Student Government Association

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.

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Call to Order
5:35
Roll Call
Approval of Minutes
Good
New Business
A. HL42-0607- Additional Allocation for the Ethiopian Eritrean Student Association “AIDS Banquet”
VOTE For 6 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
B. HL43-0607-Additional Allocation for Mock Trial Club “Quaker Classic Philadelphia”
Nayana- registration fees $200. Questions?
VOTE For 5 Opposed 1 Abstaining 1
Announcements
Phil- timeline for deliberations and votes. and someone needs to approve our decisions.
Joy- For projects, update the posters in the SGA area.
Nayana- tomorrow is first year ambassador interviews. Everyone should try to come in the SIC at 5.
Danielle- go to Leadershape.
Nayana- how are budget hearings going? Good. It’s Halloween I bought a pie.
Ross- You are brilliant Nayana!!!
Roll Call
no one is absent
Adjournment
5:40
Pass the Gavel

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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November 6, 2006
5:34
Everyone here but Thaddeus
Approval of Minutes from last week.

Week in Review

Danielle – Dr. Fey said he’s going to House meeting ASAP. Unknown how much he’s willing to contribute, said he will talk to GSA. Gave Danielle the name of someone who she can talk to about conducting a survey.

Terrance – DVD committee; almost every movie that the SGA bought are always checked out or being recalled. Seems that we need more of certain movies. Talked about

Adrienne – supposed to meet and talk to Ch 3 on Friday. Man who runs Ch 3 got sick on Friday and couldn’t meet. Said he’s very supportive though, and would like to meet soon.

Elani (and Thaddeus) - met with Joe Regier. 13th (Monday) having a presentation for GPS equipment, at 10:30 (should be on everyone’s Corp time). If you can’t make it, please send Elani questions you think should be asked.

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FYA must be a part of the FYC (First year council). This is only the second year for the FYA program, so specifications aren’t too narrowed down yet.

Before there used to be specific seats (Political Science seat, Bio seat, etc). When we moved to a senate that didn’t have specific seats, got rid of fall elections, since the voter turnout was so low. Still needed Freshman in SGA. Don’t vote since not elected by students. Always want to have connection to Freshman class, and furthermore, required partnership with First Year Council. Last year, 11 people applied for 6 positions – SGA took 5. Some ran in house, with exception of one, all returned to SGA in following year.

Matt
Found out about the position during the Events Fair – involvement fest. Immediately interested, wanted to get involved with the SGA but was unsure how to do so. Felt first year position would be the best way to do so, also just want to get involved on campus.

Steve – do you have any specific issues that come to mind about the campus or anything on campus that you would like to change?
Interested in the environmental issues on campus. Noticed here was a bit of discussion on the pond recently, which would improve the image of UMBC. Interested in getting freshman involved with campus, too.

Carrie – this position is specifically designed to bring the freshman perspective to SGA. How will you do that?
Lots of peers are freshman. Able to talk to a lot of other freshman in classes and outside of class. Freshman forum is a great idea. Something similar to the fee forum would be a great idea to bring them all together in one place, sort of like orientation week.

Adrienne – huge time commitment. Do you think SGA will get in the way of your acclimation to college.
Taking average course load, now. Also involved the LRC and Retriever. So far has been handling things well. Don’t feel as if SGA would be conflicting with those other interests. Wouldn’t be applying for position otherwise.

Avi – Past experience?
High school was in the Student Council for a while. Also senior year founded the Philosophy club at high school. Also other leadership positions, like in Relay for Life, etc.

Alex - what do you think the ideal Sga would be?
Help students connect to each other, and make for a great academic campus. Build a better campus overall.

Question from Matt – asked to do a photo for the budget hearing for the Retriever (Steve – talk to Nayana after the meeting)

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Jennifer

Steve – do you have any specific issues that come to mind about the campus or anything on campus that you would like to change?
Came over the summer for field hockey stuff, talked to David, then Carrie. Thought FYA would be best fit.

Steve – specific issues on campus you’d like to change?
Dining hall situation. Meal plan, not being able to use more than one meal per meal period and fact that at the spot there are things you can’t get with a meal.

Carrie – this position is specifically designed to bring the freshman perspective to SGA. How will you do that?
In first year council already. FYC does a lot of things to get First Year perspective, so through that. Also through word of mouth, as well as surveys, things like that.

Adrienne – huge time commitment. Do you think SGA will get in the way of your acclimation to college.
Don’t think it’ll be a problem. Am involved with a lot of clubs, but they are all pretty flexible. SGA is main focus in terms of main focus, and kept that in consideration when planning for other clubs and organizations.

Avi – Past experience?
SGA in high school since Sophomore year. Junior – VP, Senior, President. Also in SADD.

Alex – what do you want to get out of your first year with SGA.
Meet people, find out new ways to make SGA better.

Adrienne – as a member of the SGA, you will be representing the average student. Do you feel that you’ve had enough experience thus far in order to do this successfully.
Have talked to a lot of freshman about things, and in enough organizations to see where flaws and strengths thus far.

