Senate Meeting Minutes :: 02.06.20 :: Week 4
Minutes of the SCU Student Senate Meeting February 6th, 2020 in the Willman Room
Members Present:
Senate Chair David Warne
Pro-Tempore Cat Bick
Parliamentarian Eduardo Ruano
First-Year Senators:
Christina Abudayeh
Cole Brunelli
Theo Lassen
Ariel Perlman
Meg Wu
Sophomore Senators:
Abby Alvarez
Justin Chan
Carmen Ocazionez
Raul Orellana
Luke Paulson
Junior Senators:
Kyle Andrews
Amber Wang
Zachary Meade
Juliana Monela Teter
Ann Codiga
Senior Senators:
Cam Bick
Erik Echeona
Vidya Pingali
At-Large Senators:
Allie Bare
Emi Bellwood
Duncan McDonnell
Mika Philip
Melanie Sam
Obasi Lewis
Members Absent:
Helen Kassa
Ifeanyi Ifediba
1. CALL TO ORDER
Senate Chair David Warne called the February 6th, 2020 meeting of the Santa Clara
University Student Senate to order at 7:00 pm in the Willman Room of Benson Memorial
Center.
Senate Chair David Warne invited Sophomore Senator Luke Paulson to recite the
invocation.
2. ROLL CALL
Pro-Tempore Cat Bick took roll at 7:01 pm. A quorum was present.
3. APPROVAL OF THE PREVIOUS MINUTES
Senate Chair David Warne: Can I get a motion to approve the previous minutes?
At-Large Senator Duncan McDonnell moved to vote and First-Year Senator Meg Wu
seconded the motion.
The motion carried by voice vote.
Junior Senator Zachary Meade: Consent for all the changes on the document to be
approved. There were mostly grammar things and a statement as to whether or not the
motion passed. Also, for the motion to approve the senators, some of those didn’t have
motions or adoptions of those motions written down.
Senate Chair David Warne: Are there any oppositions to comments Senator Meade
brought up? Ok, can I get a motion to vote? Senior Senator Erik Echeona moved to vote
and Sophomore Senator Luke Paulson seconded the motion. The motion carried by
voice vote.
Senate Chair David Warne: On the question of approving the previous minutes, all in
favor say aye, all opposed nay.
The voice vote carried.
4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Senate Chair David Warne: Can I get a motion to approve the agenda?
Senior Senator Erik Echeona moved to approve the agenda and Senior Senator Cam Bick
seconded the motion. The motion carried by voice vote.
Senate Chair David Warne: On the question of approving the agenda, all in favor say
aye, all opposed say no.
The voice vote carried.
5. COMMITTEE UPDATES
Erik Echeona for CUIC
Red Cup Pickup this Saturday at 10 am
We are working on a safe walk program and looking into late-night Benson options
Vidya Pingali for FOC
So, I was put on an outdoor sound amplification committee. We are trying to change the way RSOs use sound, etc.
Also, there is an app called RAVE. If you have your SCU mobile app, it allows you to send anonymous texts to campus safety.
Helen wants to continue with her VTA pilot program and she is going to be meeting with poli sci professors to inquire about Africa-related courses in Poli Sci and Econ.
Amber Wang for SEC
So, Emi successfully completed her Diversity and Inclusion in Silicon Valley event.
Emi Bellwood: It went well. We had people from Accenture, Adobe, and LinkedIn come in. All these people are really open to doing more stuff on campus. So, if you guys have ideas, tell me because they really want to do this. Thanks to those who came.
Meg Wu: So, I sent out an email to everyone with the flier that is on there right now. You are responsible for forwarding this flier to your buddy. I promised them they would be getting invites in the next week so go ahead and do that.
Allie Bare: So, I am working with ASM again. One thing they are working on is faith, politics, and the 2020 election: Is common ground possible? One of the things I am going to be helping them with is getting RSOs to come to the event. If ASG members want to be moderators, let me know.
Kyle Andrews for SAC
Our first ESO has been approved, another one that is going through the process.
6. NEW BUSINESS
Confirmation: Caroline Banker, Assistant Bronco News Producer
Senate Chair David Warne invited Caroline Banker to the front of the room to introduce
herself and state why she is interested in the position.
Caroline Banker: The position is Assistant Bronco News Producer. So, I help select the
content for the news segments and then film, produce, and edit it. I am a Comm and Poli
Sci double major. I want to go into broadcast journalism.
