Full Senate
September 7, 2016
6:30 PM Alderson Auditorium
I. Call to Order – 6:36 pm
II. Guest Speaker: Heath Peterson, Alumni Association
A. Thank you for having me, thank you for what you do
a. Service makes a tremendous difference on campus
B. Why does Alumni Association exist?
a. Senate: Money, Networking
b. Stephonn: to create lifelong Jayhawks
c. Heath: It’s all of those things, it’s the human capital of KU
i. Endowment association is the financial capital of KU
C. Fans, alumni, students when working together can fundamentally change outcomes for KU in a positive way
D. What I love about my role is the high level impact we provide
a. Jayhawks for higher education advocates for the need to support KU and higher education to elected officials
b. Recruit – established one of the first legacy relations process in the country
i. Specially and personally recruit legacies
c. Unite Jayhawks around the world, 340,000 alumni worldwide
i. Wherever you go you will find a Jayhawk and most likely a network in whatever city or town you reside in
1. Western KS, London, NYC
d. The Jayhawk connects all of us, manifests itself into pride, tradition and connection that most places really envy
E. Couple programs relevant to students, where we’re headed
a. KU is celebrating 150 anniversary, alumni association has been around for around 130 years
b. Next evolution of the association starts with the students
i. Must build best student alumni association in the country
ii. Introduced a gift membership for incoming freshmen, 4 years in length
1. You’re investing in a degree to get a job, much like student senate is the advocate for students we are the premier networking association on this campus
a. Variety of networking programs, investing even more in them
b. Variety of professional development programs
c. Just launched a new mobile app
i. Over 50 traditions, have created a contest for completing those traditions
1. Earn badges for different levels and prizes, recognized at commencement
ii. Used for push notifications about events
iii. Motto: One Jayhawk connection can change your world
d. Working tirelessly to create a bottom-up involvement program
e. Plans to modernize the alumni center
F. I want to be a resource for you, door is open
III. Approval of the Minutes
A. April 27, Joint Senate minutes
a. Motion to approve by Adam, Brittney seconds
i. Passes 98%-2%-0% (Vote 2)
IV. Officer Reports
A. Stephonn Alcorn, Student Body President
a. This will be a very transformational year for the university, and we have the opportunity to be at the forefront of positive change
b. Three priorities
i. Molding a student government that is open and accessible to all students
ii. Uniting campus communities and building relationships
iii. Increasing access to higher education and success rate of college completion
c. We have made significant progress on various fronts
i. Believe the most impactful way to break down barriers is through equitable elections process
1. Raised money through donor gifts to create student senate equitable elections fund to remove monetary disadvantages to ensure student leaders represent all individuals of the student body
2. Will be housed and administered outside of student senate
3. Will be ready to go by spring
ii. Multicultural board of advisors for SBP and SBVP
1. Ensure that leaders hear concerns from underrepresented communities constantly
iii. Executing campaign platforms
1. Admissions reform platform has led to IT work group to evaluate and make changes towards visibility of trans students
2. Can apply textbook costs through enroll and pay now
3. Mental health services – parents provided more resources than ever at orientation about how they can health students have positive mental health
a. More work still must be done
4. KU Women’s leadership workshop has been founded,
5. Working with several retention based groups to build a network of first generation peer mentors
d. Introduction of nominee for Policy and Development position: Jacob Murray
i. Jacob: Thanks to everyone for the opportunity
ii. Victoria Snitzar: One policy you’re looking forward to implementing
1. Jacob: Admissions process and transparency is close to my heart, important to all students
iii. Adam Steinhilber: Which will you start first
1. Jacob: Admissions
iv. Jasmine: Are you planning to address anything with ADA or any other accessibility needs
1. Jacob: Definitely think that could be a policy issue to embark on
v. Constanza: Could Stephonn give us the number of minority candidates for executive positions
1. Stephonn: Don’t know off the top of my head but could make available
2. Gabby: I believe there were 2 or 3
3. Danny: Can email details
vi. Adam Steinhilber: You head student survey board, any thoughts on what you will concentrate on?
1. Jacob: Danny was going to brief me on a few things, will let you know
e. John F motions to acclimate, Brittney seconds
i. 96%-2%-2% in favor of acclimating (Vote 1)
f. Questions for Stephonn
i. Nobus: Update on gun policy
1. Stephonn: Served on conceal and carry implementation committee, drafted recommendations, provost is currently reviewing the report, will then go to chancellor. There is another side of it – primaries show state legislature may be shifting more moderate, from survey results students don’t want guns on campus, may be possibility to make that a reality if we elect more legislators whose policies align with how we feel. See Mady Womack to register to vote by October 18th.