Danielle – what are all you in.
CAB, UMBC Ambassador Program, Admissions office, SEB

Danielle – what would your ideal SGA be?
Supportive, something to help freshman get acclimated and make school better.

Gabe – one word to describe self?
Awesome. No but seriously, well-rounded.

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Heather

Steve – do you have any specific issues that come to mind about the campus or anything on campus that you would like to change?
I found out from the Sga, I went to the tabling event. Got an email about FYC and FYA.
Orientation process, getting last leg of all classes. Holding off some seats for freshman.

Carrie – this position is specifically designed to bring the freshman perspective to SGA. How will you do that?
If there are any issues getting word of mouth to First Years, and getting the opinions from First Years. Being a bridge between First Year and Freshman.

Adrienne – huge time commitment. Do you think SGA will get in the way of your acclimation to college.
I think so. Classes have been stressful, but am getting study time in. Want something else to do, too.

Avi – Past experience?
SGA since 7th grade. Since 9th grade, Secretary of class. Secretary of Arts club and vocal ensemble.

Danielle – what would your ideal SGA be?
Bringing everyone together. Being able to see changes and now SGA was a part of those changes.

Alex – what would you like to personally get out of the SGA in your first year.
Friendship and more leadership (hoping to pursue field of scientific research). Also in FYC and BioCom.

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Projects/Progress

Mike – Talked to professor. Sodexho contract is public domain. If people give us a hard time about it, hypothetically could sue them for it. Could make copies of it. Adrienne has talked to Oscar and others about Food forum. Will be taking Dec 6th, Wednesday, free hour.

Carrie is part of the retention strategy committee. There is an opportunity on table to think about. Everyone pays graduation fee ($100). Retention strategy people decided to do this when you enter. Also don’t do exit interviews – and some leave when their problems could’ve be solved easily. Going to generate around additional $2000 additional dollars. These funds be used for retention efforts. People will be listening to proposals for how to use funds.

Avi – working on website where students can rate off campus housing. A dozen or so off campus housing places.

Danielle – readership program. Think it’s a good thing to help with, but will need a lot of help.

Terrance – question for mike: how do we get sodexho contract? Can be accessed by anyone. Chett Miller has some experience on how getting the contract.

Adrienne – formal dance committee. Approaching different organizations about formal dance. Hoping to have something off campus, that wouldn’t necessarily need to be repeated next year if the SGA wasn’t interested.

Carrie – talked to SGA’s of two private schools in Boston. Does programming themselves. Has 200 members, all stipended. BC runs rate your faculty website. Would you be interested in finding way to spend some time with other SGA’s from other schools?

Gabe – informing freshman of cool classes to take; idea is to have forum like session where upper classman could share with primarily freshman the classes they’ve taken in the past that met GFR requirements that were fun too.

Announcements
Meeting with Ch 3 (10-11 in ACIV 4 where studio is)
Meeting set up on corp. time, Wednesday at 4 for stress free planning.
There are people in the study place!
Study space hours M-TH 9:430, Friday 10-2

Everyone except Thaddeus here.
6:59 meeting adjourned.

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.

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Call to Order
5:38
Roll Call
Absent: Ozell
Approval of Minutes
Approved

First Year Ambassador

New Business
A. HL47-0607- Additional Allocation for Filipino American Student Association for District VI Semiformal
Joy- FASA asked for $1000, most of the money is coming from Ticket revenue, it is being held at the Hilton.
VOTE For 5 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
B. HL48-0607- Additional Allocation for Social Work Student Association for Substance Abuse Panel
Joy- Want to put up substance abuse panel in possibly the public policy builiding- food, appreciation gift
VOTE For 5 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
C. HL49-0607- Recognition of Archana Murali as the House of Organization First Year Ambassador
- I heard about it through the Involvement Center.
-I have time to come to the meetings.
- I will try to get more FY to get involved in Organizations and make them feel they are part of UMBC
- I was a secretary of my High school, I held a lot of leadership positions
- I am in SEB, BioCOM, RSA, pre-med society, SASA, S of Physics students, and others
VOTE For 5 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
D. HL50-0607- Acceptance of Push America
Danielle- Focus on Philanthropy, it helps people with disabilities
Ross- it needs to be placed in a category, it needs to be friendly amendment
Danielle- Funded, service category to help raise money
Alex- how many people are involved?
Danielle- At least 5 members, it started originally from frat but it is now open to the whole campu
Joy- What do they do?
Danielle- They hold events to raise money for people with disabilities. But we have to think if we are going to recognize them because it was a philanthropy started by Pi Kappa’s. They want to get funding for events that will be held for the whole campus.
Ross- can anyone ride their bikes across America?
Danielle- Yes but that isn’t their purpose.
David- What if the people on campus in the org do something that Pi Kapp disagrees with?
Danielle- Yes, but I don’t think that there should be organization formed for this, we should be able to give them money.
Ross- I don’t want them to come to us in the future and ask us for thousands of dollars for one of their members to ride their bike across the nation.
Danielle- there are also other philanthropy groups in greek orgs, and if we pass this there will be many more requests
Joy- are there any interested non Pi Kapp members?
Danielle- yes
Nayana- Are the recruiting other people?
Danielle- Yes.
David- If the head of Push and Pi Kapp disagree over the way to handle the money, I think the leaders of this organization should separate all ties with the frat.
Danielle- I move to table it.
Phil- It does need a statement in its consititution to separate the organizations.
Joy- I second the motion to table. Are the any other organizations like this?
Phil- we would have to see if they are tied to any other charity or for any one purpose.
Nayana- So Danielle, will you get in contact them?