Senate Chair David Warne thanked the candidate and opened up the floor for any
questions.
Senior Senator Vidya Pingali: What experience do you have in this area?
Caroline Banker: So, my current experience is that I work in the athletic department and
help with the live stream for all the events. I do women and men’s basketball games and
water polo games. For upcoming projects, I helped work on the visual access card promo
video and the cultural show videos.
Junior Senator Zachary Meade: Did you have any specific goals for this position?
Caroline Banker: A personal goal is to learn about ASG and the PR team. And the goal for
the overall involvement is to help promote the videos more around campus.
At-Large Senator Allie Bare: How did you find out about the position?
Caroline Banker: Through Cecelia Fan’s email.
Hearing no more questions, Senate Chair David Warne asked the candidates to leave
the room. Following their departure, he asked the Senate for questions, comments, or
concerns regarding the candidate.
Junior Senator Ann Codiga: She is great.
Junior Senator Zachary Meade: Is this the position that Judith vacated?
David Warne: Yes. We promoted her.
Senate Chair David Warne: Can I get a motion to vote?
Senior Senator Erik Echeona moved to vote and First-Year Senator Meg Wu seconded
the motion. The motion carried by voice vote.
Senate Chair David Warne: All in favor, all opposed. Let’s do a voice vote. On the
question of appointing Caroline Banker, say aye or nay.
The voice vote carries.
Senate Chair David Warne: Caroline Banker is approved as Bronco News editor.
The candidate was sworn-in by Chief Justice Emily Yekikian.
RSO Presentations
Senate Chair David Warne invited representatives from Best Buddies to present their
RSO to the Senate. Their presentation is succinctly summarized below:
Best Buddies is an international non-profit organization that creates opportunities for peer friendships and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Mission Statement: Provide friendships, leadership roles, and activities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to stay connected with our community and engage in campus life with their peers.
Plans for internal fundraising but need money for food, utensils, supplies, and games.
Senate Chair David Warne invited representatives from The Chill Club to present their
RSO to the Senate. Their presentation is succinctly summarized below:
Our mission is to ease the stress of SCU students through wholesome events that promote self-improvement and positivity. In other words, to bring chill vibes to SCU.
7. SPECIAL ORDERS OF BUSINESS
Shelley Arakawa, Search for a Chief Diversity Officer
Eva Blanco Masias: Good evening. My name is Eva Blanco Masias, I am the Dean of
Undergraduate Admission. I want to first thank you for your time and one of the reasons
we are here is because we are on this pathway to search for our next Chief Diversity
Officer. That is a working title. We are in the process of hearing from the entire campus.
There is a survey, we are trying to get input from all parts of the community. We will also
have open forums for faculty, students, and staff. They are here to meet with you today.
I’ll pass it over to Shelley and Christine so we can hear your input.
Shelley Arakawa: I am a consultant with Keyfirm. I am based in Southern California. The
purpose today is to get your feedback on some of these questions. What we do with the
information is to create a leadership profile to market the position. We also use that info
when we do have conversations with those candidates. Do you have any questions?
Junior Senator Zachary Meade: I was wondering more about the history and why we are
searching for this position now?
Shelley Arakawa: So, it is my understanding that there are people here who probably
know more. For a number of years, there have been committees, commissions, and
surveys to address the climate. And to create a more inclusive community. So, I think
one of the recommendations has been to have someone who can think about diversity
at large and holistically about what diversity means here, as well as what SCU would
look like as a more diverse place. This is the time that has been identified.
Dean Eva Blanco Masias: There have always been initiatives here to make it a more
inclusive place. That changes as the institution changes. We are in growth mode. We are
hearing it from the community that they want to see changes in a number of ways. We
also have a president who has made it a priority. It is important both in how it is
structured and it is trying to get to a place where the culture feels good to everyone.
Everything from our policies, to how we teach.
At-Large Senator Mika Philip: So, I’m not sure if I got this but one thing I was wondering
is if I could hear more about your company. What are projects similar to this that you
have done?
Shelley Arakawa: We are celebrating our 50th year. We work with institutions and
organizations that are dedicated to improving the quality of life. We work in education
but also have a life sciences group, and non-profit. We have done a few diversity
searches together. So, I think based on the work that we have done, I think that is why
SCU chose us.