B. Gabby Naylor, Student Body Vice President
a. This year will be transformational for all of us as well
i. Senate can be confusing, but take time and you will get used to this, challenge returning senators to continue to grow with us
b. Met with different administrators on campus
i. Women’s Leadership form the Heartland has gathered an amazing group, will work with them and a few others to develop own leadership skills and to create a network across the state
ii. You at KU – pipeline for highs school students to visit
1. Started Summer Venture in Entrepreneurship housed in B-school for now
iii. Very confident in equitable elections, requirements to use money is to privately raise $300, get $700 if you have platforms and significant amount (70-90%) of slate filled
c. Senior Senator resigned, will hold election
i. Sophia Templin and Elizabeth Johnson were nominated
ii. Charles Jetty nominates Adam Steinhilber
iii. McKenzie Ortiz nominated – respectfully declines
iv. Victoria: If they become senior senator do they still hold elected seat
1. Gabby: Yes
v. Mattie Carter nominates Baxter Vaz – respectfully declines
vi. Dillon motions to close nominations, seconded
1. Passes by voice vote
2. Move into candidate speeches, discussions
vii. Chance Maginness motions to close debate, Kellor Yde seconds
1. Adam wins by paper vote
d. Looking for someone to replace Tymon Wall on University Senate
i. Brent: Does Jacob have to be replaced now from SenEx too?
1. Danny: No, can discuss
ii. Tymon nominates Chance Maginness
iii. Adam nominates Megan Keller
iv. Armita nominates Constanza Castro
v. Mattie nominates Baxter Vaz – declines
vi. Loic nominated – declines
vii. Victoria nominates Chancellor Adams
viii. Brittney motions to close, seconded, passes by voice vote, move into speeches
ix. Elizabeth motions to move out of speeches, Brittney seconds, move into discussion
x. Moved (unidentified) and seconded (unidentified) to move into voting
xi. Chancellor Adams wins by paper vote
e. Need a university senator to replace Zoya Khan on SenEx
i. Meghan nominates Adam – declines
ii. Nobus nominates Victoria
iii. Brittney nominates Chancellor
iv. Danica nominates Dylan
v. Nominations closed, move into discussions
vi. Marcus Pepperdine motions to move into debate for five minutes, Ryan Billups seconds, passes by voice vote
vii. Allyssa moves to close debate and move to voting, Baxter seconds, passes by voice vote
viii. Dylan wins by paper ballot
C. Danny Summers, Chief of Staff
a. Social media engagement shows we have a good amount of interest in freshmen elections
b. Petitions and declarations due tomorrow at 5 p.m., informational session afterwards
c. Student Senate Rules and Regs – updated copy will be on website tonight or tomorrow morning
d. Over 40 people applied for replacement senator positions, been pushed back to cycle 2
e. Court of appeals retained all judges
f. Random generation for those appointed to
i. Replacement – Luke Jordan, Sophia Templin, Preston Montgomery, Grace Heitmann, Madison Bowler
ii. Elections commission – James Crowder, Kevin Tenny, Sylvia Hernandez, Victoria Snitzar
g. Sophie Wang has accepted holdover senator position
i. Nobus motions to acclimate, seconded, passes by voice vote
h. Excited about equitable elections process
i. Warm welcome to Jasmine, will speak on the bill that involves her later tonight
j. Victoria: What percent did OneKU have filled in relation to the percentage needed to apply for additional fund – Danny: Upwards of 85-90%
D. Abdoulie Njai, Diversity & Inclusions Director
a. Must be proactive rather than reactive
b. Start by being able to build bridges between multicultural communities, will attend as many meetings as possible for multicultural groups
c. MSG has control of MEF. Defers to Stephonn: Bill from last year is still valid, they stand as a student organization, met with representatives to provide information and listen
d. Have had meetings about outreach to multicultural groups and speaking about sexual assault awareness, met with director of international studies about how we can be more open, mental health issues
e. Working with KU TPE program, have five students starting this fall, if interested in being in video about this talk to me after
f. Planning multicultural student retreat Nov. 5th, full day event with speakers and breakout sessions
g. Served on a couple committees this summer including climate group, survey coming out soon – also planned ad astra conference for first generation students
h. Working to create a board that would meet before senate to provide info about what’s happening in senate and also get feedback for senate leaders
i. Frank: Do we have in MSG a club with $80,000
i. Abdoulie: Yes
j. Constanza: Could you let groups know when the meeting will happen
i. Abdoulie: Not sure if it is an open meeting or just a meeting to talk between us, defer to Danny – Danny: Last couple weeks have been about trying to iron out details
k. Marcus: Do you know if they will be taking applications for MEF funding in the second cycle
i. Allyssa: not in student senates privy anymore
l. McKenzie: With ad astra conference, when do we find out if we got accepted for it?