Committee Reports
A. Student Life-
-Danielle- there is an open meeting at 5 pm concerning the 5 groups that we have concerns with. On Thursday we will be discussing our concerns with Push America. We will deal with the two “sororities” and they have to present their side of the case before any action can be taken.
B. Finance-
-Joy- meeting Thursday, with 3 pieces. We will start budget hearings tonight. And we will try to do some over the weekend, Sunday at 2.
Nayana- let’s try and get it over during the weekend.
-Joy- Should we do some Thursday?
-Phil- You should see if you can get them pretty quickly.
C. O.S-
Ozell- I’m working on SGA project with the dance committee. SEB will help out with advertising.
Nayana- The role of this is recognizing organizations. We haven’t really been helping out orgs, so we decided to form the O.S committee to be an organization to assist organizations.
Danielle- and the publicity of the house and its missions.
Nayana- We don’t know if organizations will participate in the spotlight weeks, we decided to help organizations instead.

Announcements
Apply for Leadershape.
Carrie- Readership program- no one ever came to the house. Those who are interested are going to want general ledger money, will have to come to the house meetings to ask for money. We don’t know if we will have it next semester. There is a group of senators are working on it, it is Danielle Lipinski so contact her if you have questions.

Roll Call
Absent: No one
Adjournment
6:10
Pass the Gavel

Budget Deliberations

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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November 13, 2006
5:34 meeting called to order.
Everyone here except for Terrance who is on his way.
No objections to last week’s minutes.

Adrienne Mercer - Director of human relations
• Received grant last year to establish center for mediation and conflict resolution.
• 13 mediators on campus.
• Want center to be first step to help. Center is completely voluntary.
• Handles all kinds of conflict with exception of credible counts of violence, any kind of abuse.
• Located in administration, 9th floor. Mediations can be held anywhere, however. Also can be held at night. There will be two mediators present, as well.
• RA’s have been notified and are using the service.

Week in review

Thaddeus –
• Stress free get-together
• Elani sent out assignments of what people are going to be responsible for.

Carrie –
• General ledger expenditure talk.
• This week or early next week to create form (3 step process), a lot like organizations do.
• Form, presentation to senate and house, then legislative bodies would vote next week.

Steve –
• Met with ch. 3 guy in new media studio in ACIV 4.
• Studio under construction.
• Retirement community will be using space, and is doing renovations on it now (most likely Erickson school). Umbc has limited use to the studio now, but will be able to use after next year.
• Could come up with a club/organization to do mini-news thing, or have freelance where students submit work (ch 3 guy could then put on web or TV).
• Are now using ch 3 as art channel. If we wanted it to use an extra channel, would cost $3,000 more.
• Fine arts has recording studio (room 507).
• Carrie – might be worthwhile to have a conversation with Erickson school to see if there’s a way to use some of the space.

Thaddeus
• Talked to Joe Regier about bus tracking system stuff
• High ball number for this project: $108,000 plus
• Will be negotiating with transit and tracking company for a lower price. Matter of price and features.
• Meeting Monday after thanksgiving to talk about what features we’d want and arrangements in terms of money. Could probably bargain down to $75-80,000

Terrance
• Flex dollar donations talk (said someone talked to SGA, but not sure who that person was).

Adrienne
• Will have help from Emily G. for formal dance

New Business

SL__-0607 Funding of SGA Resource Library Advertising Campaign
• Compile database of forms that students would need to do various things around campus.
• Requesting $230 for advertising (1 banner in commons and 6 outdoor signs).
• (senate additional allocations has $5,000 to use for whatever purpose SGA sees fit; has nothing to do with general ledger).

For: 9
Opposed: 0
Abstain: 1

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Thaddeus – if we focus on reaching out it will help all of our projects.

David – should start thinking about how to close up projects.

Adrienne – didn’t foresee projects taking as much time as they have taken.

Exec Reports

• Gabe – cool classes discussion is next Monday (study place, 4:00 pm)
• Tabassum – go to religiosity events this week.
• David – go to leadershape! Go!!!! “I would encourage you to apply.”
• Brady – bookstore. Things looking good to move bookstore out of commons. Also, language diversity forum (Feb.), faculty forum for advising, bookstore forum.
• Nayana – budget hearings, hopefully finished by Thursday.
• Elani – Wednesday at 4, student org space, another meeting for stress free zone.
• Steve – Wednesday during free hour, smoking forum, student orgs space. (UHS, judicial services, and chief cook coming). Also, next Monday, advising group meeting.

