The following are meeting minutes from the Senate meeting. The Senate meets every Monday 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 Senate, Steve Gilmore, in advance so you can be added to the agenda.
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October 30, 2006
5:31 meeting called to order.
Everyone present.
No objections to last week’s minutes.
Week in Review-
Steve (Advising) There has been conflicts with trying to motivate faculty to do advising the way administration wants. Advisors should be there to talk about career goals, not just stopping after giving the clearance for registration. Considering having professional advisors, outside of present staff, working with first and second year students mostly, helping them pursue goals (career and internship), and then as upper-classman, faculty members will act as advisors for students.
If anyone is interested in attending these committee meetings, contact Steve.
Adrienne – Went to restaurant that participates in red card program, and that was awesome. Also, about food at block party: raised 91 pounds of food at food drive recently. Flex dollar donations supposed to be set up, though SGA hasn’t really been contacted about this. Campbell’s soup dispenser coming soon. Concerns about RSA Block party: 1, wanted people to come. 2, swipe machines in DH and Commons were offline. Also not enough staff to run Block party and DH. Formal dance committee also met last week. Approaching SGA within next week to get money for deposit. Any questions, talk to Adrienne.
Thaddeus – Student Athlete Committee meeting. They’re attempting to connect more with campus who are not athletes or coaches. Thinking of doing 6 man club for lots of other sports. Punch cards with rewards like t-shirts. Adopt an organization/adopt a team – sports team would go to student org events and student orgs would go to sports events. Also, conduct policy in RAC (no swearing, no physical contact, etc). Probably won’t be a huge deal, but good to have rules in case things to get out of hand. Also had the idea for black out games and gold games – dressing in all black or all gold.
Danielle (readership program) – Dr. Fey. Pilot program, 11,711 students saw papers in that month. Said all copies were basically taken on daily basis. Said what he wanted to do is increase Washington Post and decrease rest, come to 665 copies. 75 posts, 75 usa today’s, 70 suns. $18,000 a year. Other departments to fund this project? Dr. Fey hadn’t had time to look into the matter. Asked students if they would be willing to pay for paper, 60% said yes (about 300 students). Danielle told him that despite his unwillingness to promote own project, thinks it is a good project. Only way thinks it will get passed without paying for all of it, will be to go out and find others to help fund project. Dr. Fey told Danielle that he’d talked to one person about the program, but he didn’t know which department it was or who the person was. Could’ve been the Sondheim program. Maybe we could do a survey of our own. Seems that Dr. Fey put this together with intention of passing the program off to the SGA.
Carrie – General Ledger, although has $300,000 or so, it’s not a lot of money, and it’s not smart to let people think they can just take from the pot. Next years Senate may not even want to keep the program going. People have started to think that the SGA is a bank. The SGA shouldn’t have to fund a program by themselves that benefits the entire campus when everyone uses it.
Terrance – keep the program, but limit to who can get the newspapers.
Danielle – when woman came to talk about swipe cards, said we’d have to be on board now to get them by February.
Nayana – machines could be huge investment, and we don’t even know if we’ll keep this program.
Carrie – might be a good time for Senate to define how people should present things to the Senate in the future.
Elani – study space looks pretty good. Opens Wednesday at noon.
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Progress of Projects –
Thaddeus – transportation, Joe Regier. Issue now is CollTown is being sluggish in finalizing contract and getting UMBC on their route. Trans lock is low initial cost and high maintenance cost. On hold until fulfill contract.
Adrienne – 1, dance. Biggest issue is looking for funding. 2, ch 3. Will stop by ch. 3 guy this week.
Elani – hopefully by end of week, legislation for SGA library advertising.
Smoking forum, is it possible to have some kind of tangible idea like the pie idea for the fee forum.
Avi – website where students can go and rate off campus housing.
Danielle – thinks there should be some kind of SGA representation on the 10 year plan committee.
Terrance – dance committee. Also working with Joe on DVD proposals.
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Announcements
David – study place opening Wednesday at noon. Preparation from 9-12 Wednesday morning. SGA t-shirts if you come to set up.
Danielle – meeting with Dr. Fey again this Wednesday. Adrienne – will you ask him to seriously consider co-sponsorship.
Brittany – UNICEF. Donations go to help children in need.
Nayana – budget hearings are this week.
6:31 meeting adjourned.