Undergraduate Student Senate Meeting
13 September 2015
Notes compiled by Mary Grace Elliott
Session 37
Chris Clement, VP, Student Senate Liaison to Administration
-Chief operating and financial officer of UNH (all campuses)
-First full year, UNH alum, Mechanical Engineer, former State Commissioner of Transportation of New Hampshire, also has an MBA
-At UNH and formerly in the state government because he came from a humble background and wants to give back.
-Is comfortable with the current financial state of the university, but would like to work to improvements.
-Wants to increase capital and operating through state funding and internal borrowing to improve facilities (see Spalding)
-Increasing tuition is not the answer. The administration is wary and mindful of that.
-The administration “is here for [the students].”
-Turnover this summer:
-Victoria Dutcher is new, Bill Ginelle is new and an alum.
-Wants the USS to seek him out with issues, but he will also check in. He is available by email and phone (office, home, and cell are listed online).
-There is currently no particular communication plan. USS is going to create a policy or plan as they go through a kind of open conversation.
-Bringing in tools and tactics from his previous business experience. Applying business tactics to the university to alleviate financial strain.
-Wants to exercise consolidation across the board to cut costs.
-Biggest challenge for UNH in the next ten years aside from finances is enrollment.
-Also concerned about the increase in off-campus apartments and crime/shenanigans in downtown Durham.
-Current issue: Biased Language Guide[1]. Concord may get itself in a tizzy and not want to fund us. ßThis is something we need to talk about at GSS. Is our administration so reluctant to champion learning, the pursuance of creative thought, and exploration that they would throw their faculty and graduate students under the bus to make a buck? I’m not saying this out loud because this is not my meeting, but the current attitudes towards the humanities on this campus are mightily concerning. Everyone should be thinking about this. It doesn’t only affect Humanities.
-Roll Call (everyone is here)
-Communications
-Doug is Parliamentarian. He is kind of analogous to a VP. Helps Senators with all their things. Chairs judiciary committee. .
-Goes through process for speaking and commenting and general parliamentary procedure.
-Two fingers for questions and friendly amendments.
-One finger for comments and amendments.
-Wave your hands around kind of like jazz hands or sparkle fingers for agreement.
-Amanda is Executive Officer. She manages everyone.
-Connor is the Business Manager. Chairs Financial Affairs Committee. Manages the USS budget (around $100,000).
-Abby chairs Student Activity Fee Committee.
-Lisa and Chris are Chief Financial Officers.
-There is an Historian, but she spoke very quickly so I didn’t catch it. She takes the minutes.
-Kendra is Academic Affairs Council chair.
-Alex Richards is chair of campus goings-on, transportation, whatever else. I didn’t catch the name of the committee.
-Josh is chair of External Affairs.
-Allison is Greek Affairs Liaison.
-Emily is Health and Wellness.
-Oh sorry, I missed one.
-Lincoln is the Student Trustee. Office is 119B in the MUB.
-Ryan is the Student Body Vice President. MUB 199F.
-Cameron Cook is Student Body President. MUB 119F.
-Really wants students to stop getting arrested. Please stop. We are at 10-year record high this year. Just stop it.
-Gabe Hoffman is the Student Senate Speaker. (He is Ezra, Jr.)
-A long re-explanation of Parliamentary Procedure for all the people who weren’t listening before.
-New Business
-Long lists were read and routine bills and amendments were passed. Everyone also learned how to alphabetize together, so that was thrilling.
-So much explaining and voting and typing on a screen very slowly. Lots of people want to quit committees once they find out how often they will have to meet. This meeting is essentially over except for voting for things that everyone already knows will pass. Basically just housekeeping.
[1] I want to note that the actual name of the document is “Bias-Free Language Guide,” and this slip is indicative of a troubling attitude from our administration.