**22 out of 25 active RGSOs in attendance.
MEETING BEGINS:
SPEAKER: Motion to approve agenda.
POINT OF MOTION: Motion to amend and add two sections on the Bylaws.
**No Discussion.
**Motion carried.
MINUTES FROM LAST WEEK:
SPEAKER: Is there a motion to approve the minutes?
POINT OF MOTION: Motion to amend minutes to reflect full text of the last meeting.
SPEAKER: Is there a second to strike the previous minutes and amend them?
**Seconded
**Discussion
VICE PRESIDENT (KAT): Is the text that you read the exact wording?
POINT OF MOTION: It is as close as I have.
**No more discussion, amendment adopted and motion carried.
OFFICER REPORTS:
TREASURER (JESS): We continue to appreciate your patience with the online process. I will work with the new treasurer and e-board to make the process smoother. Keep in mind that those who send representatives for training need to communicate to the rest of the RGSO. Those who put the request in were not those who attended trainings and so a lot of cancellations occurred. We need to make sure that those who come to training will submit the requests. If you cannot attend a training contact the new treasurer to make a private meeting. If there are ways we can help you to improve this process, please let us know. There are still simple things being missed, so if we can help you make this smoother, let us know.
TREASURER (JESS): Caitlin and I have a meeting with UAS to share concerns. We will keep you posted, and inform you no later than next fall. If you have concerns with UAS let us know by next Monday and we will share your concerns with them.
TREASURER (JESS): We’ve done a lot at the GSA this year, and even though this is not in my report, I wanted to mention that a lot of our concerns are now on the radar of administrators. The adjunct resolution was passed at Albany in the Fall, and we also passed it at SA, thanks to Caitlin. We have had an increased presence in administration thanks you Caitlin and to those RGSO members who showed up to the events. The online system may not be a success yet, but we are getting there. We reworked grants and they seem to be running smoothly. Thank you for your support and allowing me to serve you.
SPEAKER: Is there discussion?
**No Discussion.
SPEAKER: Those in favor of adopting the current budget?
**Budget adopted.
MCAA CHAIR:
MCAA CHAIR (NANTASHA): By the end of my tenure, we should have some sort of concrete form / instructions to tell the RGSOs how they can apply for MCAA funding. If you have suggestions, please e-mail me so that I may consider and possibly integrate them. You may want to talk to the new MCAA chair. She may want to do an entire year budget and I am not sure if you guys want that.
GRANTS CHAIR:
GRANTS CHAIR (KIM): The grants have moved online, but awardees still have to bring in their packet. All the glitches seem to be out and people are getting reimbursed. Over half are either complete, or in the process of being paid out. For the summer, the grant application deadline is the first. This is on the website and listserv.
VICE PRESIDENT:
VICE PRESIDENT (KAT): The budget committee met and reallocated money. Mistakes are still being made though, so please check against the voucher cover sheet, and if you have any questions please e-mail me. If you have different purchases for an event, you do not need to submit individual requests. One voucher per person for a single event. We’re looking to revise the RGSO reimbursement procedure, so we’re hoping to streamline this for you. Let me know if you have any feedback on the new handbook which you can access online. If you have suggestions for how to make this easier, please let us know. We want this to be as simple and productive for you as possible.
PROGRAMMING CHAIR:
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): Hanna had to go to the hospital, so she had to step out, so I have her report and am familiar with the whole thing. I also wanted to apologize for my attire. I am in sweats because we had the picnic today. I had a cute outfit picked out but knew I would be running around.
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): Hanna had a note that we would hold the year end event today. We had a hiccup with the office of student communications and our tent was set up in the wrong place. Ultimately we did get people to come over and we did not waste any food. I talked to them about this notion of continued neglect, and we have already address that this is a problem. They should not be able to go a month without addressing our e-mails.
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): Also Hanna did an amazing job for the President’s forum. The President gave us an awkward time on the Wednesday afternoon, but the forum went perfectly from a programming perspective, despite the fact we were also in an odd place.
PRESIDENTS REPORT:
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): I left early to go to SUNY SA to try to convince undergraduates why we should pay more to adjuncts. It was a very long 45 minutes, but we got an overwhelming vote in favor (VOTES: 57 – 4 – 11). We ended up passing the adjunct resolution. A lot of people were talking about how great it was students got behind this. I was contacted by people who attend a private University and they want to adopt our proposal. I intend to take this to the University senate next.
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): We recently found out that we are not tax exempt, despite what UAS told us. This was a violation of New York State law, and their instructions to us have been out of compliance for years. We’re confronting them, as we have a meeting with the comptroller and administrators on Monday which Jess, Justin, and I will be attending. A lot of problems have come up as many of the questions we asked UAS have been face to face, so we’re trying to get everything in writing.
POINT OF INFORMATION (TREASURER: JESS): Point of information, from now on we can reimburse tax, so please feel free to submit it.
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): Justin Chase is coming on board as the new treasurer. You reelected me, you poor people. We also have a new MCAA chair.
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): We are closed on reading day, which is a little earlier than normal, but we’re being forced to move upstairs for a few years. Moving day scheduled for May 12th. We need to get more electricity upstairs so we can get the copier working, which means we may not be open over the summer.
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): I do not have the senate report but I will do my best. We’ve had a lot of success. We elected Cynthia Fox.
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): I owe East campus an apology as the printer was down for so long. We need to have a discussion with ITS on all campuses as they claim no reasonability but they have some control over us. I am sorry you guys fell through the cracks but we did get it up and running.
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): Communications director is working on a new proposal and we are hoping to put up something which shows how we are structured and we are working on orientation videos. We will continue them if you allow us to hire a new director.