Sophomore Senator Abby Alvarez: I think the first thing that comes to mind is that you
are putting the weight of diversity on one person. So, I think it is important to find someone who could be intersectional. People with disabilities often get left out of the conversation.
At-Large Senator Obasi Lewis: Along similar lines, what educational requirements will be
necessary for this position? For res life, it is required that all staff have an advanced
degree. Will it be required to have an advanced degree in a field around diversity.
Charlotte: So, it is an emerging field so you don’t usually see people with a degree in this
area. For candidates, they typically have a masters degree, maybe a graduate degree, a
JD. Santa Clara’s requirement will probably lean towards a Ph.D.
At-Large Senator Allie Bare: From the perspective of students, as far as what challenges
might exist, as students, we often feel that walking around campus it often doesn’t feel
very diverse whereas on paper there is a paramount of diversity. So, I think to make sure
that translates.
Senior Senator Cam Bick: So, you guys said you are celebrating your 50th year. What is
the most similar position that you hired and what similarities does the candidate have
that you are looking for here?
Charlotte: So, each campus is different and that is how we do these listening sessions. In
terms of looking at profiles of recent placements, our placement at John Carroll, for
example, was someone who had experience in diversity at Vanderbilt and was the
executive director of a non-profit. So, having experience both on the inside and the
outside. Another hire for Case Western worked at Ohio State for student
development. Looking at Duke, Duke is one of the few universities that has had a chief
diversity officer for many years. They took a look at that office and looked at people who
had a strong experience in Title IX, etc. So, it will vary why we want to hear from you all
about what are your needs so we can develop that leadership profile.
Senate Chair David Warne: Would there be a shift of existing resources that are diversity
related so they would be under the management of the new DEO?
Charlotte: The email from the president I believe addressed that.
Dean Eva Blanco Masias: I think that is all part of this review as well. Where it ends up
and what resources it needs as well. We want the position to not just exist but also be
impactful.
President Sahil Sagar: To give you all a little bit of context, this will be essentially part of
the cabinet. It will have a team under them that will be directly reporting to the
president. We have OML, Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Just to give you some
structure, it will be a cabinet-level position.
At-Large Senator Melanie Sam: One of the necessities is to have strong beliefs and
advocate for the students. Many of our diversity forums, the students speak but the
administration doesn’t do much. Also, with the intersectionality, it affects other places
on campus such as admission. I was wondering if you also oversee compensation? How
can we ensure that the DEO will be compensated fairly?
Charlotte: The President determines what the compensation will be.
At-Large Senator Melanie Sam: Also, overseeing staff, I don’t know what the diversity
and inclusion for staff members entails, but I think it would be great for the DEO to
undertake.
At-Large Senator Allie Bare: I think one of the first points that Melanie made plays into
the structure of how they might have more contact with. I think it would be good to
have the resources under them like the OML to take student action. It seems like a
cabinet-level position might have an influence that students wouldn’t see.
At-Large Senator Mika Philip: One top priority that should be considered is socioeconomic
diversity. It is oftentimes that I or other friends have felt not discriminated against but
uncomfortable. So, I feel like that should be something.
Senior Senator Erik Echeona: With regards to qualifications, I was thinking the history of
relevant policy making might be a good one. With top priority, equitable admission for
the school.
Sophomore Senator Abby Alvarez: Just one other thing, I think they need to not
tokenize our diversity. It is one of the most promoted things by our administration but
that is something that students have been the main advocates on.
Parliamentarian Eduardo Ruano: One thing would be forming greater relations with the
MCC. Sometimes certain clubs are having difficulty managing their affairs and I think it
can help lend a hand to giving clubs in the MCC greater exposure.
Junior Senator Zachary Meade: So, there is a student organization prevalent in the field
of diversity. It was created by students, for students. It doesn’t have any official standing
on the campus but it seems to be an organization that is intended to represent those
student interests on campus. I think working with that council would help to alleviate
student concerns that their voices aren’t represented.
President Sahil Sagar: So, a couple of challenges I see that they might have are how they
might organize their team. They will be collaborating with a lot of different offices. So,
how to make sure diversity is included in most, if not all, in the University operations.
Neither one is understanding the feel of SCU when they first come in. They will be brand
new so I really hope that the person who ends up getting the job will have visibility on
campus. The general sense of the campus is that they see you around then they know
who to talk to.