6:11 meeting adjourned.

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.

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Call to Order
5: 36
Roll Call
Absent: Ross
Approval of Minutes
Approved
New Business
A. HL51-0607- Additional Allocation for the Will and Women’s Collective
Joy- Money for clothesline projects, women who have had experiences with rape. They design the tee shirts and they will be hung up.
VOTE For 5 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
B. HL52-0607- Additional Allocation for MGC
Joy- 13 days fo culture, asking for food and decorations.
Danielle- didn’t we decide to set a limit since it is 13 days?
Nayana- I can’t remember. We will discuss at next budget meeting
VOTE For 5 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
C. HL53-0607- Transfer of Danielle Kiefer from Greek Chair to Religious/Spirituality Chair
Nayana spelled her name wrong!!!
Nayana- Chair will be transferred from the Greek chair to religious/spirituality.
Danielle- I am no longer associated with the sorority. I will answer questions outside the meeting.
VOTE For 5 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
D. HL54-0607 Acceptance fo Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society
Danielle-
VOTE For 5 Opposed 0 Abstaining1
Old Business
A. HL50-0607 Acceptance of Push America
Nayana- the main concern that the house had was the commingling of the two organizations. Will Pi Kapp try to influence Push America?
Pete- It has been approved to be separated.
VOTE For 5 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1

Committee Reports
A. Student Life- Jordan received a letter from an organization that we have discussed and the weren’t involved, the Jewish Sisterhood. The SLC sent them a letter to the org asking them to ask them to act as religious group. But they claim to have backing from a sorority. They need to make a decision.
B. Finance
Joy- we are about half way through the deliberations. We are going to try to finish as much as we can today and tomorrow there will be another meeting 3-6, whenever you are free.
Nayana- You have to do these deliberations so your only excuse is class.
Alex- I haven’t been getting any emails.
Nayana- go talk to Jay.
C. O.S. Danielle- The SIC is working on leadership things, there are workshops that required attendence for organizations. Things are discussed how to recruit, etc.
Nayana- Ozelle you can schedule a meeting sometime this week. For now we can just add the meeting at the finance committee. But we need to figure out a new time because it is a new committee that will take a lot of time.

Announcements
Stan- AIDs banquet on Saturday.
Joy- Basketball game tonight 7:30. Lupe Fiasco concert December 1. Athletics want to do powerade pong to connect athletics and student orgs.

Carrie- Earlier we talked about a class coming in about a new way to run the government. It will be in this room tomorrow at 5. Gabe and I are talking about a peer advising program. We are talking with the asst. provost of advising after Thanksgiving. With the same program, we want to have orientation events, like other schools have kayaking trips. 1-2 conference in this area so we can talk about what other SGAs are doing. Please come tomorrow at 5. I will order pizza.

Roll Call
Absent: Ross
Adjournment
5:55
Pass the Gavel

Budget Deliberations

It can be difficult to tell whether classes are canceled when one person says their teacher didn’t show up but another said that his teacher did. The quickest and easiest way is to call extension 5-8881, or dial (410) 455-8881 from a phone off campus. The Announcement Line recording will play letting you know of any cancellations. You can also check the first tab of myUMBC and on the entrance doors to The Commons.

Searching for the right course to fulfill your Social Science GFR?Nervous about finding an intriguing Arts & Humanities course? Questioning which professor to take next semester? Tired of reading course summaries?

Want to hear the real summary of classes at UMBC?

Then come out on November 20th at 4 pm to the Study Place!

QUIZ TIME:
Listening to students discuss courses will __________.
a.  Get you out of bed in the morning
b.  Be beneficial to your major
c.  Keep you on the edge of your seat
d.  Be worth your time
e.  All of the above

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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November 20, 2006
5:34 pm
Everybody here except Mike and Elani

Week in review:
Adrienne – talked to common vision, will have flyers to put in DH about food forum. Terrance put it on facebook. Dec 6th, free hour.

Steve – last Wednesday, smoking fee forum. Not as high attendance as would’ve wanted. Retriever didn’t send anyone to write article about it, so Steve did.

Thaddeus – Steering committee. Talked about ways to improve mail system on campus. Gearing up to make 60-70 thousand dollar purchase. Would remove a lot of the sluggishness in (e)mail server. Looking to set it up to run with 50% capacity (2 servers in PP basement, 3 in engineering basement) Also, implementing outsourcing of webmail to google or Microsoft. $10,000 estimate. Looking for student representation for committee. (Enter Mike Pollard) Not looking at student increase fro $60,000 – looking at using budget have now with limited freedom. Also, stress free zone planning.
Mike – will email out ads for t-shirts soon.

New Business:
Adrienne – (Enter Elani) Moonlight cruise, 11-2. $20 a student gets you light fare, DJ, admission. Cost will be about $16,000. Need minimum of 300 people, maximum of 500. Will provide transportation for 300 people. SEB is paying for advertisements. In conjunction with 40th. Places no obligation on next years SGA to put on event. April 14th, Saturday. What happens if you fall short of 300? SGA would end up having to pay more money.

