is October 4th at 7:30.
c. Appropriations- Senator Luka
i. Reviewed requests for funds
ii. Talked about their ability to audit RSOs
iii. Have asked each council for a copy of their budget
iv. Pulled from consent agenda into new business
d. Senate Development Board- Senator Chenna
i. Discussed keeping of records of resolutions and following up on them
e. Student Organizations Board- Senator Awadallah
i. First meeting was last week
ii. Want to give more recognition to new RSOs- possibly a column in The Cardinal
iii. Discussed possibly developing more awards for RSOs
iv. Voting on RSOs will be different this year
v. Gave awards to all new RSOs
1. New RSOs announced
2. Approval will be in the consent agenda
f. Student Activities Board
i. Amy Linnenberger- announced new events that SAB is holding, look for fliers
V. New Business
a. Consideration of Resolution 5- Senator Awadallah and Senator Murphy
i. See copy of Resolution 5 for purpose
ii. Motion to consider Resolution-President Jones, 2nd by Senator DeRossett
iii. Discussion
1. Senator Foster wants to know how may people it will affect (90)
2. Vice-President Whistle- Will the Resolution put them before or after the NCAA athletes?
a. Senator Murphy answers that they will register with the athletes
3. President Ford wants to know if it is just pep band or marching band
a. Friendly amendment suggested to just put pep band, not marching band
4. Senator Carrier wants to know if Senate actually have power to do it
a. Senator Murphy makes a point that the wheels are already turning with athletics
5. Senator Foster points out that this is a nontraditional school and her constituents don’t necessarily agree because they also have jobs and are busy too
6. AVP Flairty wants to make the suggestion to specify that priority registration only occurs in the semesters where they cheer
7. Senator Baffour points out that cheerleaders are not required to take 12 hours, so maybe they should change it for only full time students
8. Motion to remove pep band from Resolution 5 by Senator Downs, 2nd by Senator Foster
a. Discussion on Motion- Senator Baker wants to know why it doesn’t include marching band also and believes that they should have priority registration
b. President Ford points out that it wouldn’t be fair to members of the School of Music
c. AVP Flairty points out that since there is a lot of discussion, this can be sent to policy board, E board, etc.
d. Senator Foster Motion to send to Academic Policy Board- 2nd by Senator Downs
i. Discussion on Motion by Senator Murphy- if this is moved to a board, it wont take place in time for spring registration
ii. Passed with little opposition- Resolution 5 will now go to Academic Policy Board
b. Consideration of Graduate School Constitution
i. President Brauch- see amended Graduate School Constitution for changes
ii. Motion to approve amended constitution by President Jones, 2nd by Senator Downs
iii. APPROVED, no discussion, unanimous
c. First Reading of SGA Constitution and By-laws
i. President Hoffman, reading of New Constitution
ii. See amended Constitution
iii. Discussion
1. Senator Downs asks if the House of Representatives will offer memberships to umbrella organizations like ABS, Panhellenic
a. Yes, because they each represent different interests
2. Senator Foster asks can the organization specify who they send to the House of Representatives
a. Yes
3. On the idea of putting the President and EVP together on a ticket
a. Senator Awadallah states that this forces EVP and President to find a ticket, you can’t run by yourself
b. President Brauch believes that it makes sense to run them together because the EVP doesn’t really have a role outside of the Senate, while the President does/it makes them work more like a team
c. VP Flairty states that if the EVP and President ran together, you might not always have the best running for each position, and it might kill the diversity of opinion within the top 4
d. Senator Wallin- taking away even more choice, might kill diversity within top 4.
e. VP Brueggemann says that because she and President Hoffman ran together, they were able to get a running start and didn’t have to spend time getting to know each other and making ideas together
f. Senator DeRossett asks if it was ever discussed to make all top 4 run together?
i. Yes, but it was squashed
g. Senator Ellingsworth- although it limits choice, you still get to pick the AVP and SVP, and it allows for a stronger voice with the EVP and President because they can agree and work together. People can still run together, even if the by laws aren’t changed
h. Senator Murphy agrees with Senator DeRossett, and believes that it should be one or another
i. President Connor think that people should be able to have a variety of opinions and schools to choose from
j. Senator Carrier- wants to strike it from the constitution, and maybe just try it out for a year as an election rule
k. Senator DeRossett doesn’t support top 4 running together, believes that the 2 together will create efficiency and points out that other universities do it
l. Senator Luka asks if this can be stricken from the constitution?
m. Motion to remove section from Constitution by Senator Downs, 2nd- by President Nguyen.
n. Call to question by Senator Luka, 2nd by Senator Downs
o. APPROVED with limited opposition
4. Discussion of making the Speaker President
a. Senator Foster asks if it can be changed so that the councils don’t replace the President, and that the next most vote getter gets the open seat
b. Senator Downs states that in theory it gives one school an extra vote and asks if the President forfeit their right to vote?
c. Motion to amend so that the President only votes in case of tie by Senator Downs, 2nd by Senator DeRossett
i. Discussion- Senator Murphy says that by removing their voting power, it takes away the original intent of election
ii. Dean. Mardis- would have to change the bylaws so that the EVP doesn’t have the tie breaker vote
iii. Vote on motion- APPROVED, unanimous
d. Senator Foster suggests that it be amended so that it would say that if no other senators ran, the council could pick a representative, but otherwise the next vote getter would get it- 2nd by Senator DeRossett
i. Senator Luka doesn’t think that the Senate should take away powers from councils
ii. President Jones points out that Senators who ran 6 months ago might have other stuff to do
iii. Senator Downs states that if the runner up doesn’t want it, then it can go to council
iv. Senator Ellingsworth asks why the individual council couldn’t fill the seat themselves
v. President Brauch- the Senate cannot make that change because the Senate cannot control the councils
vi. Senator DeRossett states that overrepresentation within councils would make voices not heard
vii. Motion to remove Amendment by Senator Foster, 2nd by Senator DeRossett
e. Motion to amend it so that the President retains their vote by Senator Downs
i. Discussion on amendment
1. Senator Moore asks what the procedure would be if the President or VP of a school ran for Speaker President?
2. Senator Murphy- motion to move to Executive Board, 2nd,
3. APPROVED, unanimous, now will go to Eboard
f. Senator Luka- motion to move entire Constitution to Executive Board, no 2nd so only section will go
iv. Appropriations Committee
1. Made a recommendation that President Hoffman give $3,000 from his discretionary fund to the student councils
2. Motion to approve recommendation by Senator Downs, 2nd by Senator Murphy, no discussion, APPROVED, unanimous
VI. Adjourn- 848p.m.
Taylor Hamilton Page 4 of 4
Director of Administration