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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5:36 pm (February 12, 2007)
Danielle and Mike not here.
Minutes approved.
USA Today representatives:
• 10th year of program
• on over 450 campuses nationwide
• Convenience, choice, cost = s-u-c-c-e-s-s
• Free to students (because shared between students)
• EBI Survey surveyed 11,000 students. Students who read newspaper are more likely to be informed on national and global issues, as well as being more likely to express own views.
• www.usatodaycollege.com
• important to work with student leaders to tie in student initiatives with newspaper
• RA’s can use newspapers for programming and bulletin boards
• Reaches over 90% of student body over course of one week (based on surveys across nation)
• In past have worked with SGA’s that have put forth a referendum question (passed on all campuses)
Specific to UMBC
• Sept 11 – Oct 6 (4 week pilot)
• Baltimore Sun, USA Today, Washington Post
• Fall consumption (avg. copies a day): 646 newspapers a day
• Pass-along ration of 4 (reaching approximately 2,400 students)
• 79% of students surveyed believe reading newspaper is important to education
• on campus availability of newspapers was most important factor for people reading
• surveyed approximately 300 students
• before pilot, 15% reading 3-4 days a week; after pilot, 25% reading 3-4 days week
• 44% said would pay $4-7 a semester (60% would actually pay)
• cost is based on per-copy consumption, so we only pay for what we use – delivery, displays, recycling, marketing and programming support are complimentary.
• Each newspaper offered at a discounted education rate.
• 14/20 top 20 collegiate readership program are paid for through student fees
• The schools that paid for program through SGA pulled money together from administration and SGA.
• Average copies (Sun – 192, TODAY – 217, Post – 237). 646 Total.
• If consumption remained same, cost would be $2.70 per student, per year, based on 11,900 students, or approximately $32,000/year
• Cost to get swipe access to restrict to just under grads – free.
• If Readership program doesn’t get picked up, probably will be dropped. (Although there is the possibility to wheel and deal some in the future)
• Reps meeting next week with RSA, GSA and House
Week in Review
Elani-
• Turns out, in the future every class must have a part of it that is writing intensive.
• SGA met for referendum brain storming party. Hoping to get questions written for next week to have them out for elections.
Adrienne –
• Met with Jennifer-White Torres (SEB) about flyer (how many quarter cards/banners/etc)
Thaddeus –
• Frequent Fan Club
• Program should be happening soon, would be nice if SGA could fund
Steve –
• Stress free planning
Tabassum new Vice President!!! WOOOOOO!
Thaddeus – how are you going to integrate old tasks with new VP tasks.?
Can put old tasks into sub-category of VP-cy
Alex – pros and cons of being first year student?
Can get advice from older students.
Favor: 8
Opposed: 0
Abstain: 0
Absent: 2
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Thaddeus – came into as if we didn’t think the program was good, and needed to be convinced.
Adrienne – could we please get a meeting with Dr. Fey?
Avi – didn’t come here with any expectation, liked that.
Alex – responding to Adrienne, we have to detach it from Dr. Fey at some point. Up to us at this point. Things we could go to Dr. Fey for help, but our awkward situation now.
David – if you invite him to a Senate meeting, he’ll come (to Adrienne).
Thaddeus – would really like to hear what Dr. Fey has to say.
Elani – don’t know who we could appeal to get money. Who else could we go to?
David – office of institutional advancement, maybe?
Elani – I thought we said it wouldn’t be an issue if faculty and grad students benefited, but should contribute money. What is most amount of funding we could get from other sources?
David – I have no way to estimate that; I think more in terms of how much work you’d have to do to get money.
Elani – GSA?
David – there are enough resources to do this on this campus.
Alex – think it should only be for under grad students, with card access only. See a lot less papers taken, therefore would need to buy less. If we’re funding, should only be for under grad. There are lots of kinds of people taking these papers now. Would see much different numbers if you had to actually take your card out to get it.
Terrance – do a survey during SGA elections to ask student body what they actually want. Think best to just add in onto student fees.
Jen – I thought they said it wouldn’t work with our card system?
Jay – our system would have to totally change (pessimistically, $3,000 per box). No designation about under grad or grad student on magnetic strip on red id.
Gabe – referendum on ballot about student fee increase?