Elani – stress free zone. Car bashing, Lambda Chi Alpha funding. 45 foot canvas, spray paint or paint. Study space is just going to be food. This event will require lots of volunteering. Student organizations who are around the most (3) will get money for flyers from Commonsvision.

For: 9
Opposed: 0
Abstain: 1

Nayana –
$18,000 over

Gabe –
Cool classes “smashing success”

Tabassum –
Long sleeve shirts.

Brady –
Diversity of language, bookstore and advising initiatives coming for next semester.

Announcements –
Go to food forum.
Event hall of fame for SGA.
No FYC meeting Wednesday.
Academic misconduct committee (Elani). If you have stories or research, get in touch with Elani.

Everyone here.
6:11 meeting adjourned.

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.

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Call to Order
5:32
Roll Call
All Here
Approval of Minutes

Special Preferences
A. Formal Dance Committee Representative Joy Adewumi
Joy- what we plan to do is to have the event on the Moonlight. SEB will take care fo the advertising. Alumni association is giving away free gifts. Try to plan the event April 14. GSA will probably be giving money too. Charging $20-25 per person, only $5000 will only be coming out of the pocket. No bar.
Nayana- even if there are less than 300 people, the boat won’t leave the dock.
Joy- we just have to pay for 300 people. We are coinciding this with the 40th anniversary event.
Nayana- I have been to the senate and exec committee, I know this is well planned. I am impressed!!!! What are you doing to advertise?
Joy- we all have different groups we are talking to, just to let them know so they can tell the people in your groups. We plan to start advertising after winter break. People have asked why are you doing this off campus? We want this to be a formal event and to be something big and huge. It is different from what people know and we want people to know.
Nayana- what about people who say SGA shouldn’t through this.
Joy- it is an event SEB should be throwing. It is a 40th anniversary and we thought that we should through it.
Nayana- this was something about unity on campus.
Joy- we aren’t just throwing the dance to party, but we want people to remember it.
Danielle- what are the entertainment cost?
Joy- It is like a dinner but since it is so late.
Phil- how will we pay for the difference that isn’t paid for by tickets?
Danielle- do you think that 500 people will come?
Joy- yea i do. We have a large number of co-sponsors
Ozele- We are talking to groups.
Ross- what about people who don’t know how formal events work?
Ozelle- it will be on the flyer.
Ross- what si the security charge?
Joy- that is what the boat charges.
Ross- Pictures?
Joy- there is a kid in the SGA that will do it for $250. The UMBC transit is the transportation. We are going to have people sign up if they need transportation or if they will provide their own transportation.
Nayana- The Black and Gold had one million people in the ballroom!!!!
Joy- Once we know our tentative date, we will send out information.
Danielle- should the discount apply to the alumni. Nayana will you go to the dance with me?
Joy- the two tickets will bring more people to the dance.

New Business
A. HL54-0607- Additional Allocation for HLSU/CASA for 13 Thursdays of Culture
Joy- We should have voted on this last week. We already did MGC, so it should only be $200.
Nayana- this just wasn’t in last weeks legislation.
VOTE For 6 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
B. HL55-0607- Acceptance of Engineers without Border
Danielle- SLC meeting, funded and service organization. They work with their skill set, they will raise money and organize different community service activities. They’ll fund raise to go on field trips to go where national committee already is.
VOTE For 6 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
Additional Allocation for Persian longest night of the year
There isn’t a very tight knit community in the Catonsville area so we want to put on a presentation with music, poetry, and performances. We also asked for Persian food. We have met with the safe committee.
Danielle- is it closed?
We had originally planned for it to be open to the families of UMBC students. 40 people is not the limit but we won’t let it be to full.
Joy- $170 for food and use of the power point projector in the skylight ($50), and $200 for dj/music, flyers $50, microphone $10.
Phil- it will be voted on a week from today.
Alex- doesn’t the skylight already have a microphone?
One of the people in the commons said you have to pay to use it.
Phil- my concern is that they asking people only from their organizations.
Nayana- if it is an open event, we should all go. How about 25 for flyers?
Joy- $20
Nayana- I second that. So $20.
Joy- should we cut down food to $150.
Phil- think of the per person cost.
Joy Total = $430
Committee Reports
A. Student Life
Danielle- Liz is writing letters to the Greek orgs that are in violation of the 5 member rule telling them they need to follow up with us. That way we won’t be committed to anything in writing. It will be an individual case by case basis. We aren’t trying to kick people out but we need to enforce the rule. We’re drafting to Zeta Sigma Kai and Delta Phi Omega. If there is something being discussed in a Student Life committee meeting, but they don’t need to be talked about outside the meeting. I’m going to try and arrange a meeting with the professor. Mock trial is over in 3 weeks, it will turn back into the club. We need to write a policy that there needs to be a separation between classes and clubs. The clubs must be open to all UBMC students. We are just passing new groups: UMBC paintball club- they want to be sports non-funded.
Nayana- about the department thing, how are you going to let the departments know about it.
Danielle- Explain to them that it is merely a draft. We need to go to them with a policy we are willing to pass. The regular professor is returning next semester.
Phil- Mock trial still has an additional allocation for a debate coming up.
Danielle- if you guys want to just stop funding people in the middle of a semester?
Phil- do we need them to attend? I think that they are just asking for registration fees.
Danielle- Billiards club sent in an amendment to their constitution to change from sports club to special interest.
Phil- I think we need to get definitions before we talk to the billiards club.
Danielle- i don’t think there are rigid definitions for those groups. As soon as you write something on paper, it becomes permanent.
B. Finance
Joy- we finished the finance committee, but we overbudgeted. After break we should cut down on the higher funded.
Phil- We need to have it because it would leave us with $20000 for the rest of the year.
C. O.S.
Ozelle- Corrin is trying to have a meeting to talk about the 5 member rule.
Danielle- before you schedule a meeting, will you let me know. The SIC plans to move forward with our student orgs workshop. No one from SGA has contacted the SIC. The staff meeting is at 2 30.
Nayana- me and ozelle will be there.

