The following are meeting minutes from the House of Organizations meeting. The House meets every Tuesday at 5:30 PM in Room 318 on the third floor of The Commons. These meetings are open to all students to listen to discussion. If you would like to present an issue, please contact the Speaker of the House, Nayana Davis, in advance so you can be added to the agenda.
---
I. Call to Order
5:40
II. Roll Call
Absent: Ben, Christina, Yvonne
III. Approval of Minutes
Next Week
Cabinet Reports
A. Vice President Carrie Mann
-Chess board, the order is in. Permanent structure next to the academic building.
UC study place- How to staff study place? 13 computers have been donated. Graduate student body is wanting to co sponsor it.
- Student fee form 12-1: Bring as many people as you can. Best fee changes in a long time. We made a huge point last year. I’ll be presenting. For each fee, we will have 2-3 minutes to speak and we will follow with questions. We saved $140,000 on athletics. We aren’t asking for an increase in fee this year but next year.
B. Treasurer- Training is over. Finance committee $55000 of SGA funds went unspent, mostly from allocations that were unspent. FC can be a little more generous, don’t cut corners so the money gets spent in the right way.
C. Other cabinet reports- Gabe
- Study groups have been split up and they have been emailed. 48 students have joined. Another round of advertising after first exams.
IV. New Business
A. JL 03 - 0607- SEB Septmeber Outdoor Movie Series Budget Proposal
- Nayana- we had passed this piece of legislation but Senate made an amendment but the detailed budget had been cut out. The rainy day money will be transferred to watch Superman.
- Jordan- When we calculated, it is a good idea to spend money on SEB. Each movie cost about $1500-$2000. I think it is worth it because it encourages students to be involved.
-Jordan- Superman Returns wasn’t suppose to be outside but someone emailed me. This kid emailed me and wanted to see it outside. He got a petition together. But we don’t know if we can pay for that extra movie outside. The legislation has been changed so Superman is aired outside.
VOTE For 3 Opposed 0 Abstaining 2
B. HL04 – 0607- Amendment to the Amendment to the Budget Hearings Policy
-Nayana- An email was sent it to have a personal meeting. People had concerns about how much time would be spent on budget hearing. Amendment: At least 2 members of SGA must be present at budget hearings. If we can house finance committee members at all the meetings, but other SGA members will be there
-!- Will the others have training for the meetings?
-VOTE For 2 Opposed 1 Abstaining 2 FAILS
-Jordan- so how will we make it work? That are present at just this meeting.
-Nayana- 2.5 groups of us will have to be present at the meeting. Sorry, one of you have to be there.
-David- It is hard to get people in the chair for student orgs. Sometimes people promise more than they deliver. We have to do more of a disservice to student orgs.
-Joy- can budget hearings go on during the weekend?
-Ross- they are usually during the week but we could.
- Nayana- Do you guys want to?
-PEOPLE: Yea
-Phil- you have to make sure that we do this quickly
-Jordan- we need to make sure it happens. I don’t think it will happen.
-David- How many orgs went through this process?
-Ross- less than 100. We would see more than 100 less than 200 in October.
- David- These are 20 minute hearings. 40 hours of work have to get done.
-Nayana- We good? Well we’ll have to be.
-David- Reserve time blocks and sign up.
-Joy- can we try and get a lot over the weekend.
C. HL05 – 0607- Additional Allocation for TSA Karaoke Night
-Nayana- they want food for $50. Snacks. Vote?
VOTE For 4 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
D. HL06 – 0607- Additional Allocation for Society of Women Engineers National Convention
-Nayana- They are going to a conference and need $540.
-Jordan- last year I used one veto for SME. How many people are going? 8. Are they taking care of most stuff?
-Nayana- They are paying for most of it.
VOTE For 4 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
E. HL07 - 0607- Additional Allocation for Society of Physics Students
-Nayana- they want to make liquid nitrogen ice cream.
-Ross- they are giving demonstration on how to make liquid nitrogen ice cream. $150
-VOTE For 4 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
F. HL08- 0607 – Additional Allocation for Black and Gold Ball
-Ross- Very successful last year. They are doing a lot of outside fund raising. $10 to attend. We cut down $50 for decorations.
-Joy- I liked the event.
VOTE For 4 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
G. HL09 – 0607 – Additional Allocation for Association for India’s Development
-Nayana- we are funding security and the commons charges. They are paying for most of them on their own.
-David- Is this an undergraduate student association? I don’t think they are.
-Ross- They are funded.
-David-SGA has a policy about funds for undergraduates. Graduate students organizations and undergraduate organizations have events a couple weeks apart.
-Nayana- They are using the funds to help their organizations do charitable things.
-Ross- HSU does put on this event. They did mention off campus advertising. They asked for a lot less money. This group is paying $1000 on their own.
-RECESS
-Ross- they are a graduate student organization. They need to contact somebody else.
-David- It is the first time they have come here.
-NO GOOD
V. Reports
A. Executive reports
B. Ex- officio Reports
David- Today was the 40th anniversary. Jay helped condense information for Student Orgs. We’ll see if that helps.
