Xavier University Student Government Association
Student Senate Meeting Minutes
October 31, 2011
I. Call to Order: Legislative Vice President, Brock McMorran (3:00) p.m.
II. Roll Call: Johari Idusuyi and Nick Albin not present
III. Prayer: Given by Drew Dzidzic, Meghan Savercool to give prayer at next meeting.
IV. Approval of minutes: October 24, 2011 minutes were approved without change.
V. Public Forum
Chynna Stubbs: Nation National Pan-Hellenic Council- Voting rally 7pm today. Come to support. Use your vote as your voice.
What is picketing for? I vote for what I believe in.
Jimmy Geiser: TXTBox: Our flyers covered up next day by SAC flyers; SAC and Senate come up with a way to organize bulletin boards. We need budget number as soon as you can get it to use.
Kevin Tighe: English department need help bringing athenaeum back. Help spread the word.
Don’t they take any type of writing? Yes. How often do you print? Traditionally 1 per semester, probably only one this year.
VI. Report of the Administration
None
VII. Opinion Entry
none
VIII. Scheduled Business
Motion # 12-045
Sponsor: Sarah Roveda
Move to approve the charters and by-laws of Xavier Student Against Sexual Assault.
(Initial Questions)
Senator Martin: How much more money will they be getting?
Senator Roveda: They receive no funding now.
Senator Martin: How much will they get?
Senator Roveda: $350 start up.
Dustin Lewis: They have a women of excellence grant they receive funding from.
(Debate and Discussion)
Senator Martin: After looking at club info, they have all qualifications met.
Debate Ended
passed
IX. New Business
Motion #12-046
Sponsor: Club Relations Committee
Move to approve the charters & bylaws of Xavier’s Partnership with their Exceptional Community of Transfers.
(Initial Questions)
Next week’s docket
Motion #12-047
Sponsor: Seth Walsh
Move to go into an open executive session to discuss AVP Gerlach’s LGBTQ position.
(Initial Questions)
Failed
X. Standing Committee Reports
Association Affairs, Kristen Sanfilippo
Not Emailed
Senator Mitchell: Why did Res Life say we couldn’t walk?
Senator Sanfilippo: If we do it, every club gets to do it.
Senator Roveda: Have you considered a table some days, and walk around campus some days?
Senator Sanfilippo: That’s a good idea
Community Affairs, Zach Aliberti
Not Emailed
Crystal Guffey: Could you drop some of those transportation maps off in the SGA office? We have a lot of people asking about the Metro.
Senator Aliberti: Yes. We’ll give you a stack.
Club Relations, Jared Greene
Thank you for passing XUSASA. Today, Club Relations met with met with XPECT and Senator Lerman will be sending out a write-up about the meeting to all of Senate either today or tomorrow at the latest. In addition, we will be emailing Honors Council and Asian Pacific Society an activation process.
Senator Roveda will be meeting with James Alexander later this week or next week to discuss what constitutes a club sport. We currently have several proposals that could possibly be considered club sports and we want to have a clear definition from James of what exactly a club sport is.
Senator Lerman sent out his email to all the clubs last week informing clubs about public forum and meeting times of Senate and SAC and informing them to utilize the office and clubspace. Finally, Senator Savercool has been updating the club points system and standings are currently posted on the SGA website.
Senator Roveda: Is it possible for SGA members to collect points or do they need to defer to another member?
Senator Green: If you’re a member of SGA you cannot collect club points.
Financial Affairs Committee, Elizabeth Bousson
FAC met with Active Minds today for a Special Request submission, and asked for $500.00 for Hakuna Matata Stress Relief Day, in which they are collaborating with SAC. It was approved 7-0 with one abstention of Kevin Tighe, who is co-chairing the event.
Jimmy and I also discussed future goals within FAC. This Thursday we will make the script for the Special Request application video. Following that we will begin preparing the excel spreadsheet for the budget process, as well as the rubric we will be following. Another goal is to remind clubs of the Special Request fund via email, and create a specific penalty guideline for our deadlines.
Senator Martin: Did someone get added to FAC from SAC?