i. Abdoulie: defer to Stephonn – Stephonn: Sometime between the 16th and 24th
m. Dylan: Student fees were made contingent on approval by chancellor to get that control over student fees
i. Abdoulie defers to Stephonn – Stephonn: that language is not in the MSG bill
n. Zoya: To what extent will MA be a part of these conversations
i. Abdoulie: will bring up on Monday when I speak with trinity
o. Frank: Have they given you any idea as to how they plan on spending funds
i. Abdoulie: Will know more about that on Monday
p. Frank: IF those funds aren’t spent like other funds do they come back to student senate
i. Abdoluie: No
q. Victoria: Do multicultural groups still come to senate for funding
i. Abdoulie: Yes
r. Marcus: Rule about only getting half the funding in effect still? (Bill 166) – Abdoulie defers to Taylor
i. Taylor: all verbiage relating to MSG and MEF struck
s. Danny motions to cease questions, seconded by Marcus, passes by voice vote
E. Amy Schumacher, Graduate Affairs Director
a. Three principles
i. educate grad students about opportunities
ii. Engage them in processes
iii. Enhance their experience
b. Will be filling all graduate positions
c. To the non graduate senators, I know it’s easy to do the bare minimum, challenge you to find something you care about and push for it, I am here to help
d. Grad and professional senators please stay after
F. Connor Birzer, Communications Director
a. Please follow our social media accounts, they’ve been getting a lot of interactions, use #KUSenate
b. Can message us on the facebook page
c. @KUSlab and @ccokansas are related twitters not run by me
d. New youtube channel “Student senate ku”
e. Want to have a lot of transparency, have a new outreach policy with mandatory attendance
f. Website is coming along
g. Bill coming up will require this live streaming
h. Will set up so all exec members meet with multicultural groups
i. Outreach board changes coming soon
j. Direct absences to Mitch at or
k. If you aren’t receiving emails on the listserv let me or Mitch know
l. Snap if you agree with someone rather than clapping or yelling
G. Zachary Kelsay, Transportation Coordinator
a. Liaison between city, campus, and KU on wheels
b. Two main goals
i. Decrease wait time with safebus and saferide, have waits down to 10 minutes but experimenting with new technologies
ii. Expand service to scholarship halls and other groups
c. KU on wheels and Lawrence transit cooperated on $34.6 million TIGER grant, we didn’t get the grant, only given to California and Des Moines
d. Have developed an app that saves your address and can call saferide, tells you where your driver is at, first half of app has helped wait time
e. Danica: is transportation hub going in rec parking lot? – Zachary: not going through, have $15 million waiting around, looking at 19th and Stewart, but still working on it
f. Tymon: how many handicapped saferide vehicles do you have? – Zachary: one large van and two other vehicles that are accessible, no problems yet, but still looking for ways to innovate
H. Mady Womack, Government Relations Director
a. Excited about changes in Kansas legislature
b. First SLAB meeting is this Monday at 7:30 pm in International Room
c. Holidays in Higher Ed mixer will be continued, talk after for more
d. Successful higher ed day, voter registration are top goals
e. Looking for other groups to cooperate with
f. May advocate against guns on campus for state higher ed day
I. Ike Uri and Insia Zufer, CCO Executive and Managing Directors
a. CCO works to connect students with non-profits
b. Work with senate and offices in strong hall
c. Relating to your communities is important especially in addition to your involvement with senate
d. Working on new initiatives especially with the Greek community
J. Allyssa Castilleja and Whit Collins, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer
a. shoot us an email or come in the office to find out what we’re doing
b. $70,000 unallocated, will drop to $69,600 if all bills tonight go through
V. Interim Agenda
A. 2017-001: A BILL TO AMEND STUDENT RULES AND REGULATIONS,
APPENDIX B
B. 2017-002: A BILL TO AMEND STUDENT RULES AND REGULATIONS,
APPENDIX M
C. 2017-003: A BILL TO AMEND STUDENT RULES AND REGULATIONS,
APPENDIX O