-Study Place at the University center. We know how to set up the security system and what to do. The provost office will most likely help with a huge chunk and SGA will do the rest. Staffing will be the biggest problem. Student life is talking about. It’s almost ready to go.
C. Officer Reports
XI. General Discussion
A. Committees
-Nayana- Student Life and Finance Thursdays at 5:30.
-Ross- We could pass all constitutions out right now and between now and Thursday, all we would have to do is read them, rather than getting them read.
-Nayana- We don’t have them here.
-David- How much do you know about how a student org gets recognized?
-Alex- Refresh?
-David- As a student org, you have the right to use certain amenities at UMBC. There is a code of conduct they must follow. They must follow the guidelines. SGA takes responsibility for enforcing those rules. The decisions about whether an org is recognized is passed on to Patty. SGA must give her a thumbs up or thumbs down. SGA’s roll is to evaluate whether the organization has met the responsibilities: identify officers, 75% undergrad, constitution. Is additional judgment needed to be made? Will it have a positive effect on the campus or on students? If you are worried about drain of resources, we can pass something putting a restraint on availability on space, we can deny an orgs based on that. We have to give an equal opportunity to everyone.
-Nayana- You can suggest for similar groups to see if they can work something out together. But you can’t say that they are the same.
-David- For the first time, we didn’t recognize an organization based on how similar they were to another organization. We can’t make that judgment. It is open to you to make or not make a recommendation on the grounds you choose. Do you want to do something that OSL is going to counter?
B. House Policies
-Nayana- Attendance is a major issue. We are low in numbers, if we keep not showing up there will be no house. Please follow through with that.
-Jordan- I want to commend all of you that are here. Each of you are being stipend and those who are not here are being stipend as well. If you want to let that happen, you can do that. It is my decision whether I go to the retriever. Ross is so dedicated!!!
-Nayana- 5 strike policy. 3 unexcused absences, 2 for not honoring commitments.
-Ross- how do we feel about in house elections. How do we feel about reaching out to all organizations and offering them to be involved in SGA? David is against it. I think it will save us in the long run. Like the guy who made the petition for Superman. If we want to do that, we should do it soon.
-Nayana- we will have first year ambassadors and I want them to remain first year ambassadors.
- Ross- It worked really badly for Nayana?
-David- The questions is how do you get legitimacy. It is more urgent to get people than making it difficult to get into the house. You looked weak. You are saying to people?
Me- We don’t have the luxury of getting good people.
-Ross- I feel confident that we could get good people. We could rock the house even if we don’t get new people. It is one of those things where I want lots of people to come in here and sit down and be dedicated.
-Nayana- we don’t to seem desperate. We will make a sincere effort to work with the 5 members. You will be proud of it because you will be held to the higher standards. Keep it up.
-David- We need to choose really well. We need people who are going to connect with student orgs and work hard.
- Ross- we haven’t decided to
-Joy- The people that ran in the spring, can we get them in?
-Nayana- We can contact them. Why do we want people to be in the senate not the house?
-Ozel- It’s the Senate.
-Nayana- Is there anyway we can make the house more appealing?
-Gabe- Is there a position for general representative?
-Nayana- How would you feel doing away with seat names?
-Steve- You could change the representation. Instead of having 2 reps just having 1 rep.
Ross- I like having the seats, but there hasn’t always been people in those seats. I liked having the at large seats. I wasn’t really attached at specific groups organizations. That would get even more people involved, like a Senators seat in the House.
-Joy- In general, to advertise, we should say House of Reps. And we could go to organizations and encourage them to join.
-David- What would bring people are in?
-Nayana- I don’t think people are aware what the house members do.
-Ozel- Maybe if we had an open discussion to the general public. And we could actually explain to them what we do. So people understand.
-David- You are the 6th House of Organizations, it might be worth talking through why the house was created. There are things the house could do but has never done it. The house has never been full. If you could start doing the work that improves student orgs on campus.
-Nayana- I have been hearing there has never been a successful house. It is important that we need to rise up to that challenge. At least this year we can get on the path to success.
-Ross- I disagree. I wouldn’t say it failed. We do what we need to do. We could push it to that next level.
-Alex- If i know someone that is interested, how can I get them involved?
-Jordan- Ross and Nayana need to advertise to the public before applications need to be accepted?
-David- We need to find what people need on campus.
XII. Announcements
Joy- Talent Show October 20, sign up October 6. Groups and Individuals.10 pm. Fireworks at 9pm. We want a lot of different things.
Jordan- Wednesday NightYou, Me and Dupree outside.
Nayana- Sign up for communiversity. Get your reports into Kristina Gady by Friday.
David- Student Fee Forum?? When you get information about fees. The student activities fees has stayed the same. We could have it for the following year. If you want to put a fee increase for student activities, we need to make students aware of it.
XIII. Roll Call
Absent: Ben, Christina, Yvonne
XIV. Adjournment
6:56