Sophomore Senator Raul Orellana: I just wanted to ask is the process the same for
internal candidates? Is there an internal search? How are we regulating or assessing their capacity to build this new position? What qualification would someone within the University qualified?
Charlotte: Internal and external candidates all go through the same process. We would
measure their qualifications against the leadership profile. We are listening for themes
to pull out what would make a candidate successful.
Sophomore Senator Raul Orellana: If an internal candidate makes it to the final round,
are students able to interject in that? My concern is that some students don’t feel
comfortable with certain candidates taking administrative roles.
Charlotte: What will happen is that you will have finalist candidates that will come back
to campus. That will happen in the spring. After each candidate comes to visit, you will
be able to provide feedback via survey. And you can object to anyone.
Shelley Arakawa: There will also be members of the search committee that you can talk
to. We do have a survey that is up now. So, I know not everyone got to speak so please
feel free to access that survey. If you have individuals who you think might be good for
this position, please email us and we will follow up with these individuals.
Guest Speaker: Ed Ryan
Senate Chair David Warne invited Ed Ryan – University Accreditation to the front of the
room to speak in front of the Student Senate. His presentation is summarized succinctly
below:
Thank you all so much for your time. I will provide an update about WASC. For those who don’t know, the University has to be reviewed by WASC. We do it for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it provides the university an opportunity to do a deep-dive into the university and see if we are meeting our mission statement and obligations. We do a process where we do a self-study and then submit the report to others who will judge us. Once we get accredited it is a kind of stamp to external stakeholders that we do what we say we are going to. Also, it ensures that we can get financial aid for students.
The University Coordinating Committee got a working group in 2017 and looked at 39 criteria. We also looked at dozens of surveys that you all completed. We also looked at faculty surveys. We looked at a whole lot of data to find strengths and challenges. Then we drafted the report and found out where we are doing well and where we need improvement. I am here to share with you the report. We will have open sessions later on for students to comment on how we are doing.
There are nine sections of the report. In the first two we try to describe the University. We talk a lot about the RLCs, the RSOs. Sections three through six display the academic nature of the institution. It describes the meaning of the degree. What does a degree mean to our students? Once we describe the degree, then we have to show how students are actually meeting the degree. We have to engage in a pretty deep dive of the assessment. Once you submit your coursework, we look at how well students engaged with key concepts. We use that assessment data to prove where we are doing a good job. I won’t go into every single piece of data but I just wanted to show a few high-level overviews
SCU met with four of the schools and pulled works and analyzed them. These faculty met for about a week and judged each other’s papers. Santa Clara is a little bit higher than the other schools which is a point of pride. It is showing that SCU does a good job of meeting the learning goals. We also talk about two key hallmarks: our first year retention is quite high but also within six years, 90% of our students graduate. I think it speaks to the high-quality students that we have. The other thing we are proud of is that we look at this data not only for the whole population but that most groups are succeeding in graduating. Section six is fairly bureaucratic. Section seven and eight talk about some of our challenges. Section seven talks about our financial viability. Of course, we also have some challenges. We talk about college affordability, compensation, and housing. Section eight follows up with institutional challenges. The four we highlighted are diversity, the blue-ribbon work, and the ten priorities. The idea of institutional support to improve the campus climate. We also talked a lot about governance, decision-making, transparency, communication, and fairness. If you type in provost and accreditation then you can find the report. We are happy to see your feedback. In October 2020, we will have open forums with the WASC external team.
Senate Chair David Warne thanked Ed Ryan for his presentation and opened up
the floor to any questions.
Sophomore Senator Raul Orellana: I was just wondering about affordable tuition
being a challenge with plans to increase the undergraduate student body. What
efforts will you guys make to keep it affordable?
Ed Ryan: I think we have been trying to keep it at 4%. That is not 5% but we have
a lot more work to do. One, it is about controlling cost. We need to make the
institution more affordable and we can’t do that by fundraising alone. About two
years ago there was an effort called sustaining excellence. The trustees are also
looking at keeping it more affordable. We have to figure out a way to save and
still provide all the resources students need. There are some things we are going
to have to cut and determine what are our core priorities.
Senior Senator Vidya Pingali: My question is similar. If we can brag that we are
financially stable then why does our tuition keep increasing and we have issues of
lecturers?
