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 (gilmore2@umbc.edu), in advance so you can be added to the agenda.
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Speaker of the senate responsible for creating agenda.
Role of senator. Organize the minutes and makes sure that the senate keeps in touch with all other administrations on campus. Highly available and responsive to e-mails. Makes sure that everybody’s voice is heard and none left unheard.
Nominations for speaker position: Steve and Michael
Michael: reason for running for senate, advocacy, as speaker help anybody in completing goals of the senate. Someone who is reliable and is present at meetings. Share progress and see process move up. Taking 16.5 credits. SGA primary student organizations besides pre-med society and work at visual arts. Past working experiences with Dr. Fey. Legitimate reasons for not being at the meeting are things that can not be planned and be notified in advance if were unable to show up.
Steve: speaker of senate last year. Making sure that everything is fair giving everyone has an opportunity to speak out. Gained experience and knowledge developing vision in the way things should be. Making sure first years students have a good experience their first year. Thinks that experience is a big factor and sacrificing ideas. Working together. Taking 19 credits. Interested in advising a way of helping SGA. Administration on campuses: Elani, Dr Fey, President of SGA last year and other high positioned people of the SGA. Legitimate reasons: letting know in advance. Being accountable.
Results for speaker and assistant speaker position: Steve.
Assistant speaker nominations: Jen and Michael
Ass. Speaker: taking the responsibility of the speaker and being involved with the committee.
Michael: be able to work with Steve and with the other branches of the SGA. Being good at matching up people in doing tasks. Attend committee when someone not able to.
Jen: high school since high school. Involved in other org. that makes it related to this position. Leadership consultant, ambassador recruiting new students and member of the CAB. Assign the role to the SGA person rather than person out of SGA because of making sure they are able to attend these meetings.
Results for ass. speaker position: Michael
Sga constitution guidelines for the SGA. Bylaws are changed through the senate. Expanding the activities board: making motions, not have the right to vote but merely a suggestion. First yr amb recommended. Sending e-mails and attend meetings to retriever weekly etc. retriever weekly need to be at SGA meetings, show disinterest and still complain about SGA not being helpful. Maybe need to give formal invitations. SLO10708… passed, 7 senators voted yes, 0 no, 1 abstain. Additional changes: 4.1 removed from comm. List because almost never used. 4.8 secretary of senate replaced with speaker of the senate. Responsible for minutes. 9.1 if speaker nor ass. speaker does unable ass. speaker need to appoint someone. SLO2-0708 passed. 7-0-1
Last week senators discussed projects and made rough draft how to handle these meeting where projects are discussed. A rough draft with steps that need to be followed. Meeting with consultant on food services. Owen Pruden, UMBC called up on looking for ways to improve food on campus. He argues that we focus more on the food than on customer service. Produce a contract betw Sodexho and us more based on costumer service. Surveys going around, 500 completed it. Semi-confidential state not totally endeavored. Eliminating zoning, using meal until a certain time e.g breakfast until a certain time. Food quality is not bad but not having d capacity to put them all out to be fast enough. Restructuring the way things are done on the days of free-hours. Dining hall redesigned, make it more attractive to students. Strategies to make it better 11-1 to be able to come in more than once, multiple times. Adding televisions making t comfy. Dietary restrictions: kosher, halal kitchen. No restrictions on changing the contract. Maybe see changes as early as spring semester. A university has the power to walk away from the contract. Renewed every year. Look for people to ask opinions on kosher food. Communicating and ask them personally. Owen thinks 15% should go into facilities. Ben: 15% more put into education. Student fees pay for the building. Would changes to the contract cost more? Working towards changing it without making it more expensive. Michael and other members of the SGA check out the responsibilities of the contract. E-mail time if any concerns. Eliminating the exclusivity, being able to bring food in, Sodexho not have monopoly. Use national brand products or places.
Event for sports events. Athletes supporting athlete’s events. Wider variety and more opinionated. Writing board has budget 15 grand. Johnson getting 35 grand for bringing out programs. Writing directors helping out with syllabus planning these programs and grants. RSA block party Sep 28 asking for volunteers. Reports by body instead of sending it thro e-mails individually.