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The university has released a map of designated smoking areas near the Academic Corrior! Remember that you can't smoke anywhere on the Academic Corridor from the Library to the RAC, nor can you smoke within 20 feet of any door anywhere on campus.
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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December 4, 2006
Roll Call: 5:35; Mike and Avi Elani and Brittany late
Approval of minutes: GOOD!
Week in review:
Adrienne – Food action committee: Food forum Wednesday, free hour.
Steve – Entrepreneurship. David suggested social entrepreneurship. Seemed interested in having SGA members – having competition for changing something on campus.
Danielle – undergraduate council. Couldn’t make it because weren’t given enough notice.
Andrew Rose (previous SGA president at College Park) –
Working for Mobile Campus.
Provides colleges with program to build out applications and mobile solutions, tailored to what their needs are. Plan to use text messaging to help connect students to each other and campus. Generate groups with Student organizations, fraternities and sororities, etc. No cost to university or students, or organizations. Permission based – students aren’t’ obligated to get in. Can click and choose groups to belong to, as well as venders and merchants. Integrate with OIT. Professors can set up mobile groups with students. Can set up within 45 days of contract.
What kind of initial marketing would be done? Table at event, flyers, hire students to get other students interested, iPod raffles, give-aways. Launch with something else on campus. Facebook ads, newspaper ads, etc. all paid for by mobile campus.
Student Jobs – would have to have an office off campus. Sales rep, marketing manager, and enrollment. Could hire students.
Not charging to sign up – charges to receive will apply to what current text messaging plans are. Mobile campus reviews message that merchants and vendors send out, but save $5 for each message they send out – students can save a lot of money.
About how many messages – no more than 2 a day from vendors and merchants. If they’d like more, can set that preference. When they enroll in M.C., can set who they want to receive messages from, when; also open access groups and closed groups, etc.
How successful has it been on campus it’s been implemented – over 25,000 students enrolled, over 9 schools. 3 of 9 M.C. has been in for over a year. Over 40% enrollment at each school. 30-40 merchants sign up at each school within 3 months. 8-10 more schools by January.
Other schools haven’t had a lot of faculty involvement in the program, mostly focus on merchants and vendors. MC hasn’t made the effort to incorporate professors as much, but plans to soon. Ability to have professors to use the program there, but not really implemented currently.
SL11-0607 DVD Committee
Recently issued movies are hardly ever there. In Dec 2003, under 150 people that went to use Media Center. Oct 2006, over 3,500 every week for DVD’s. Given $1,500 for year to purchase DVD’s. Found not enough given how high demand is. Asking for $500 more for next semester. Buy from Barnes and nobles, get deal buying bulk. The library has purchased multiple copies of some movies. Also trying to branch out to other cultures.
Started with $5,000 and will have $2,000 ish after this semester for rest of the year.
For: 7
Opposed: 0
Abstain: 1
Absent: 2
JL08-0607 Confirmation of Shane Spencer as SGA Justice
SGA Justices mostly have work during elections.
Shane served as justice last year. Both took one year terms, this will appoint them for a two year term. End May 15, 2008 (for both candidates). They have the option of resigning if they wish.
Shane - Interested in law. Not heavily involved with SGA – good for election board to be non-partisan. Will be at Stress Free Zone!
Lisa - Appointed same time as Shane. Served as chief justice. Involved with formal dance committee. Less involved with BSU – has a lot more hours available.
Chief Justice receives stipend of $160.
Table JL08-0607
JL06-0607 Formal Dance
40th Anniversary Formal Dance – unify greater campus community
asking for $16,400 from general ledger
if this becomes an annual event, can be turned over to SEB.
May 5th.
David - there will have been an SGA election, with new people and old. Should be a plan for handling this.
If SGA can sell 500 tickets, the cost will really only be $3,900.
Haven’t heard anything back from GSA or RSA. Looking to get local businesses to sell ads for tux’s and stuff.
Thaddeus – SGA needs to fund some kind of marketing scheme
Adrienne – looking to use SEB as tool to get resources; SGA would then put up.