Thaddeus – lots of people won’t be in the SGA by the time this gets going with a fee increase. Will have a much different SGA by that time, and new fees (that were meant for this) may be used for other things.
Alex – have to decide is this something that is worth all this money and trouble. Not sure it is worth a fee increase.
James – have it so put in reduced amount to get paper.
Steve – to vote yes for this, what needs to happen?
Thaddeus – Can’t fund program out of General Ledger.
Elani – can just look at it online.
Steve – put $8,000 towards Study Space. Funding could be pulled in future.
Adrienne – if SGA has resources, should do this. What makes me nervous is how unstable future is. People will say, “SGA didn’t fund program” and looks bad. Should be added into budget and maybe OSL or someone else so we’re not hurting for money. $32,000 a lot of money to put in. Want this, but would hate for it to stop abruptly in future.
Thaddeus – House would have to pass money being put towards this for Fall. Don’t have enough money for this with student fee as is.
David – each future SGA could choose not to do it in future, but have to look at this point in time, and what is most important now in comparison to other things.
Adrienne – still scared.
Elani – even though we’re still in support of program, this is not SGA’s baby. Can find other things that touch whole campus that don’t have same financial circumstances.
Thaddeus – it’s easy to go online and find article. Not guaranteed to be funding later.
Alex – students talked to now like it, but don’t LOVE it. Will read the paper because it’s there, but aren’t obsessed with the program.
Elani – how can we quell idea that SGA discontinued program because didn’t want to pay for it.
Thaddeus – no “brought to you by SGA” on papers now. People might assume, but probably wouldn’t come to that. They included 11,900 in their figure, when it’s really more like 8,000.
Elani – anyone still in support of funding this program?
Jen K. – they are still asking other people (RSA, GSA, etc)
Avi – too many uncertainties as of right now.
Thaddeus – is this something we absolutely want on our campus? This will take lots of SGA’s time. Are we willing to commit money for next year? We can’t get a student fee to cover this for next year, so would have to come out of SGA’s pot (at least partially). Can we negotiate a fee increase?
Elani – can we go to different papers, or a different program?
Steve – I don’t think there’s another program like this. The only reason that USA Today’s are here.
Carrie – had meeting with Dr. Fey Thursday. He said that he had funding from “departments” lined up. Will ask again on Thursday. Told him he needed to meet with Senate and House.
Brittany – have companies contacted schools or is there a way we can contact school to see how they are paying to guarantee?
Steve – reps said if we wanted to contact other schools, we could do that.
Brittany – were they faced with same situation?
Thaddeus – 14 of top 20 programs funded by student fee. Goal would be to get financial commitments from departments, but can’t guarantee that.
Steve – need more input from Dr. Fey. Will email Dr. Fey if he will come to next meeting to talk about the program.
Adrienne – point Alex brought up should be kept in mind. Need to recognize that we need to commit to program at some point, and disconnect issue from Dr. Fey.
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Projects
Try to meet with respective project groups.
Some kind of timeline, within next 2 weeks, send to Brady
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Executive Reports
Carrie –
• Thank you to everyone that helped out with displaced Walker students; half or more are back in rooms now.
• Let’s get going on our projects and stuff and try to make progress in next 2 weeks. Hope is to not start anything new to try to finish up some old stuff.
• If there is an issue you’d like me to bring up, I meet with Dr. Fey once a week.
• Brady and I are working to revamp leadership awards. Student Life creating own. If you have ideas, please contact me.
Tabassum –
• Slacking so far as VP.
• Just kidding. Congrats.
James –
• Considering rounding off student fee to $100 – referendum proposing several different amounts.
• Can’t stress what we’d do with that extra money unless we have proposed use for it.
• Had meeting with Dr. Fey today too. Athletics came up. Apparently, we can pass legislation to increase money that goes to club sports. (Club sports hasn’t had increase in 6 years) David – probably good to look further into what exactly he meant by this.
Gabe –
• 13 students signed up for study ad right now
• ad on spotlight in my umbc
• 10 students in bio; other 3 in different classes
David –
• OSL and off campus student services looking into extending hours in study space
• 9:30-10pm
Nayana –
• stepped down as FYC President
• meetings starting up again
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Paintball club has meeting Friday in student orgs space, free hour.
Formal dance
Steve, Mike, Danielle and Terrance not here.
7:15 meeting adjourned.