General Discussion
A. Organizational Hearings
B. Updates on First Year Ambassadors
C. Others

Announcements
Read the smoking forum in the Retriever.
It is Thanksgiving Week!!!
Roll Call
HERE
Adjournment

Pass the Gavel

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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November 27, 2006

5:33 meeting STARTS!
Everyone here.
Minutes from last week… approved!

Week in review:

• Alex – alumni board
Mentoring program to start with freshman; start second semester. Give each freshman peer mentor, faculty and alumni mentor. Alex argued it might be a good idea to introduce peer mentor first semester. ALSO, huge advertising campaign being launched for UMBC. 90% online, a little radio and newspaper. Mission statement. Alex found quite bland.

• Thaddeus – IT Steering committee meeting. OIT gearing up to make a $60,000 upgrade to the Webmail system. Gray listing system – supposed to help block Spammers. Outsourcing mail system to Microsoft of gmail ($10,000).

Classroom committee – 50% of available classrooms are level 4 (AV service equipped). Trying to get to 100% (will cost like, $300,000 to do that though). Lots of classes that need lots of tech will move to having classes later in the week.

GPS stuff. Have to post an ebid (will take 30 days to post), then have to talk to procurement office about overall cost and negotiate with bus company. Looking to put good amount of money from GL into project as well as reaching out to others for money.

• Elani – academic conduct committee. Institutionalizing penalties for cheating.

• Steve – met with Kyle Carter. Commons advisory council.

New stuff:

• Stress Free Zone coming up quickly. Shirt design in. Look for the volunteer sheet and sign up! WOO!
Total minutes divided by people in organization. Whoever gets greatest number winner.

http://www.umbc.edu/registrar/schedule/F06Finalexam.html

• 2 weeks left!
Current projects: Sga library, GPS system, Ch 3, formal dance, Off-campus student services (Avi), Harbor Hall Café

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SGA should send out physical letters that let new committees know if they want SGA representation, here we are!

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Mike Pollard disagrees with the policy of no non-motorized transportation devices other than bikes.

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Danielle heard they have a 10 year plan and a 25 year plan. Thaddeus heard there’s also a 50 year plan.

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SGA meetings in town halls and other places around community? Do we still want to do this?

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Food forum next Wednesday at 12 noon.

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Danielle – The green way (?). Connecting green places on campus, going to start at CERA.

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Executive reports:

David – back from vacation. Went to Pittsburgh, then to jersey. And he’s grown out his beard some. Lookin’ sharp David!

Gabe – done for the year pretty much in academics. Peer advising coming up; planning for study groups over the winter.

Nayana – finishing deliberations soon.

Announcements:
• Go to food forum
• Mosaic center, hosting Baltimore Ravens game night (Thursday). Held in Flat Tuesdays. Free wings.
• Look out for Mamas Boys Winter Ball which will be right after last meeting (Dec 11th)

Roll call: everyone here.
Meeting adjourned at 6:32

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.

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Call to Order
5:39
Roll Call
Absent: Ozelle
Approval of Minutes
Approved
New Business
A. HL56-0607- Additional Allocation for Persian Student for Yalda Night (Longest Night of the Year)
Joy- They lowered food and added projector so total is $430. It takes place in skylight lounge.
Nayana- They took out dance floor
VOTE For 5 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
B. HL57-0607- Additional Allocation for Craft Club “Knitted Preemie/Baby Clothing Donations” Event
Joy- they are making clothes for babies in hospitals. A lot of the stuff is going to be used again.
Ross- is this the craft club for music critics?
Phil- No, I thought the other one was derecognized.
Ross- There isn’t just a craft club.
Danielle- They are an organization.
VOTE For 5 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
C. HL58-0607- Additional Allocation for WILL
Joy- Asking for money for end of semester meeting. It comes to a total of $40.
VOTE For 5 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
D. HL59-0607- Acceptance of Paintball Club
Nayana- amended: sports non funded.
Danielle- Paintball club, for people who want to play paintball. They have 5 members.
VOTE For 5 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1