Mike – will propose idea of them doing additional advertising.
Carrie – concerned that people can afford both their Quadmania ticket and the formal dance ticket.
Jordan – lots has to be planned over break. Need to have goals for ticket sales before the event. Need to establish safeguards, financially.
Adrienne – doesn’t have to be a tux, but definitely formal (no jeans, etc)
Thaddeus – glad there’s a safeguard in terms of transportation. Would feel more comf voting on his next week after talking to Joe Regier about transportation.
Adrienne – preferable to pass this sooner than later. Hesitant to leave something as important as this for last meeting.
Alex – there are a lot of safeguards, and it’s tedious to add on more money, but if we decide we’re going to do the event, we need to stop stalling.
Avi – set deadlines for ticket sales.
Lisa – needs to be finished over winter break.
Danielle – look into other funding sources. This is really low compared to prom in high school.
Thaddeus - $400 more for advertising.
Brady – $400 doesn’t really get you that much in terms of advertising.
David – need plan for money.
Carrie – it’s hard to put a number on advertising when you don’t really know what $400 is going to get you. There are items in SGA budget that go unused.
Thaddeus – shouldn’t only advertise in Commons with $400, but $400 isn’t that much more.
Elani – everything seems good except advertising. Should request more money when we have a more clear cut idea of where it should be going.
Alex – advertising only concern right now. Could pass on the condition that the committee could go to SEB to see how money they’re willing to put for advertising, and come back with plan.
Mike – contact all the groups on campus.
For: 10
Opposed: 0
Abstain: 0
JL07-0607 confirmation of KB Singh as SGA election board chair
No written application and not present.
Tabling till next week.
Executive Reports:
Carrie:
Sga last year helped Alumni association give gift to graduating seniors. Doing this again.
Booked space for conference that Carrie and Tabassum are working on. Hopkins, Towson and someone else invited. Focusing on elections, diversity in SGA’s, food, etc.
Committee meeting with CCSAG – saving for next week to talk about.
Jay, Gabe, Brady and David:
No report.
Announcements:
Dec 11th, Mamas boys, 8:15, LH1.
Food Forum, Wednesday, free hour.
SGA cookie swap, reading day, office.
STRESS FREE ZONE.
Commons advisory council meeting Wednesday, free hour.
Everyone here.
7:19 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
5:33
Roll Call
Absent: Ozelle, Stan, Archana
Approval of Minutes
New Business
A. HL60-0607- Additional Allocation for JSU and Hillel for JSU
Joy- Asking for money for Chanukah: 350 50 for streamers, 50 entertainment, Total 579
VOTE For 5 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
B. HL61-0607- Additional Allcoation for ArtCom
Joy- money for Siggraph showing, Total 200. We gavae them what they asked for.
VOTE For 5 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
C. JL06-0607- 40th Anniversary Formal Dance
Nayana- passed unanimously through the senate yesterday.
Joy- it was proposed 2 weeks ago. Askign 16400 from general ledger. we are getting 12500 back. Free gift from Alumni SA. Free adverts from SEB. We are asking for 1500 as if we don’t get UMBC drivers. All that would really becoming out of the general ledger would be 3500.
Alex- So the money from the tickets would go back to the genereal ledger.
Joy- Yes
Ross- What questions did senate have?
Joy- Advertisting. They were worried that for such a big event that only one place would have advertising. But the extra money would be going to extra money. And also word of mouth is the best way to put the event out there. SEB is excited to help out.
Danielle- If you guys partner up with OSL, the have access to marketing interns. They have space for marketing interns as well. Student announcements are free and posting in the commons is cheap. And getting 400 people events is asking that much.
Ross- and you are reaching out to organizations who will help get the word out.
Nayana- we don’t know if SEB is willing to invest that much money into our event. They don’t want to have an arbitrary number for advertising. We want some hard core advertising. Once the kinks are worked out for the advertising, an org might come to the house to ask for more money for advertising.
Ross- it seems kind of strange to me, I wouldn’t have a problem if SEB came back and asked for more money from the General Ledger. And remind them about the outdoor movies.