Ed Ryan: It is a complicated question. So, there is an economist in the 1970s who said
that higher education is one of the sectors that you can’t get to be more efficient or
effective. The reason there is a challenge is people. 70% of the operational budget is
spent on human resources. We have to pay higher wages to our faculty and staff so they
can afford to live here. So, I think that is what we are struggling with and have tuition
increases. Some schools like Stanford have a 20 billion dollar endowment. We don’t have
that. We have a billion. Some schools have gone online. Some of faculty are teaching
online so the costs aren’t as great. In terms of adjuncts, I think the university has been
working on it quite a bit.
First-Year Senator Ariel Perlman: On top of our finances, financial literacy is decreasing
as a whole. One of the key goals could be to teach fiscal literacy.
Ed Ryan: That is a fair point. I think the school of business would echo you. In about a
year and a half, we will go through a core curriculum revision. Every student would
probably benefit from a coding class or a basic economics class. That will probably be
part of the conversation.
Senior Senator Cam Bick: I actually work in Institutional Research, so I helped fill out the
report. I just wanted to ask about tuition increases. I found out compared to institutions
that aren’t in Silicon Valley, it is pretty comparable. How would you equate that with
staying competitive with other schools or the inflation of our location?
Ed Ryan: That is a great question. It is a tricky question. We can’t speak to other
institutions about tuition because of collusion. Two decades ago there was a different
attitude around tuition. In the past there was a view of increasing the prices to look
more attractive. Post-recession no one is doing that. The past is now coming back to
haunt us. My sense is that those that are increasing are trying to keep up with inflation. I
am shocked that if you look at Gonzaga and Portland, in a much more affordable area,
theirs keeps raising as well. I am surprised that they are not lower than us. We are within
the band of those schools but we are facing a lot more pressure.
Senior Senator Cam Bick: Do you think they are trying to look more like a Cadillac?
Ed Ryan: Before 2008, I would say yes. Now, I am not sure. Loyola Marymount has
double the staff in some areas so I don’t know how they keep doing that.
Senate Chair David Warne: Thank you for your time, Mr. Ryan.
8. NEW BUSINESS
Confirmation: Nicole Jacobus, Senior Senator
Senate Chair David Warne invited Nicole Jacobus to the front of the room to introduce
herself and state why she is interested in the position.
Nicole Jacobus: I came here last quarter right after a concussion so I don’t really
remember what has happened since then. Originally, I was asked after that first meeting
whether I wanted to be a senior senator. It sounds really fun. I was on student
government in high school. It sounds like a great opportunity in my last quarter here. I
think it would be a great time to get involved. Also, I have been through four years and
am not afraid to critique it now.
Senate Chair David Warne thanked the candidate and opened up the floor for any
questions.
Senior Senator Vidya Pingali: With 15 weeks left, how will you do everything in a short
time?
Nicole Jacobus: I think culture is a big issue. Working with students, faculty, and being
part of this group.
At-Large Senator Mika Philip: Do you have any potential projects that you would like to
work on?
Nicole Jacobus: Well, actually I am in an interesting position because my mom is an
adjunct professor here. I think that gives me interesting insight.
At-Large Senator Obasi Lewis: What are your goals as a senator in the next fifteen
weeks?
Nicole Jacobus: I think a goal is connecting with the community. What you all do is
fantastic but I usually archive the emails each week. It is not something that is promoted
well. I think even that, finding a way to communicate with the general population is
important.
First-Year Senator Christina Abudayeh: Last time you were here you mentioned
something about parking?
Nicole Jacobus: Yes, I was a commuter for four years. Now with all the construction, it is
hard to find parking and some of my friends are always parking on the street.
Hearing no more questions, Senate Chair David Warne asked the candidates to leave
the room. Following their departure, he asked the Senate for questions, comments, or
concerns regarding the candidate.
Junior Senator Juliana Monela Teter: She is cool and really fun to be around. She is also
a Comm major and in film. She already has ideas for projects.
At-Large Senator Allie Bare: I have worked with her to study for my musicianship
midterm and I think it would be interesting to bring some artsiness and some different
projects.
Senate Chair David Warne: She also said she has a friend in every major so she has
some unique perspectives.
At-Large Senator Obasi Lewis: I have worked with Nicole since freshman year. She has
been extremely professional but in a fun, unique way.
Junior Senator Kyle Andrews moved to vote and First-Year Senator Meg Wu seconded
the motion. The motion carried by voice vote.
