Senate Meeting Minutes - 05.11.17
Minutes of the SCU Senate Meeting May 11, 2017
Members Present:
Senate Chair Neil Datar Austin Gray Amy Monzon
Parliamentarian Phillip Barber Kayla Williams Jelly Fuentes
Pro-Tempore Rachel Wiggins* John Ferrari Areany Tolentino
David Warne Jack Herstam Payton Swanson
Alex Perlman Erik Echeona Jake Day Ahmer Israr Paul Armstrong Mitch McCaffrey
Cormac McOsker Jahwala Johns Samantha Perez Victoria Linares Mayron Mulugeta Helen Kassa
Mackenzie Bartz Karsten Andersen**Proxy Natalie Wiggins *Recorded minutes
Absent
Gemi Griffin
Ye Chit Ko
Tom Valentine
Jaia Rovaris
1. CALL TO ORDER
Senate Chair Neil Datar called the May 11, 2017 meeting of the Santa Clara University Senate to order at 7:04pm in the Sobrato Commons Room.
Senate Chair Neil asked a member to read the invocation. At-Large Senator Kayla Williams recited the invocation.
2. ROLL CALL
Pro Tempore Rachel Wiggins took roll at 7:05pm.
3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Senate Chair Neil Datar asked the Senate to consider the agenda for the current meeting. He requested questions and comments related to the minutes. None were put forward, and the agenda was approved by Junior Senator Amy Monzon and seconded by At-Large Senator Erik Echeona.
4. APPROVAL OF THE PREVIOUS MINUTES
Senate Chair Neil Datar asked the Senate to consider the minutes from the last Senate meeting. He requested questions and comments related to the minutes. None were put forward, and the minutes were approved by Junior Senator Jelly Fuentes and seconded by At-Large Senator Paul Armstrong.
5. SPECIAL ORDERS OF BUSINESS
Presentation by Don Akerland
New STEM building
“Santa Clara University is pioneering a uniquely integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiative to foster convergence and stimulate greater collaboration within the sciences and engineering.
Grounded in the Jesuit philosophy of education, this initiative will distinguish the University as a national leader in STEM education. Through innovative curricula, transformative pedagogies, and inspiring research, the STEM student will gain deep disciplinary knowledge, as well as the ethical discernment and collaboration skills needed to contribute to a more humane, just, and sustainable world.”
Tentative building list
Heafey
Bergin Hall
990 Benton
3305 The Alameda
Alameda Hall
Student Activity Fee Committee (SAFC) Budget Presentation
Question:
First-Year Senator David Warne: Can you explain difference between revenue and operations?
Revenue is what we expect the organization to bring in and operations is the cost of operating and running
Parliamentarian Phillip Barber: So do the organizations keep the revenue within themselves?
Yes
At-Large Senator Ahmer Israr: why are there so many new stipend positions in into the wild?
ITW serves over the thousand people and really helps people get off campus. We fortunately had extra money and we hope with this they won’t come back asking for more money. This is also so they can fund new programs outside of their current ones. They are also newer, they’ve only been around for about 4 years so they are still developing and there are changes in their structures.
At-Large Senator Austin Gray: How was the number $13,300 decided on and why is that not closer to the $20,000?
Morgan (APB): What is the gift cap?
We don’t have control over how you use your fund but we wanted to set a cap for apparel. It’s about how much they spend on themselves. This cap is about internal spending, not external.
At-Large Senator Kayla Williams: Is the $80 average for apparel set on ASG for the polos and the sweatshirts?
Yes, just so other organizations are not buying really expensive clothes. You can buy whatever you want, but we will only fund $80 per person.
First-Year Senator David Warne: What’s the likelihood that these recommendations will be approved?
What’s approved is normally very close to what is recommended.
DELIBERATIONS and RECOMMENDATIONS
At-Large Senator Kayla William: I think you should make sure that the budget is flexible within the $80 average.
At-Large Senator Austin Gray: I think ASG should reduce per person apperal spending to $70-75 and put all of that extra money to the RSO spending.
At-Large Senator Ahmer Israr: Cap ASG budget to $50 and use the rest for RSO budgets
Finance President Lauren Betschart--It’s hard because we’re really taking that money from the next ASG, but I agree that the RSOs need more money
Matt (President of ITW): nutrition manager--responsible for getting food for all the trips for all the participants. This is really important for backpacking trips. The diversity position is to work with the MCC because a lot of these activities tend to not be that diverse and we want to change that. This would involve outreach and setting up safe space training and work to promote more diversity and inclusion for outdoor activities
Isaac (Director of MCC): I agree with the ITW diversity position, but I feel as though our MCC staff is more than willing to work with your staff so that you don’t need a position. It’s great that you guys want to reach out and diversify your program but I think the MCC is more than capable and willing to help and that the money would be better served to the RSO.
At-Large Senator Ahmer Israr: It’s a little bit obscene for ITW to request this much money, I would suggest that they either remove some of the positions or lower the tiers for some of them.
Matt: This increase is representative of the past 4 years where we haven’t gotten these much needed funds. I think this budget is representative of what our organization needs.