Danielle- I wouldn’t be opposed if SEB came back to us to ask us for more money from the General ledger.
Nayana- but the house’s money is more flexible.
Carrie- there are other sources of money, like special events funds. That money could come from a different source.
Ozelle- Yesterday, I met with SEB to get an idea about the general advertising but most of it has already been discussed.
Ross- I love SEB and they do great work. I wasn’t knocking them.
VOTE For 6 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
CONGRATULATIONS!!
Ross- I thought the budgets would be on this legislation but why isn’t it here.
Nayana- Joy just needs to talk to David about how to write up the legislation.
Phil- All the legislations are done. We will have a meeting with SAFB. We need to separate the fiscal years. I will present these to them and hopefully they approve it in time.
Carrie- i don’t think that there is a voting student member on the committee.
Danielle- I think there should be a voting student on the board.
Ross- are there only student committees that checks what the board does with our fees. And have any organizations asked questions about the budgets.
Phil- No, and many organizations have come but I don’t want to give anyone a timeline. But I don’t want to make an appointment, because if they schedule and cancel they will have to wait till feburary. No one really had any big problems.
Committee Reports
A. Student Life
Danielle- we are going back over the query of the 5 member rules. There are some orgs that shouldn’t have been on the list. Someone is going over it and I will meet with them tomorrow. I will give you a sample letter to send to your organizations. i’ll be meeting with Corrin to talk about other student life stuff.
Danielle- The billiards club has filed to change to the special interest category, so we will have to talk to see how we want to handle. We can discuss it at the SLC meeting. And we will need to have a consensus for the future but we can also do it on a case by case basis. I like the case by case basis.
B. Finance
Joy- We came up with all the budgets and most likely today I will be writing up the legislation. David said that we have them written out separately and then the total.
Nayana- we capped up at about 56000.
Phil- I think that it is 42000 and then 10000 for the next fiscal year.
Nayana- Any questions.
House Projects.
Nayana- we disbanded the OS committee because we thought that it was something that should be part fo house anyway. We need to decide exactly to what we want to do. We need to think about something to do.
Danielle- The workshops. We met for a special workshop meeting. Ths OSl has been planning on having a workshop for student orgs. We want to make it bigger and better and we want to be more useful to them. We have planned the first few workshops and it is going to be huge. And in the fall, there will be workshops all throughout. 1st: how to plan student events and use with Sodexho? 11000 has already been spent on outside food. We want to have this food provided by Sodexho.
Nayana- how would house be connected?
Danielle- House would be running that owrkshop. There is another workshop about how to make a flyer. The house: how to make a good budget, how to make yoru budget request more likely to get passed. We can have as much or as little responsibility as possible.
Nayana- Is this something the hosue is willing to commit to?
Joy- Would we be trained.
Danielle- We would decide how to run the workshop and we give money for the winning organization. The whole purpose is to keep the workshops short and sweet. As long as there si something orgs would need, we can have a workshops. We have OSL to back us up.
Ross- Is OSL funding the rewards?
Danielle- The flyer workshop: there would be laptops set up for student orgs to work on a flyer for their events. The org that had the most people in attendence, the marketing interns would offer their servicees. We are going to look into commons vision. The prizes are more services.
Ross- We all have experience with working with groups, we know what kidn of advertising goes well. i think that we would fit in really well.
Danielle- would we just sign up for workshops that we want to do. We have staff meetings( SIC) and the house just has to decide what type of workshop we want to have. And then we will present it to SIC. Maybe that could be the first house projet. it is a good semester to try it out. We could start a tradition.
VOTE- everyone is willing to support them.
Nayana- how about we make our first project, what type of workshop we want to have. We can think ideas over and make a decisions at the meetings.
Ross- Maybe we can discuss right now what we want to have our topic to be.
Danielle- I want to go to the meeting tomorrow with an idea. Maybe officer transition.
Nayana- I think it should be about how to get money from the SGA.
Phil- You should clarify that it is for orgs.