Senate Chair David Warne: On the question of appointing Nicole Jacobus to Senior
Senator. Say aye or nay.
The voice vote carries.
The candidate was sworn-in by Chief Justice Emily Yekikian.
+$1000 Presentations
Senate Chair David Warne invited representatives from Mock Trial to present their
request for +$1000 to the Senate. Their presentation is succinctly summarized below:
Regional Competition held in Colorado Springs
Working on getting funding from the Pre-Law department
Total requested: 2,196.90
Ad Hoc for Standing Rules and Orders Amendment
Junior Senator Zachary Meade: There is a note that I made, a grammatical thing. The
other thing is that there are two potential new members. One advisor and one new
member. The advisor is Cat. I am glad that she will now be an advisor on the committee
because she brings a lot of value to it. The second thing is a potential new student
member that is not a member of the Senate. This is something that I encourage all
committees to do. The meaning of it is this idea that someone who is not a member of
the Senate would be involved in committees. Specifically, Avery James, who was a
senator last year. She is really cool and she was really involved in Roberts’ Rules last year.
She seemed very interested in the idea. I would like to leave the option open for her.
One last note, in our resolutions there is an awkward thing that we do. In Model UN
resolutions, they have a verb in the operative clauses so I wanted to make it fit with that.
Senate Chair David Warne: Since this is not an amendment to the bylaws, would you be
comfortable voting on it tonight? Ok, we are going to debate it. Any questions for
Zachary on the changes?
Senior Senator Vidya Pingali: Can you scroll down? Are you saying that the student
at-large is not a senator? Or can they be another branch of ASG?
Zachary Meade: They can be another member of ASG.
Sophomore Senator Abby Alvarez: I kind of worry that with committees, we have been
meeting for five weeks and have so much material. Would we catch them up?
Zachary Meade: That is a good point. This is sort of leaving the option open for us. The
answer is that I would work with Avery on my own to catch her up so far. She would be
able to join as a non-senator perspective.
9. OLD BUSINESS
New RSO Voting
Junior Senator Kyle Andrews: So ESOs, Bowling Club. We sent out an email and they
would like to be an ESO, not an RSO. SAC approved the Bread Lovers Club as an ESO. So,
this is in relation to the criteria I sent out in the email. Finally, these are the RSO
applications. PAWS, German Club, Banda, and Every Vote Counts are yeses. We asked a
few to be ESOs and they haven’t responded yet.
Parliamentarian Eduardo Ruano: What is the status on Developers’ Club?
Tedd: Our legal counsel approved it after Thanksgiving. I sent them the fourth reminder
this morning to get this thing going.
Sophomore Senator Raul Orellana: Which ones did you consider for ESO?
Kyle Andrews: German Club, and Every Vote Counts.
Sophomore Senator Luke Paulson: There were other clubs that presented right? So, are
we voting on those next week?
Kyle Andrews: They will be next week. We have to discuss in SAC or look into overlaps.
Senate Chair David Warne: Can I get a motion to white ballot those recommended as
yes?
Senior Senator Erik Echeona moved to vote and Sophomore Senator Justin Chan
seconded the motion. The motion carried by voice vote.
Senate Chair David Warne: All in favor? Ok, for new members, to white ballot is to vote
on everything all at once. On the questions of the white ballot containing German Club,
Banda, and Every Vote Counts, all those in favor say aye, all opposed say no. Ok, so those
four are clear.
The voice vote carries.
10. ROUND TABLE REMARKS
Senate Chair David Warne: Senator of the week this week is Emi because she put on a
great diversity panel and was very successful. The nickname of the week is Gucci
Sneakers Theo. So, if you all want to fill in the member tab with your emails and phone
numbers, I think I am missing two freshman senator phone numbers. This is so we can
contact each other. Also, go to the committees tab really quick. I think these are not
accurate. Next thing, I want to clarify what round table remarks are. It is not just open to
senators but to the public. It is for you to ask help from your ASG senate members if you
have hit a wall. Also, I am not going to call on people.
First-Year Senator Ariel Perlman: Ok, so we need volunteers for Splash the day of.
Sophomore Senator Justin Chan: We are going to need like 50 volunteers if you guys
aren’t teaching a class.
First-Year Senator Cole Brunelli: Tell all your friends.
Sophomore Senator Justin Chan: Splash is on May 16th, which is week seven. It is the
same day as the LSU Culture Show. It is from 10 am to 4 pm.