Daysha: Can we look at all of the tiered position for all of the CSOs? Because I think some of them may be underpaying or overpaying some of the positions that have been formed and tiered. I think there are big discrepancies between CSOs and positions and that’s something we should look into.
At-Large Senator Austin Gray: I think we should drop the tiers for all ITW position.
Matt: Some of these tiers would be hard to drop, but I would consider dropping some stipended positions. We would be comfortable dropping tier changes and keeping the introduction of new positions.
Matt: Recruitment coordinator is to actively search for new leaders for the organizations. We do need these new positions to operate.
First-Year Senator David Warne: I we should extend the $30 per person limit to all of the CSOs for apparel.
Lauren: Smaller organizations cannot buy in bulk and save in order to spend $30.
Junior Senator Amy Monzon: I don’t think it’s fair to lower the budget that much for everyone.
At-Large Senator Ahmer Israr: I think we should cut the pro temp and parliamentarian stipend.
Pro Tempore Rachel Wiggins: I understand that but I think for pro temp, I am part of multiple committees, I type the minutes, I go to every committee chair meeting and I’m not saying that I should be paid the same amount as committee chairs but I think a stipend is reasonable.
At-Large Senator Sam Perez: I think we should lower the committee chair stipend.
Elayna (SCAAP): Ethically made clothing, you can’t get ethically made clothes for $30. Don’t lower the cap below $80.
Sophomore Senator Jahwala Johns: I agree with lower committee chairs one tier.
Sophomore Senator Alex Perlman: I think the committee chairs do a lot of unseen things
Deca: Nicer apparel gives a higher degree of professionalism and recognition.
Daysah: There isn’t consistency among all the CSOs. I think if there is a consistent requirement for the amount of time and effort required for each tier then there will be fewer issues and discrepancies.
Senior Senator John Ferrari: Maybe all the CSOs could order their apparel together and then you could avoid some of these issues.
At-Large Senator Ahmer Israr: I don’t think that we should put in a stipend for a legislative branch when other parts like COMDEV do the same amount of work and don’t get paid.
Tedd: Just judging based off how much work someone put in isn’t equivalent, leadership and other things should be considered.
Senior Senator Areany Tolentino: I think we should look at the amount of hours that go into each position so that then you can consider what the stipend baseline should be for each tier.
At-Large Senator Austin Gray: How much do the committee chairs think they should be paid?
Daysha: Saying it’s only a couple hundred dollars is so casual and it really does make a difference. sometimes $50 means you have the money to put on an event or not.
At-Large Senator Paul Armstrong: Would it be possible to ask ITW to write out all the positions they are suggesting and provide a full position description?
First-Year Senator David Warne: If there are redundancies they should try to to combine some of positions?
Junior Senator Marli Dunn: I do think RSOs need more money and I think we should have a baseline because we can’t always just say people didn’t know better we have to make them know better.
Exec Updates
PRESIDENT
Transition!!!
It’s On Us
Student Affairs UPC
Malley Clothing Policy
Senior Chair Position to APB
Trustee Student Life and Athletics Committee Update
All of ASG’s activities
Last Board of Trustees Update
June 2nd
COMMDEV
Keep promoting Senior Ball!
First Year Festival
May 26th
Bronco Brawl
May 23rd
PR
It’s on Us video
Be Heard TOMORROW
CHIEF JUSTICE
Conduct Code revision updates
Elections!
Transitions!
FINANCE
Office Hours 10:30-12:00 T/Th
and every other day this week and probably next week but not the week after!
SAFC Request/Presentation Completed!
Please turn in reimbursements asap!
Working on Transition!!!!
VICE PRESIDENT
May 21 - ASG Banquet
May 17 - Transition Ceremony
5 to 6 PM
Mission Church
May 18 - Transition Senate
Spring Retreat
6. NEW BUSINESS
Short Discussion on Medical Amnesty
John-Please come talk to me if you are interested in looking into the medical amnesty policy. To me it does not make sense to have the policy only extend to alcohol when there could be someone overdosing on xanax and someone is afraid to make the call. They’re both drug use and the fact is they both happen frequently on the campus, it doesn’t make sense to destigmatize one
7. OLD BUSINESS
Committee Updates
COMM
WHAT: Meet your representatives. Talk about what you want to see changed. Or just meet a new friend. And do it over free lunch.
WHERE: The Bronco outdoor dining patio between the bookstore
WHEN: Tomorrow 11:45 - 2:30
WHY: Allow students to become familiar with their class representatives
Create a dialogue for incoming and outgoing senators to help ease the transition
CUIC
Transition documents
FOC
Fight Song is out! Share Share Share!
Art Minor Survey..big news coming!
SAC
I’m at Senior Design because I have to be to graduate
Welcome Natalie back as my proxy
SAC is officially done funding!
8. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Office Hours
Be Heard Friday 11:45-2:05
9. ADJOURNMENT
Senate Chair Neil Datar asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Adjournment was approved by At-Large Senator Sam Perez and seconded by Sophomore Senator Jake Day. Senate Chair Neil Datar called the May 11, 2017 meeting of the Santa Clara University Senate to a close at 8:53PM.