Ross- how about the ins and outs of getting money from the SGA.
Danielle- we can have the marketing interns to make the flyers. We just need to come up with the ideas, and the rest is pretty much taken care of.
Ross- i like the officer transistions.
Danielle- maybe we can create a guidebook. .
Nayana- Is there a limit on the # of workshops?
Danielle- since it is just starting we don’t want to have that many. The hope next year is to have one workshop work a few different times.
Ozelle- What if we made it into a comical video? It would be funny.
Ross- we have discussed doing films a couple times in the past and it has always followed through.
Nayana- it could also be live.
Danielle- I think that it should be fun but we should make it so they want to come. I think that a lot of orgs don’t know that they meetings are open.
Announcements
Ozelle- meeting is set up tomorrow with Corrin at 2 00 student orgs area. The meeting is about lots of stuff. We are trying to get an idea of possible objectives of stuff that needs to get done next year. And update all rules and stuff.
Joy- For tennis we are trying to raise money to go and compete during spring break.
Ross- i am showing a movie tomorrow night about Bob Dillon in Susquehana. No one really knows what it is about and we will have roasted chestnuts. It will be in the honors lounge.
Stan- CASA is on the Thursday for (13 Thursdays of culture).
Nayana- Stress free zone, sign up to volunteer. I really want you to sign up and volunteer.
Joy- do you know who is in charge of midnight breakfast.
Nayana- we will get conformation from Judicial board.
Ozelle- I should dress up as Santa Claus and give money to Organizations.
Nayana- next Tuesday is our last official meeting for the semester.
Joy- I realized that one of my classes is only offered at the time of house meetings.
Nayana- I will look into seeing if we can change the time. But you guys signed up for a whole year. Make sure that you can commit to that. Unless you are a senior, you don’t really have an excuse.
Danielle- Because there are some people that are not going to be with us next semester, maybe we could bring food after the meeting Tuesday.
Roll Call
Absent: Phil is here too.
Adjournment
6:19
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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5:34 meeting called to order
Everyone here except for matt.
Minutes approved.
Week in review:
Adrienne: article made front page. Food forum turn out not as big as hoped. Seb willing to help, not pay for. Allocated $300 for photographer – that money will be used for advertising now. Want to start advertising in April.
Mike – RSA meeting – talked about dance. Seem to be interested in helping with $, but need formal proposal from SGA. Suggested first x number people get $y off ticket. Put up a few hundred dollars (RSA) to help cover first x cover discount.
Thaddeus - athletics meeting – talked about field hockey team being gone. Saving athletics $175,000 a year to not support field hockey. Thaddeus was asked if SGA could illustrate want for replacement field; no way we’re going to be able to keep practice field by research building. Erickson foundation had to help renovate driving range field (only alternative at this point). ALSO, SAC meeting – promotional stuff, frequent fan cards, lots of questions about field hockey team. Athletics was in a deficit that was greater than $500,000, and university has required paying back some of deficit.
Elani – Commons advisory board – 11 members, how commons is utilized.
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Solidarity coalition not here, so, moving on.
JL07-0607 KB Singh for Election Board Chair
Has been on for 2 years. asking to be appointed as election board chair. Questions can be asked to KB through email.
Carrie – chair has to remain impartial. How will you do this? Talk to separately, figure out solution.
Steve – your committee, ideas? Have some people in mind, know them well. Looking for professionalism and being able to keep privacy.
Carrie – diversity. Do you have a plan to help recruit diverse candidates? Hoping to go out and talk to people, instead of just noting that elections are up. Won’t be as much advertising. Don’t want everyone to be tired of it before it starts. Want to also make sure it’s separate from Quadmania.
Adrienne – less advertising? Don’t think advertising has as much to do with turn out as presidential candidates.
Avi – too much publicity can be bad publicity. Yes, people eventually get sick of it, I think.
David – what replaces publicity? Publicity still there, but looking to change long drawn out advertising to short, sweet process. Don’t know for sure yet though, don’t have a board.
Steve – referendum questions. Pro con section? Not aware what happened last year, but did advertise year before. So, yes, planning to.