Committee Reports
A. Student Life
Danielle- Today we sent an email to the two groups we have discussed derecognizing. READ EMAIL. We are asking the organizations to come to the next SL meeting. Thursday between 1 and 4, i will have packets ready so we know what is going on. I don’t think they will be coming this Thursday. We discussed preliminary evidence: their mission statements as sororities, but please feel free to ask any questions. The purpose of the meeting is to give them an opportunity to clarify our concerns. If they ask you questions as members of the house, please direct them to me. This is the first time we have had to possibly derecognize a group. Corrin will be there as a representative of student life. Any questions?
Alex- what kind of heat?
Danielle- If we vote to derecognize them, they no longer exist. They have ties as a Greek group and they do have national representation.
Joy- If we derecognize them what happens?
Danielle- they can’t ask for space, they can’t use web space, or UMBC’s name, everything that comes with an org is revoked.
Stan- Can they decide to come back as a real sorority?
Danielle- i can’t answer that and neither can student life. That is an interior discussion within the office of student life. At this point, the committee meeting is just a staff meeting.
Nayana- anyone want to sit on this committee?
Danielle- That is a premature question. As soon as we decide about this committee meeting.
Phil- students are allowed to go.
Danielle- Reagan, Jen Dress, Lee, David and me. I’ll have answers with whether that will be a committee or not. The packets with all the information will be there. If you have any questions for me regarding it, please come to me.
Nayana- can you talk about the billiards club?
Danielle- The billiards club has submitted a change in their constitution, to switch to a sports club to a special interest club. Have we made definitions for the different types of groups. Right now, we don’t have definitions for them. We need to make a decision whether we want to make definitions or leave it up to interpretations.
Ross- I want to leave it up to interpretations. It might be a good idea to write it down someplace.
Danielle- maybe as a transition to the next group of house members. I would agree
Nayana- I like that idea, but I do not want to leave it open to show bias to groups.
Danielle- maybe a better Idea would be for the chair representatives to talk to the groups and see what they feel.
David- whether or not it is defined in policy, there ahs to be a guideline for making decisions. Whatever decisions you make will be a basis for an argument for another group.
Ross- the freedom alliance was a poli active group for a few years and then changed to a cultural organization. They just wanted to change their org placement.
David- There is one difference here, is the difference between funded and non funded.
Danielle- we need to have a more firm policy on sports groups.
Nayana- we need to make it a priority because the billiards club has already come to us.
Jordan- once we let in a group that “should” be a sports club, we open the floodgate.
Ross- It might be worth looking into how we fund groups. sports clubs don’t get funding. I don't know where in the documents it says that. We have funded cricket club in the past. I don’t think that there is anything that says it isn’t funded. We might want to see how the document is worded.
Danielle- So do we have a document to look at?
Nayana- it’s in the office?
Danielle- I don’t understand. Is it feeling that if the members of the groups are competitive, then they are funded.
Alex- the billiards club isn’t not competitive but they are still a sport even though they are not competing.
Joy- is there an actual page about what makes a sport.
Nayana- I think that anything is open to all UMBC students, then we should fund it.
Ross- this is why I like we call it as it goes. I think it works well for interpretations
Danielle- what happens when we can’t point to a policy?
Ross- we sit down and talk about it. We can sit down and interact with people.
Danielle- I am abdicating for one or the other. But we need to have a policy. I think we need to be specific.
Phil- dealing with policy, if an org asks to look at a policy, is there a policy that says they should be funded.
Danielle- does precedent mean policy.
Phil- it doesn’t need policy.
JOY- some groups come in as special interests and then they want to compete, then they should be a sports club.
David- when I came in, there was a thick stack of policy. I think we would be able to sit down and talk to make a decisions. You are expecting athletics to fund sports groups. Athletics is setting guidelines to numbers of groups.
Liz- Maybe you should set a maximum for each group can spend, but I don’t want my money going to other people competing.
Ross- I think we need to set a policy for how much we fund.
Danielle- We need definitions when it comes to outside definitions, for instance to athletics. Then academics is an outside entity as well.
Ross- I am resisting the urge to comment.
B. Finance
Joy- we need to go through and cut down funds we allocated. We funded about $60000 and we should only fund 50000. We should meet on Thursday.
Nayana- we don’t have to cut down as much as Phil says.
Joy- but then we have to worry about additional allocation. I think we may have to cut out things for December of this year.
Danielle- what were the original numbers? You suggested 50000.
Phil- that would leave 30000 for additional allocation. That is for this year only.
Ross- I think that we should cut it and have a look at it.
Nayana- when is everybody available for additional allocation?
David- Friday is a nice day.
Nayana- How about Wednesday.
David- If there is no alternative, I can make it work on Thursday.
Joy- I don’t think it should take too long. After the finance committee meeting then.
Danielle- are we going to be setting guidelines. How are we going to decide what we are cutting? Are we going through all the budgets or only the big budgets?
Joy- I think as we go through them we will see what we over budgeted.
C. O.S.
Nayana- we need to discuss where we are going with it. should it be a different committee?
Ross- We had this momentum going and then we stopped. There is going to be a meeting? We need to discuss how we can use this opportunity that has presented itself.
Danielle- OSL is going to spearhead training for organizations. All organizations will have to be represented. The treasurers will have to be trained and there will be at least 2 other mandatory meetings: Officer transition, recruitment, how to create/use budget, how to use resources. It would be a great partnership for the house to get involved in. I know the SIC is going to go through with the project either way. There is a meeting at 2 30 tomorrow. By the end of this semester, we will have a schedule planned out of when we will have these events.
Nayana- As an OS committee is going to be disbanded and will no longer be an official house committee until it is more organized.
Ross- About the more organizational workshops, where would we help?
Danielle- The planning, assisting, etc. we can be as involved or as not involved as we want. Although the student involvement peers, SGA as a whole has a whole lot to offer as members of the SGA. It would be my hope as house members to run and facilitate this as house members.
David- can you say a little more about mandatory attendance?
Danielle- Erin wants it to be mandatory. I know it has been talked about.
David- there have been conversations about student organization training not being mandatory. The treasurer training would be mandatory.
Phil- I wanted to incorporate the two. The things that are in SOP should be mandatory and the others should be elective.
Ross- I know it sounds tricky that 200 organizations are required go to. Just send anyone to some of the training. If they don’t go to registration, they don’t get money right? But this would be something, that we wouldn’t be enforcing.
Danielle- our job would be to help facilitate these trainings.
Phil- missing the mandatory would be like missing training.
Danielle- there are no consequences that have been decided on.
Ross- have we received a list of groups that haven’t registered? It might end up coming to us.
Danielle- you are talking about violation of SOP. Our chairs are responsible for enforcing this. Who is coming tomorrow?
Nayana raised her hand.

