Montana State University
Associated Students of MSU Senate
SUB Conference Room 325
December 8, 2016
Meeting called to order at 6:03pm by Senate Speaker, Bradley Jones.
Minutes recorded by Madison Thompson
Roll Call: Benson(unexcused), Bertolino, Campbell, Clifton, Creed, DeRudder, Falls Down, Grover, Haslach, Hollinger, Hurst, Jensen, Johnson, Kaminetzky, Killian, O’Leary(excused), Roback, Swenson, Walker, Windham
Approval of the Minutes:
Windham: Move to approve(seconded)
Minutes Approved
Public Comment:
Mathew Bane: College of Agriculture discussing reinvestment resolution. To formalize the Alumni Foundation to implement socially responsible investment. Leach and Cruzado are able to represent the students even if they do not get to vote. 81.3% said yes, 17.1% said no, from a student poll.
Kevin: Sophomore political science member, supporting of the resolution.
Jared: College of agriculture and letters and science. Money talks. Reinvestments shows what the
Corey: College of agriculture, we have to start somewhere
Jessie: Study biochemistry in the college of letters and science, great way for the school to put our money where our mouth is.
Tanner: College of letters and science, strongly supporting resolution
Connor: Health and Human Development, support resolution
Emma: Comment on article from the chronicle, press release on reinvestment campaign, as sustainability now, increase environmental sustainability. Quality in the workplace, for all genders and races. Not about a specific issue. It’s about aligning our investments with our values. As our university and students. Not just about environmental. We are making a statement. If you want us to invest you need to have views that align with ours.
Student: Recently came into some money from grandpas passing, switched over to sustainable investing and am making the same amount of money.
MSU Department of Education:
Trisha Scypher: Working on blueprints for students success project. Motivated by a desire to help high school students, have a seamless transition between college and high school. Meeting with high school guidance councilors and students asking about what they know and what they expect. Helping students to understand language and culture. Orientation, a whole lot of information to take in all at once. Helping high school students using social media. Drove around to a bunch of different high schools. Played a game, what questions do students have about transition.
Rebecca: Ended up creating a jeopardy game with questions that students might have. He n we took the questions, close to 400, took them to college students in order to help students.
Trisha: How do I do my laundry? One questions. How many hours do I really need to study? Making friends and getting involved. Students interested in Greek life. How to join? What is the best way to make friends. Coming to any college can be overwhelming. Then turned and asked questions to college students. Developing an interactive game in an effort for them to practice going to college virtually. Using social media. Using social media as a means to connect high school students with college students and adults. We invite you to be part of the advice sharing process. If you have advice to share, a good way to put more inspiration and ideas out there. That is our call to action. Want to partner with ASMSU in order to make seamless transition.
Walker: How are you measuring the success with these high school students?
Trisha: Just Phase 1, Game will allow us to gather more information. From there want to follow students into college and see how they do.
Bertolino: How did you choose the high schools from the study?
Trisha: Tried to get a variety of high school that wants to participate. Made an effort to reach out to schools within budget. Currently our 4th presentation, have another PowerPoint with annotations. Can give another presentation to those who would like it.
Falls Down: Personalprivilege
Will Cronk: Financial Updates
Student fees 529,893 of 966,167(55%)
ReserveBalance: 419,464
Student programs: 4693 of 18460(25%)
Revenue: 1050 of 990(already over what has been budgeted for)
Campus entertainment: 13251 of 85020(16%)
Revenue: 0 of 10000
Elections:1024 of 7924(13%)
Revenue: 0 of 220
Late Night: 7633 of 28458(27%)
Revenue: 0of 15000
EJ officially step down- purchased some supplies and karaoke system
Procrastinator: 26602 of 71837(37%)
Revenue: 4,705 of 13,000
Productions: 1770 of 14268(12%)
Revenue: 5 of 1000
Right on track
Public relations: 11925 of 27640(43%)
Zen’s program- a little over, but promotional things bought at the beginning of the year. No revenue.
Student Political Action: 1142 to 13446(8%)
NO revenue
Spirits and Traditions:9763 of 20559(47%)
Alison’s program
Revenue: 585 of 125
Windham: Change of a program has to go through senate “Spirit and Traditions”
Senate Discretionary: 100 per senator
Administration: 114951 of 311,111(36%)
No revenue
DayCare: 173266 of 510476(33%)
Revenue 111512 of 276850(40%)
Mary retiring and teacher sick leave/ substitute, going to be a little over
KGLT: 136917 of 314,281(44%)
Revenue:65176 of 284,000(23%)
Windham: KGLT is mainly self sufficient, not all student fees
Legal services: 9190 of 41049(22%)
Revenue: 330 of 1800(18%)
Windham: Charlie and Audrey second year, great success in this program, both very qualified lawyers, don’t pay them much.