David – can you estimate what a reasonable turn out would be? With 5 serious candidates. Looking to get 2,500 votes.
David – recruit people to run for president and vice president? what will you tell them? part of them has to want to be with sga, and can only work with people who want to but don’t know how.
IN FAVOR: 9
Opposed: 0
Abstaining: 1
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SGA Ad in retriever
Full page ad in 12 issues of retriever – 20% discount – works out to be $3,888
Also will have 2 from last year that were never used.
SGA pays for Retriever (everything that keeps them running), and also pays to put ads in their paper.
Ads don’t cover all of expenses.
SGA gives Retriever $50,000. Many other campuses are funded independently of the SGA.
No one considering removing them as charter organization.
Retriever can’t put event that happens over weekend, can’t go in until almost 2 weeks later.
Location of ad within in paper important (mike). Would paper be better spent doing print ads at common vision?
Creeeeeeepy (steve looking over president Hadfield’s shoulder)
Possibly not doing an ad every week – just when we have something big going on.
Alex – we should have something to put in the paper every week.
Elani – might over look if there were an ad every single week.
Carrie – SGA update not guaranteed to get in each week.
Deadline for paying retriever? Don’t think so.
Mike – half page ads?
Alex- more appealing ads would make the $ worth it.
We could work out details over the summer before next school year. Then SGA could ask for new details between SGA and retriever.
Carrie – no organization is SGA’s.
David – why not commit to 7 ads, get discount, then get more if need.
Thaddeus – table till next semester?
In favor: 1
Opposed: 8
Abstain: 1
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JL09-0607 Lesa Marks
A Sondheim scholar. Because is in other organizations, should there be something involving organization she’s involved with, she would recuse herself from the situation so it didn’t look biased.
In favor: 9
Opposed: 0
Abstain: 1
JL08-0607 Shane Spencer
In favor: 9
Opposed: 0
Abstain: 1
The piece of legislation has been friendly amended – lesa and shane will serve for 2 year terms, not 1. (for: 8, opposed: 1, abstain: 1)
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Carrie – sent out report, will send out another before finals.
Gabe – working on study group program over break.
Announcements – winter ball tonight, 8:15 doors open, 8:30 start.
Sga retreat coming up!!! Woooo.
SGA cookie swap.
Something pertinent, from mike.
SGA stress free time. volunteer sign up.
Roll call: everyone here except for matt (Danielle and Elani left early)
6:59 meeting adjourned forever!! (the semester)
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
5:37
Roll Call
Absent: Joy, Ross, Archana
Approval of Minutes
New Business
A. JL10-0607- General Ledger Allocation for SGA ads in The Retriever Weekly, Spring 2007
Phil- more ads in the Retriever weekly. There is no money for the Spring adds. 405 for full page ad, we are getting twelve ads.
Nayana- Yesterday the senate failed this piece of legislation.
Danielle- I don’t want to hear about the Senate before the vote. I don’t think that we should be paying for it, at least not for this amount.
Joy- These are things that SGA advertises.
Phil- this is the standard rate. They have purchased a new printer and they can’t afford a further discount.
Ross- Why didn’t we budget for an entire year of ads?
David- Last year, cost had grown but student fees hadn’t been accounted for. They budgeted conservatively. They thought if we have the money next spring, we will pay for it.
Danielle- I think the problem is should we be giving them 3888, I’m assuming that if they don’t get this money, then they will fall short.
David- Does the SGA get benefit out of running the ads? If they give SGA a discount because SGA funds them, then you can hold them hostage.
Danielle- I hesitate to give this money because we don’t know the impact of these adverts.
Joy- I think we do a poor job advertising on campus. But have we always been doing ads?
Phil- It has always been the standard rate for the current time.
Joy- This is the price for the spring?
Phil- Yes, if we choose not to allocate the money, then we won’t have the ads. We will get 2 from carry over from the fall. We won’t have advertising for the SGA events.
Ross- I think that it si important that we keep the SGA ads. If The Retriever doesn’t step up, maybe the money could come from.