Reports
Phil- only one additional allocations for Thursday.
David- about the dance. I think the plan on the people who are on the part of planning the dance is to bring legislation to the SGA about the dance. I haven’t seen what their price tag is about 10-15 thousands. There are expecting to make a lot fo money back. Are these funding requests to take money out of the pot or are they taking money out of the general ledger.
Joy- We didn’t want to come to the house money to ask for money for the event. I don’t think it would be fair for the SGA to get a huge lump of money out of the pot for organizations. We want these to become an annual event. This is something that is corresponding with the 40 anniversary. Alumni student association is giving us gifts and other organizations as well. We want to get this from the general ledger and maybe next year iti will come from SEB. Or how quadmania works.
Danielle- historically general ledger, what has the general ledger been used for?
David- Here’s the theory, if you correctly forecast to spend all your money, then nothing is added to the general ledger. It’s up to you, but you need to see the whole picture. 5 years ago, it stood at 0 and sga overspent it pot. There was an audit. It was caused by inadequate cause. The focus was to build that safety net. It is a rainy day fund. SGA become much more careful. And all the money that isn’t spent goes back to SGA. The money is over $356,000.
Phil- it has been spent on chess set, movies and new printer.
Ross- it has been used for election night, to furnish student orgs place and things like that.
David- SGA hasn’t defined how much money should stay in there. once the budget had gotten to a point in the general ledger, we should be willing to spend more money. If we allow this money to be spent, then people will be coming to us asking for more and more money out of this pot. Then the amount will decrease. I think it would be responsible to make guidelines for the general ledger.
Danielle- is this normal?
Liz- I don’t think it matters if it is normal or not.
Ross- Every SGA is different. Like tee-shirts. I looked at a lot of SGA’s come from different backgrounds. I don’t think you could really quantify an answer to that.
David- because SGA deprived money from students by tightening their belt, I think we owe them with something to pay them back. My suggestion would be compare the worth of that.
Joy- When I was talking to Jordan, it was suppose to be something to symbolize the school, we didn’t just want to have a dance to have a dance. We wanted it to be important to the school.
David- sometime before this legislation hits the house. Decide what a good balance in the general ledger.
Ross- I don’t completely agree, I fear that placing that kind of number would be an incentive to use the money. I worry about that. There should be a bigger system to get money out of the general ledger. What if we had some sort of process to get money out of the general ledger.
Danielle- Does that solve our problem?
Steve- The process is more of making sure people are doing their research. We need to come up with an agreement between the SGA. Maybe we should come to a point that we aren’t going to come to. When we brought this up last night. In the Senate, we don't’ deal with money that often.
Joy- Are there projects, like the retreat, where do they get money from?
Steve- they don’t request money.
Danielle- If we are going to discuss the general ledger,
David- what if at the time SGA is projecting its budget, what if we take it into account that we have the extra money in general ledger? Should we expand the investment into student org or leadershape? So we have something planned for the money.
Phil- I think a joint meeting between the house and the senate when there is a request for money from the general ledger. I want to schedule a meeting for all of SGA. Friday free hour.
David- In this box, i have these cool study place mugs. Drink in prominent areas. This is out of the marketing for the study place.

Roll Call
Absent Ozelle
Adjournment
6:55
Pass the Gavel