Admin Reports:
Zoltek: Leach: Thank you to everyone that attended a focus group. Employee and senator of the month.
employees recognized, Sept: Mackenzie Oct: Walker Nov: Ian
September: Bertolino, October: Falls Down, November: Johnson
Zoltek: Arts gallery in need of an attendant, need to be work study students Tues 2-3, Wed 3-4, Th 1-3
Email ASMSU arts. Hiring a new late night director, cool job, hiring a campus entertainment associate. Really want to do wet lab. Looking for a new legal intern.
Killian: Is that on hire a bobcat?
Zoltek: Probably?
Zoltek: Want to ask you, how do you feel about you liaison relationships?
DeRudder: Wish we has specifically lined up goals.
Hurst: Difficult to have goals because each program needs different things from liaison
Windham: Job as a liaison main job is to advocate for them during budget season.
Walker: Who initiates with constituency?
Zoltek: A lot of programs feel disassociated with ASMSU. Making sure you keep in contact with them at least 4 times a semester.
Cronk: Finance board meeting was Monday
Hetherington: Good luck with finals
Jones: Polls about winter retreat, big sky or condo elsewhere. Jan 20th and Feb 4th. Last year, this was the high point of the entire year, whole thing was the blast. Windham’s last day, appointing new senators in the spring. Senate discretionary funds, 5 grouped together and had bacon on the mall, cooked bacon for students.
Campbell: Do not wish any of you luck on your finals. *tells HORRIBLE joke* Funding board, had last meetings, 3 different funds, rolling and matching, can request up to a thousand dollars a year, worked our way through a good portion of these funds. Finance board, approval for travel expenses did not pass, program director pay raises did pass. Takes 2/3 vote of senate in order to turn over what funding board has decided. Bookstore board: Since we are all shareholders, January 19th at 12:15pm, chairholder meeting, Please come. Streamline meeting, Next Monday early afternoon. Digitally edited amendments.If goes smoothly, will attempt to integrate into meetings
Senate Reports:
Falls Down: Exponent planning retreat will be attending
Hollinger: Leadership board met, putting together survey talking about what skills do they look for most. Discussion, hopefully a step closer.
Campbell: Department would it be under?
Hollinger: Not sure.
Swenson: *tells relevant joke* Signs for nursing mothers have passed, one or two per month.
Killian: DO they have to buy the pass?
Swenson: Family advocate, mother would be in contact with. Presentation about transportation master plan, different take away, extend to 19th, a way to get ff campus, idea: making some bicycle hubs around campus, covered hubs, parking garage, opening around beginning of next semester, pay lot bottom and 2/3 of 2nd floor.
Campbell: If and when Kagy rebuilt, that is the only route that replaces Kagy
Roback: Upstairs bathroom opening January
Kaminetzky: Covered a lot of ground on hoe grad students are greeted. Good meeting.
Windham: Went to go see Ellen, director of KGLT, funding from CBS, working hard on that. Guy from KGLT from staff of month, helps reduce Ellen’s workload, today means restriction meeting, talking about pills and chemical access. Seems to be going well. If anyone interested in helping, let me know.
Unfinished Business:
2016-R-20
Reinvestment
Windham: Move to approve
Johnson: Really excited about this, don’t see as something radical, but as the right thing to do. Ask them to invest in the way that aligns with our views.
Campbell: Move to amend adda comma, add comma, add Dr. and move to add University, “let it be” to “be it” (seconded)
Motion passes
Windham: question for sponsors? Talked to alumni foundation.
Mathew: Talked to alumni foundation, know that we are working on this, in no way opposed to this, need to know that there is support for this movement, motion to keep working with them on this movement
Hollinger: Move to explain what SRI/ESG explained, disregarded, line 15, whereas SRI
Jensen: Sponsors, budget coming from previous investment?
Johnson: Asking to transition funds.
Jensen: How will it affect to other projects/ scholarships?
Johnson: Changing where they store their money, not how they spend it.
Mathew: Endowment comes from nation and they reinvest it, need to use 5% every year, normally in the form of scholarships.
Christy: Receive money as restricted gifts, used for a specific purpose, working on having my own fund, based on profit margins 950$ stipend, stays in endowment, only locate interest.
Bertolino: Where is the money invested right now? TO protect investment strategy, they don’t disclose
Johnson: Foundation itself is not deciding which, but using ESG criteria for stocks we would be sure.
Bertolino: How going to affect Montana businesses? And donors? Specifically economy?
Killian: No proof as to where it is going
Bertolino: Question in regards to why it hones in only on fossil fuels
Johnson:In collaboration with SNOW, important to them, not investing in companies that have child labor, or discrimination of women in the workplace.
Bertolino: Move to strike and insert Socially Responsible Investments(SRI) and Environmental Social Governments(ESG)
Motion passes
Emma: Currently the use money managers in order to do money management, not choosing individual companies
Mathew: Not like north shore financial is the only SRI investing company, network of universities that do things of the sorts
Emma: Montana based companies, affecting coal and fossil fuel, currently no investing in Montana basis, investment would encourage more investment in more Montana companies. Encouraging that company to advance in that field.
Killian: Mostly been SNOW, working really hard on this. Big but important. Personally support.