Danielle- we do need to keep the ad, are we going to keep not budgeting things and keep pulling from the general ledger.
David- you don’t get a choice to until the student fee increase.
Phil- we can put on that page, whatever we want to. You can’t think of how much money we gave them in the past. It was money for an organization.
Toks- can you still negogiate with them over the price?
Phil- There weren’t any further negogiations. They were reluctant for another discount because they need the money.
David- Senate was on the verge of tabling the legislation.
Joy- who decides what the ads are?
Phil- Jay Lagorio. It costs the Retreiever to print per page.
Danielle- why is this just getting to us now?
Phil- it wasn’t just addressed earlier.
Stan- have we taken money out of the general ledger for them before?
David- This is the first year. We will survive without a Retriever ad.
Danielle- do we know the price for additional fees for stress free zone, etc.?
Phil- all the extra things for the elections come out of the election board, but all the other stuff comes from these adverts.
Joy- If we vote for it, would anything change?
NO
Joy- any event that SGA is doing, they could use these adverts.
Phil- yes.
Danielle- we can’t afford not to have that ad. There are a lot of events. This ensures the success of the SGA. We are in a position that it doesn’t matter. I think we need to vote for it.
Nayana- how effective do you think that the retriever has? We put adverts but it doesn’t guarantee the success of the event.
Phil- SEB is also getting the same rate that we are.
Danielle- I appreciate all the arguments against it. Are we going to lose out on all this funding? But at the same time we should be thinking about this, before the last week of the semester.
David- You do have some time because the retriever does have some time because we have those two carryover ads. Do what you think is right for this legislation?
Liz- why not just advertise for the events that have already budgeted advertising in it.
Ross- what did I want to say? I REMEMBER!! The retriever prints in four page sets, they can’t just drop one page.
Phil- They format it so it fits.
Nayana- there is a SGA weekly update in the retriever, so people will see what is going on in the SGA.
Danielle- What kind of agreement is it?
Nayana- It is an agreement.
Ross- I suggest not tabling it. Amending it won’t change it since SGA
VOTE For 3 Opposed 1 Abstaining 2
B. HL61-0607- Additional Allocation for Student Organization for Spring FY07
Joy- Our total for all the organization for 61538.50.
Ross- this is the number off the spreadsheets.
Joy- I sent the budget lists.
Danielle- the ones that were missing were deliberated on right?
Phil- Yes.
VOTE- For 6 Opposed 0 Abstaining 1
Phil- there si about 21000 left for the spring semester.
C. HL62-0607- Acceptance of Pre-Nursing Society
Danielle- A group that came to a vote last year. i looked over the constitution. We think that there was just a bad flow of information.
Ross- I thought that it went through last year. They thought it went through. They have done everything that a groups does.
Danielle- As far as the funded/not funded, we don’t have to come through with all the funding they ask for. Last year they decided to come up and create a new group, something wrong happened. This group was told that it was passed. We can change it to unfunded now.
Ross- i don’t know why we would change it to non funded, there were a lot of things misplaced last year. My questions is whether they were recognized organization and then they were derecognized. But if there is no pre-Nursing group, we should definitely recognize them.
David- their application came in last fall. They think that there is a problem with the constitution and they never addressed it.
Nayana- if ross really wants to look at the constitution, then he should look at it. This is tabled. We can’t find the constitution.
D. HL63-0607- Acceptance of Amendment for Billiards Club
Danielle- their aim is to change to special interest to be funded.
Nayana- I think the purpose was to change to funded. Friendly amend it to funded.
Danielle- They want to become funded and that is why they are amending their constitution.
Ross- I am fine with it. But if they ask us for competition materials, I will have a problem.
Joy- They were asking for new equipment for the game room.
Danielle- I think they wanted instructional videos.
Phil- You have to treat it like the equstrian club. You can’t buy them lots of nice equipment.
David- couldn’t any sports club asked to be funded for money not just with competition.
Alex- i don’t think that sports club should be funded to compete. The sports clubs are sports and not special interest.