Senator Bousson: No.
Student Life, Johari Idusuyi
Not Emailed
Dustin Lewis: Is there any way we can pick up pace on Christmas shuttle? Many requests from parents who want to buy plane tickets.
Senator Narsinghani: I’ll do it.
XI. Project Reports
Zach Aliberti
Not Emailed
Elizabeth Bousson
None
Joe Colak
None
Desmond Dodd
None
Drew Dziedzic
Hello Senate, I just wanted to let you know what I am thinking about concerning my future projects:
1.) Concerning my Buenger Music Room project, I met with Lori Lambert on Tuesday and during our meeting we made great progress, including our division of the project into phases. The first phase of the project involve multiple steps. This past Friday, Physical Plant shampooed the carpets and cleaned the stains off the furniture. Also, I set out a sign in paper, which has slots for name, room use, and time spent, so that we can collect data about the room. Throughout the next few weeks, I will routinely check the sheet as it will helps us determine whether the later phases of the project will happen. This week, I am meeting with Dr. Tom Merrill from the music department, where we will discuss obtaining a new piano or his suggestions for a tuner.
Jared Green
Today I met with Lori Lambert to discuss Res Life’s stance and involvement with the printers in the dorms. Bert expressed to me that Res Life is not nor plans to be responsible for the financial upkeep of the printers (toner and paper). Ultimately, the purpose of the meeting was to give me clarity in my attempts to draft a new memorandum of understanding.
I also plan of scheduling a meeting with Bob Cotter to learn know about Discovery Services original role in the pilot process of the printer in the Village and if we can expand that to the printers on the Commons and Buenger.
Senator Lerman: Student in Buenger asked does double sided printing?
Senator Green: Village printer does, other I don’t know.
Senator Roveda: How is the printer in commons doing?
Senator Greene: Bert thinks students stealing paper. Want to talk to discovery services to figure out how paper should be regulated and such.
Johari Idusuyi
Not Emailed
Adam Lamb
None
Jayson Lerman
None
Ryan Martin
None
Victoria Masny
None
Darci Meiners
None
Needom Mitchell
Nothing to different from what was said in the committee report me and Adam have a meeting Friday with Tom Barlow and Campus PD Chief, we made a survey and are planning on getting that back this week.
Senator Sanfillipo: How are you distributing?
Senator Mitchell: RA’s distribute to halls.
Senator Sanfillipo: Commuter lounge upstairs
Ricky Narsinghani
None
Greg Rose
Not Emailed
Straw poll: Paying $100 setup fee: Majority, Opposed: None
Sarah Roveda
I just wanted to let you know that I will be meeting with Lori Lambert tomorrow to discuss her views on my chapel conversion project. Preliminarily, she seems really interested in keeping the chapels as chapels. She believes, as I do, that there is plenty of study space oncampus and that the chapels should remain chapels as a result. Additionally, she mentioned to me that she wasexcited I was bringing the project back. She said that she liked it initially when former Senator Hale began the plan last year. I'm planning on discussing what she likes and wants, and what she needs from me in order to garner Res Life support.
Senator Savercool: Just read article in Washington Post catholic university being sued because there is no place for Muslims to pray.
Kristen Sanfilippo
None
Meghan Savercool
None
XII. Project Reports Open Inquiry
XIII. Report of the President, Ryan Alleman
I wanted to begin by addressing the e-mail that the Executives sent out last night. Hopefully some of you have had the chance to check your e-mail today. The three of us would like to reiterate the apology that we issued in that e-mail as well as to open the floor for any questions, clarifications, or concerns that you may have.
I wanted to also let all of you know about an event that Delta Sigma Theta is putting on tonight which encourages students to take a more prominent role in public life. Tonight at 7pm in Kennedy Auditorium, that sorority will be hosting the event which promotes voting and engaged citizenship.
One item that I mentioned at last week’s meeting that I would like to reiterate is the visit by Chartwells tomorrow. Karla Lux – the director of Strategic Solutions for the Compass Group which also owns Chartwells – will be on campus to discuss dining services with key stakeholders. Ms. Lux will be coming to the office tomorrow at 1:30 to meet with us so for those of you interested in dining services, it think this is a great opportunity share your perspective (particularly Student Life).