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): We have a lot of changes in mind. We moved online to secure our finances but in the process it made it hell for a lot of you and the e-board. I am sorry we did not reform first and then move online. We will present ideas which are not final but we would love your feedback.
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): Finally I’d like to take a moment to thank you. I would love to thank those who have stuck with me the whole time, such as Jess and Kim. I could go on and on about particular people, but I just wanted to thank you. Especially the bylaws committee! Also to all of the RGSOs for coming! We cannot function without you! You can read this all online!
POINT OF QUESTION: So are we getting tax exempt?
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): For on campus purchases you are allowed to use the tax exmept form. However, if you buy something outside / at Price Chopper, you can get reimbursed for tax.
POINT OF INFORMATION: We will be open on reading day according to the lead office manager, Lacy.
POINT OF QUESTION: So put the tax in the purchase request?
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): Yes.
POINT OF QUESTION: How would we get forms to you if we need to for future requests?
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): Good question, we will have to work this out. Maybe a box in ISSO. Just because we move upstairs does not even mean they will give us access to it. We’re not incurring any costs from the move. Additionally the cost of moving the printer is in our contract. I confirmed this, and we made sure we were not taking any hits on this.
LEAD SENATOR:
**Not available.
COUNCIL REP:
COUNCIL REP (GARY): Nothing to report. I will touch base next week.
WAGES AND BENEFITS:
W&B CHAIR: Presidents forum went well. If you are interested in joining we are planning for next year next week. I feel like there is good process for next year.
BYLAWS COMMITTEE:
BYLAWS CHAIR (GARY): Quite a few of you were there last week. We managed to adopt four articles. We could not get through everything but we made a lot of progress. We hope that we can talk about the two additional sections. I hope we’ll get there.
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): We may not.
BYLAWS CHAIR (GARY): You said we would.
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): I never said that.
SPEAKER: We will move on to new business.
NEW BUSINESS:
APPROVAL OF BUDGET:
TREASURER (JESS): If there is something that does not look good we can reevaluate in September, but please look over the budget and let me know if you have questions.
SPEAKER: Is there discussion of the proposed budget?
MOTION: I motion to adopt budget for next year.
**Discussion.
TREASURER (JESS): Excuse me but did you have a question?
POINT OF QUESTION: I see a stipend in the budget but if it is subject to change how that would change everything?
SPEAKER: Any amount in this budget is subject to change next year if a change is needed.
TREASURER (JESS): The stipends are reflected of what we passed in the bylaws last night. The point of it is not to change the stipends, but in September you can change this at any point in time. I suggest we reevaluate this in September anyway because we do not have all the figures in as of yet.
SPEAKER: Is there any further discussion on the budget as written?
**No discussion.
**Motion passed.
APPOINTMENTS:
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): We have two appointments to make for tonight, we should have five but I will explain. I will make a proposal to appoint someone for grants and programming. We decided to reopen the search as we did not get many applicants. This means that I would be appointing people to act as senator until we have them in the Fall, but I recommend this. It is within my right to withhold appointments and I want to poll if you are okay with this process? They will have to go through two confirmation processes anyway, so I would rather go with getting more applicants than having to select the three people who applied. Is everyone okay with reopening the search and confirming in September?
POINT OF QUESTION: Why not have the speaker do an official poll?
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): I am doing a poll.
SPEAKER: I can do an official poll.
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): Okay, you seem good so I will move on.
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): I would like you to reappoint Kim and Hanna. We need consistency. I think that Hanna has done a great job, and has learned to navigate the University which is hard. Kim has done a lot of work reforming things and still feels there is a lot to do. I guess we can do separate motions for both?
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): I motion that we appoint Kim for the grants chair?
SPEAKER: Second?
**Seconded.
SPEAKER: Discussion?
**No discussion.
SPEAKER: Pursuant to the bylaws passed last night, this requires a two thirds majority of the assembly. Those in favor? Those opposed? Those abstained?
**Motion carried.
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): Same game with Hanna! She has done more than any other programming chair. I motion that she be appointed for the 2014-2015 academic year for the programming chair.
**Seconded.
SPEAKER: Motion seconded, is there discussion?
POINT OF QUESTION: Did anyone else apply?
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): Yes.
SPEAKER: If no further discussion, the speaker will call the motion. Those in favor? Those opposed? Those abstaining?
**Motion carried.
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): Justin do you want me to handle this since you are taking notes?
POINT OF INFORMATION (JUSTIN): Yes.
SPEAKER: Are we concluded with new business?
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): Yes.
RGSO REFORM:
PRESIDENT (CAITLIN): Right now you have to hand in listserv, calendar, cover page, payee cert, recipes, contract, and we really only need the stuff UAS requires. We have some ideas as to how we can streamline the RGSO process. We will continue to inform you as in unfolds. We want to change the page on MyInvolvement to ask the same things as the coversheet. In most cases we’ll say we will track the flyer in another way, as opposed to having you upload it with your reimbursement stuff. Calendar same thing, we may even eliminate it altogether. We can make things like the ListServ an internal procedure we can track as opposed to an external procedure. Now we do have situations where years later we may need proof of purchase requests so we still may need you to upload documents. We just want to reduce what you have to hand in. So here is an idea how we can track things. I also thought about a three strike rule. This is a human organization. If you forget to hand something in like the ListServ your penality can be anywhere between $12 and 2 grand. It just seems unfair. As a result, if you make a mistake, you just get a warning. If you make a second mistake, we may ask you to come in for a second training or take away funding. We’re not married to this, but just suggesting how to make this more fair. If you have a third strike, we may even pull funding or strike recognition if you do not take certain steps. We’d love to have your input right now. Generally we do not want you to rehand in things we already have. We want to maintain accountability and make this smoother.