Ross- it’s really tricky. I would be fine to fund the tennis club to fund a fundraised. But i wouldn’t fund the tennis club to buy racquets.
Joy- this opens the door for any sports club. I think it would be nice to fund the clubs to teach people but I don’t think that we should fund them for transportation.
Alex- The tennis club situation, originally there was going to be teachers and competitors. There wasn’t money to fund people. Our club now is more focused on being competitive.
Joy- Why can’t we fund an organization that a lot of students are excited about?
Danielle- They are not going to compete and they are going to promote the general interest. We won’t fund them as a competitive group.
David- 3.5 years ago, that resulted the funding of sports clubs over to athletics. I don’t think we should try and redefine boundaries for athletics to pay for athletic groups. Decide where you are going to draw the line.
Liz- if you are going to fund something equipment,
Danielle- they are not a sports club, according to their consitution their purpose is not to compete.
Phil- the thing to keep in mind is. Let’s say a whole new house ocmes in, but you can use all the equipment as casual interest.
Ross- I think it would be great to get the Judicial board to solve it. It would be great to give the justices something to do.
Danielle- how much continuity going to be between houses.
Toks- can you do this? If you do this now, you are allowing other people to come in and ask to change their consititution. Rather than letting these people switch their constitution, we can fund particular things for the clubs for event wide campuses.
Danielle- There is a bigger argument within this to, we have been having this problem about organizational categories.
Ross- in the end, it is up to us to decide what category they should be under. It is arbitrary. I don’t have a problem with it.
Danielle- I think that we should just move to vote.
VOTE For 2 Opposed 3
E. JL07-0607- Confirmation of Kanwar “K.B” Singh as SGA Election Board Chair
Alex- what do you do?
K.B- I plan and organization the elections and handle the disputes.
Danielle- how will you increase advertisement?
K.B.- I felt last year there was too much advertisement. One thing I want to change is to have an advertising blitz. I proprosed that SGA elections move far away from Quadmania.
Ozell- Do you propose any change to the voting system? Earlier we looked at 3 different methods.
K.B.- I don’t know what you are talking aobut.
Ross- If it does happen, it will have to change our constitution. A class is looking to change the voting process. How are you looking to keeping yourself impartial.
K.B.- I don’t currently know how to keep yourself impartial, if you have any suggestions.
Nayana- How would you deal with conflicts?
K.B.- I would just talk with them and see if they can work it out.
Danielle- Some people run and don’t really know about the time commitment. How will guarantee that all candidates know what they are getting into?
K.B.- Make sure we emphasize how much time is required. Part of it is up to the house to work that out.
Nayana- how are you going to encourage people run and vote?
K.B.- We are going to focus on word of mouth to get people to run. That will be our primary method for people running. For voting, I hope to have a short and sweet advertising campaign.
Joy- We can also help spreading the word.
Alex- What kind of ways are you advertising?
K.B.- I don't really know all the details yet. I am going to emphasize facebook.
Alex- Are you having mixers?
K.B.- Yea, we will have meet and greets.
Ross- Are you having give-aways?
K.B.- Yes, they are to serve as a reminder about the elections
Danielle- Do you propose to limit the amount of things that people give away?
K.B.- I don’t think we are going to have any restrictions.
Danielle- I think we sometimes we forget, people will pay for it to be on their resume.
Ozell- Timmy wants can do anything to get votes over me.
Ross- If someone is going to put a lot of money in their compaign, they might drop out. are the rules something the board will come up with?
K.B.- It is something that the board will come up.
Danielle- Will the hosue have to approve the rules?
Ross- No.
Ozell- How many people are going to be on the board?
K.B.- I will put up signs around, and then they will apply.
Stan- If people break the rules, are they disqualified?
K.B.- It depends on what happens. I don’t see why certain things should be illegal.
Alex- Is there anyone else interested in this position other than you?
K.B.- I don’t know.
Ross- We get to approve the rest of the members on your board, is that correct?
K.B.- I don’t think so, I think that is my decision. I’m not sure.