Walker: Pretty skeptical at first but Emma came back with all of my questions answered, money managers probably not looking at things like child labor laws, wanting to make most money. Would be for this. Not necessarily change the face of MSU, but making it so in the newspaper, at the end of the day, we look better. For resolution.
Campbell: Move to get rid of S, capitalize R, I …(seconded)
Motion passes
Clifton: Voice concerns, makes a lot of sense, some more popular socially responsible social returns, to me personally, student scholarships,a lot of us are out of state, would not be here without them
DeRudder: Fully supporting this, investment would be maybe just to clear conscience.
Windham: In support.
Johnson: Yield thefloor to Emma
Emma: concerns about cost, a gradual transition over 5 years, start directing money into that fund and see how it goes. Not like all scholarships are gone, gradual and make change accordingly. Not supporting it only because it is green but making sure that it isa good investment.
Mathew: Point out, we don’t invest in mutual funds. Look at studies that we have sited, countless independent studies, cited some in response to risk, concern has been research and been addressed, not investing because companies return high profits and are socially responsible.
Bertolino: Very well written resolution, main concern comes from wording in regards to the investments.
Kaminetzky: Valid point, thisis a resolution, this is a statement of something we would liked them to do, hoping they will consider.
DeRudder:Yield the floor to Emma
Emma: What other schools have asked of their alumni foundation, do this by 5 years, this would be our ideals
Roll Call Vote: 14-4 resolution passes
Campbell: Move for 5 minute recess
Reconvene at 8:03pm.
Campbell: Move to change schedule and review funding request before other resolution(seconded)
Funding Request:
CJ: ASMSU associate under Ron Peck, audio engineering, making bands happy, involved in a lot ofsound and worked with a lot of people, convention 19th through the 22nd, the music industry representatives, there to benefit students, very limited budget, got last sound system for 66% off market price, lighting and video, more bang for buck, bigger bang factor, getting bands that students want to see here, because from California, seeing a lot of really successful bands, started doing college circuits before becoming famous. Let’s do something here, the emancipator show, students only, great success, 3OH!3 came six years ago, college tours with Blist promoters, Come back with a whole list of names and contacts for you when I get back. NACA really great convention great for student government to go to. Bands do not pay attention to this because this is not their domain.
Campbell: Move to approve(seconded)
Move to have letter on screen read
As part of finance board, attempt to stay pretty impartial, but now that I can report, do not see benefit for students, CJ will be graduating next semester, don’t see enough information in order to benefit students and ASMSU
Falls Down: Conference packed with a lot of waysfor people to get involved, could bridge with a lot more recruiters
Windham: Don’t see this as being very beneficial, have never seen him before, not the type of networking at university, don’t see it as pertinent, finance board turned it down, don’t see this as
Roback: Finance board, main reason we tuned this down, sets out a standard for us to fund trips, NACA for campus activities, pertinent,
Bertolino: Are you going regardless
CJ: Have flight covered and 250 from dean of college of engineering
Bertolino: In support of this, growing up in Montana and going to school here in California, sending one of our students that will be graduating, but will be training student next in line. Brining in different, if we can’t find 350 in 2million, that’s pathetic.
CJ: Thank you for taking graduation into account, already heavily connected. With all networks, still going to be around, if anyone needs any help. If MSU wants to hire me as an independent contractor, I will do my best to make the band happy and have a great experience.
Bertolino: Ron doesn’t ask for a lot, if he writes us a letter fort
Hurst: Understand motivation for allowing individual to go, because already 3 people attending NACA, that I why voted no on previous funding
Creed: In support, Other people on the university have given him money, thus other people support this cause. Making money off of this.
Kaminetzky: The fact that he is going to be around and the fact that heis going to be around and that Ron thinks that, it is a good expenditure.
Roll Call Vote: 8-10
Finance board decision upheld
2016-R-21
Supporting of Funding of WGSS
Jones: Second Reading
Campbell: Motion to approve(seconded)
Move to amend, add all colons, and amend add too in first paragraph, add three Dr. credentials
Motion passes
As resolution sits right now, not in support of, sets bad president for ASMSU to advocate for funding, harmful for ASMSU students to dive into this, as a COE senator, support explicit support for Women and Gender studies in confliction with programs that are having an issue with growing pains. If explicitly asking for funding for this one, but not for others, after discussing, going to make amendment, changing the intent of the resolution, “increased visibility and funding”
Move to amend “In place of funding, Increased Visibility andPromotion, and other digital amendments…” (seconded)
Johnson: Give a thank you to mat. Believe it makes it a resolution. This is what it need not necessarily funding.
Amendment passes
Falls Down: Include a Dr. credential(seconded)
Amendment passes
DeRudder: “Add in Women and Gender and Sexuality Studies in second whereas, and a dash” (seconded)
Amendment passes
Johnson: AmendAmendment to not include commas(seconded)
Amendment passes
Grover: Line 17/18 move to strike line 17/18, strike
Amendment passes
Walker: Move to strike second line page 2
Amendment Passes
Roback: Strike LGBTQIA, students experience higher dropouts in engineering