At-Large Senator Allie Bare: A document describing that might be good to put in the
shared folder.
First-Year Senator Meg Wu: We have informational flyers coming out soon.
First-Year Senator Ariel Perlman: Think of it as being an orientation leader bringing kids
from place to place.
First-Year Senator Cole Brunelli: We are also tabling for Splash next week so stop by.
Senior Senator Vidya Pingali: Me and Raul were talking to Tedd about an idea and want
to gauge interest. We want to do an ASG town hall similar to the diversity forum. It is an
opportunity to come out and address concerns directly to us. Then we can go into small
group discussions. There will be distinct topics that we can get into. This is very in the
works but first, we have the gauge interest because we would need a lot of people on
board.
Sophomore Senator Raul Orellana: So, the idea is to have it be a school-wide event.
We don’t want a collaboration with other organizations but just an ASG thing so people
can just raise their concerns with us. I have gotten a lot of people who say that they
don’t feel comfortable going to the Senate so this would be a good way to go about that.
Each table would be a committee and each branch could be attached. So, judicial could be with parliamentary procedure. So, this is just a raw idea that hasn’t really been fleshed out completely.
At-Large Senator Allie Bare: I think that is a really good idea. One of the things I think we
need to be careful about is not to be too ASG-info-session-y. So, it is more about
the students and how they feel. I also think it would be cool to do it right before Senate
so that they could see how they are in action.
At-Large Senator Obasi Lewis: Also, we need to make sure it is different from the
diversity forums.
Sophomore Senator Justin Chan: I think it is a great idea. I feel like borrowing from ISAC
in terms of borrowing specific issues on campus. It shouldn’t be strictly something SEC
should do. It should be: I have a problem, who could fix it. I think it could benefit from
that kind of structure.
Senior Senator Vidya Pingali: I think we could ask each committee and branch and
anyone could come out and ask sample questions to the table of the committee.
First-Year Senator Ariel Perlman: I think it is a really great idea.
Sophomore Senator Raul Orellana: I think that we are not trying to copy any previous
event, it is more just that it would help build transparency and communication. People
can just come and express how they feel.
Vice President Charlie Douille: I want to pitch an alternative. I don’t think this would
address people not coming to the Senate. That is why I would stress the alternative of
office hours. So, it might be more important to just be visible in Benson and have people
come and talk to us there.
Sophomore Senator Raul Orellana: I think to answer that, the concern is that isn’t the
spot for students to express their concerns. I think this event could allow people to feel
more comfortable with ASG. It is not meant to target anyone or be a personal attack. It is
just a way of building transparency. We talked about the implications of having this
event. The office hours is great but if people feel like we aren’t approachable, that won’t
help.
Junior Senator Juliana Monela Teter: What if we did it in a more open space? If we do it
once a quarter and have it in Benson and make it seem like an event where students will
be able to see who is in the Senate. I don’t know how much people know who their
Senators are. A lot of friends I talk to don’t even know what is going on.
Senior Senator Vidya Pingali: That is why it is important to have full strength.
Sophomore Senator Luke Paulson: Do you guys want it to be about dialogue?
Sophomore Senator Raul Orellana: Yah, and I guess part of that would require most of
us to be present. We can’t force anyone to be there because it is not part of your job
description but it would be great to see the majority of us there. Every person has a
different perspective so it is nice to have a lot of people there to answer different types
of questions and get to know who your constituents are. That is part of the office hours
thing. If they don’t know who you are then they are not going to come up to you.
Sophomore Senator Luke Paulson: I think a lot of things we have talked about is
transparency and connecting with other CSOs and student organizations. It could be kind
of cool to have a few people representing each part of the campus and come together as
leaders of student lives and talk about the main things we want to do.
At-Large Senator Allie Bare: I think that sounds like a good potentially different event.
President Sahil Sagar: For lack of a better term, you just described WINGS.
Sophomore Senator Luke Paulson: But that seems specifically negative.
Senior Senator Vidya Pingali: This isn’t general grievances about the school but about
specifically ASG.
11. ADJOURNMENT
Senate Chair David Warne asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. At-Large Senator
Allie Bare moved to adjourn the meeting and At-Large Senator Mika Philip seconded the
motion. The motion carried by voice vote. Senate Chair David Warne called the
February 6th, 2020 meeting of the Santa Clara University Student Senate to a close at
9:00pm.