Alex- Why are you interested in this position if it is hated?
K.B.- I like to be in the center of the power.
Joy- How many people do you approve for your board?
K.B.- 4-5 people will be chosen from the application pool.
Alex- What are the guidelines for the people chosen on the board?
K.B.- Their work ethic. They have to be impartial. They have to keep their mouth shut…confidentiality.
VOTE K.B. Singh
F. JL08-0607 Confirmation of Shane Spencer as SGA Justice
Nayana- what would be your experience working with shane?
Lesa- she takes on a lot at a time.
Danielle- I don’t feel comfortable confirming someone that isn’t here. I am going to abstain.
Nayana- do you table this legislation?
YES
G. JL09-0607 Confirmation of Lesa Marks as SGA Justice
Nayana- what do you do?
Lesa- I would serve as chief justice of the supreme court, which is what i do know. There are 3 other members. We deal with amendments to the consititution or challenges.
Danielle- You spoke openly about the election process, would that you keep that biased.
Lesa- My concern is about the people who don’t follow the ethics rules when they come into the university, but I wouldn’t be biased.
Joy- have you had any situations this year?
Lesa- No, nothing.
Stan- if something goes wrong, do you decide if a candidate gets kicked out of the election.
Lesa- no, if a candidate feels something unjust happens that is when we deal with it.
Ross- Would you try and get involved in any projects, even though you need to remain unbiased.
Lesa- i am on the formal dance committee because I don’t see a lot of conflict coming up on that.
Danielle- Strict or loose interpretation of the constitution?
Lesa- It depends on the situation.
Nayana- any more questions.
VOTE Lesa is SGA Justice
Special Projects
Greek groups- we need to have a body statement what the groups need to do to be derecognized. The student life committee makes recommendations. We need to decide whether to recommend to revoke the group or define the statements they need to follow.
Joy- Tell them that need to follow certain guidelines.
Danielle- we need to decide what the consequences are. They will be notified before the end of exams. Treat them separately and they have been dealt with separately.
Joy- Why is the multi-cultural group funded and the other one not funded?
Phil- they presented themselves not as a sorority.
Danielle- we dropped the ball in a very big way. so look at them in a different way.
Ross- I think that statement justifies the power of our recommendation. i think OSL is letting us do our job.
Danielle- I need an answer then, I don’t think that I should be drafting the letters.
Ross- we need to decide what we want to say and I will help draft up the letter.
Nayana- you can decide to help us right something up.
Ross- I think we need to agree that they need to stop acting as a Greek group and if they don’t, they will be derecognized.
Joy- I don’t know what greek groups act as.
Ross- if they go underground and do these thing, then we don’t know about them. But when we see them, we will act accordingly.
Phil- your recommendation is only for the recognized group, the students can still meet. But we need to separate the recognized SGA group from the other one.
Danielle- we need to make a recommendation and not think of a solution. we need to create a focus group.
Ross- I don’t understand why OSl is looking for a recommendation. It is also our job if we want to nip the problem in the butt. I don’t think it has been two years.
Phil- Since you are only making a recommendation, tell them to stop acting as a greek group and then tell OSL to deal with it.
Danielle- we can recommended that they will still be recognized as a group if they cease acting as a greek group.
Ross- what has OSL done about this group in the past few years.
Danielle- they want us to do our job. But OSL can make the final decision.
Ross- we shouldn’t let this other group influence us.
Nayana- this discussion is closed. Do you need anything from us right now?
General Discussion
Executive Report
Roll Call
Absent: Stan, Ozell
Adjournment
7:23
Pass the Gavel
EAT FOOD AND HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY!!!
How is it that the most stressful time of the year comes right before the "most wonderful?" Your SGA has co-sponsored with other campus organizations to make Exam Week a little more bearable for you.
Also be on the look out for FREEBIES like Krispy Kremes, Hot Chocolate, T-shirts and more!
See you at The Stress Free Zone!
For more information contact elani1@umbc.edu.
This page contains all entries posted to Student Government Association in December 2006. They are listed from oldest to newest.
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