One pretty important item that I wanted to your attention is the potential future of Pell Grants. For those of you who are unaware of what Pell Grants are, they are a form of government-provided, need-based financial aid. If I’m correct, Pell Grants provided students with up to $5,550/year to attend school. Many of you will probably recall the rather significant debt crisis that the United States found itself in towards the end of the summer, and the establishment of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, whose charge is to continue the work of the summer by cutting the long-term deficit by 1.2 trillion. Currently, that committee is considering a 20% cut to Pell Grants – for students who truly are need-based – could be quite significant. Many higher education institutions are rallying against this proposed cut, and Xavier is beginning to articulate its own response. For those of you who are interested, SGA has been asked to help examine the student aspect of this issue – currently I have 4 interested Senators. We would likely be working over the next few weeks to draft a student response. If you would like to assist in this effort, please let me know.
Finally, I have a meeting set with Auxiliary Services and Enterprise Rent-A-Car for tomorrow to discuss the WeCar car sharing program. I will have more updates for you next week regarding this meeting.
Senator Sanfilippo: I would prefer to work in a group.
Senator Aliberti: I am interested, but am limited in my time. Are they compensating for loss?
President Alleman: Need to do research, what are the ramifications, who will it affect
Senator Martin: I would be willing to help.
Senator Dzidzic: Are we lobby on behalf? Is this something that for sure will happen?
President Alleman: We don’t have a full understanding of what’s going to happen.
Senator Rose: I can incorporate it to my next project.
Senator Sanfilippo: Committee Affairs is in.
XIV. Report of the Administrative Vice President, Lydia Gerlach
Please thank Zach for the snacks! Next week, Jared is “not sure” what he’s bringing yet.
For my project update:
1. Study Abroad Paperless program, scholarships, ASL, international risk policy, AB
Ricardo previously spearheaded this project, but Ryan, Brock and I decided that I would take it on. I talked to Ismael Betancourt today about several great resources and projects that the Center for International Education (CIE) is working on including a paperless program that allows students to apply for study abroad online, more scholarship opportunity for study abroad, Academic Service Learning, an international risk policy, and the CIE’s role in Alternative Breaks. If anyone is more curious about what any of these things are or how they work, please don’t hesitate to talk to me about it.
One thing in particular that Ismael and I discussed that I want to brief you on was about SGA’s study abroad scholarship. In years past, SGA has had an application process for students studying abroad to be awarded scholarship (two $500). Ismael and I will take a look at the criteria used to assess these students, and even offered to be a part of our SGA panel when choosing scholarship recipients. I’m really looking forward to working with him.
2. LGBTQ Position: LGBTQ Training and Support Intern (LTSI)
2.Now that you have had a chance to look the application over, are there any questions, comments or concerns?
Senator Sanfilippo: Ismael; what was the conversation about?
AVP Gerlach: Doing a lot of work to integrate business & international affairs. Form easier to see all opportunities for SA. Program to latch on to other schools and their sister schools opportunities.
XV. Report of the Legislative Vice President, Brock McMorran
I only have a few items that I would notify you all of, so my report should be pretty brief:
1.) First, I do want to apologize for tone of my report last week regarding printing. My comments may have been accusing and harsh, and I want you to know that I feel as though I made them on a weak basis. After doing some preliminary investigating, it appears as though SGA may not be culprit in this matter. By the end of the week be looking for new policies regarding printing.
2.) The Ad Hoc Committee for the Provost had their first meeting yesterday, which was very beneficial. Essentially the five us will answering three main questions:
a. What are job descriptions of a Senator, SACer, Executive, etc…?
b. How does SGA serve the student body in terms of its growth in mind, body, and spirit? and
c. How can SGA support the work of the Provost and vis versa?
As there will be a discussion/activity regarding the charge of this committee at workshop, the five of us will be meeting 2x per week to get everything accomplished. As President Alleman stated in his previous report, we hope to have a final draft of everything by semesters end.