Minutes for September 15th 

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Opening  & Reports

(No statements are direct quotes unless specified by quotation marks.)

President Holmes called the meeting to order at 5:02 p.m. by the Senate Clock.

Roll call 

Guests:

• Katie Flock

• Laura Zeiher

• Emilie Mihal - Prognosticator

• Syed Bokhari 

• Jean Hollaar - University Planning and Budget Officer

• Kayla George - University Planning and Budget Intern

• Peter Strohmeier - MSUSA

• Tami Ludden - Snarr Hall Rep.

• Nicole Nagel - Advocate

• Erin Dodds

Proxies: 

• Brittany Fossey - Justin Lien (1/2)

• Laura Zeiher - Amy Peeters

• Katie Flock - Vanessa Deutz

• Erin Dodds - Mike Obach (1/4)

Approval of the Agenda   

• Unanimous Approval 

Approval of the Minutes  

• Minutes from 9-8-05 tabled until next week.

Public Hearing

Jean Hollaar (University Budget and Planning Officer)

• Handed out the MSU Moorhead FY 2006 Budget Planning sheet (On file in the Senate Office)

Peter Strohmeier (MSUSA Campus Organizer)

• September 20th is National Call in Day against HR 609 which would cut funding from Financial Aid.

• There will be training after the meeting

• September 28th is Textbook Action Day.  Talk to Chair Wilson-Mattson and Chair Schmit about this.  

• There will be a Board of Directors meeting for MSUSA at Moorhead this weekend.

Mihal

• Last year I talked to Alfonso and he said student fees can't be used as scholarships due to MnSCU policy.  

• I think it would be better to give the executive members their money as salary or a stipend at the end of the semester instead of as a tuition waiver.  There have been incidents where executive members received their funds and then did not serve the entirety of their terms.  

• There is a girl having problems getting credits for her Math class in the New Center.

• There is a Construction Management student having problems with a professor and the professor was talking negatively about that student in my class.

Braddock

• Subs and Sweets sells expired food.  

• I apparently just ate some!

Trenbeath

• Paralegal student took all paralegal classes somewhere else and she now has to re-take all of those classes that she already took at the other college.  I took a class there and it did transfer.

Schmit

• I told a professor that my group would stop by before class.  We knocked on the door and could hear her in there but she never answered the door.  

Ascheman

• I talked to some military veterans who contacted MSUM and were told MSUM generally accepts all military credits.  However, I have met only a few veterans who have had 1 or 2 credits accepted, everyone else has had none accepted.

Chaudry

• In order to have credits transferred you need to bring in a course guideline for every class and they will look it over and accept the credits if they feel it is parallel to courses offered at MSUM.  

Randhawa

• How can we enforce having a Senator on the Parking Committee?

Czapieweska

• The parking lot gives me 'parking lot rage' every morning.

Mihal

• Hagen Hall can only be entered through the Science Lab (safely). But on Monday the science lab doors were closed.

Reports

Advisor Wiese

• No Report Today

Justin Schwegel (Treasurer)

• Report

James Cailao (Vice President)

• Cabinet directly after meeting tonight

• Attended SABC

• Chaired SOAC

• MSUSA this weekend/ read MSUSA website for Federal and State Legislative agenda.

• Still administering the ARS, if you need to take it, and you haven’t taken it, I will find you.

• Thank you for sending in your schedules and thank you COC for arranging committee meetings, make-up, and times

• Received office hours that Grace left for me to review

• If I’m not in the Senate office check out CMU 225 or 229

Billy Holmes (President)

• I continue to see great work within Senate.  Each of you is a rock star in your own rite.  Though several of you are new to Senate, it's tough to tell.  Not only are you doing great work but you're having fun doing it.  Keep up the great work!

• Several people expressed interest in serving as the Marketing Committee Chair.  I inquired VP Cailao and Treasurer Schwegel as well as other Senate members.  The decision between candidates for positions is always tough, especially when I know each candidate more personally than a student off the mall applying for Senate.

  • MSUSA Campus Rep. Schmit is a marketing major

  • Many of the duties of this position are similar to the duties required of the Campus Rep. position.

  • Continuous development of a marketing plan which targets students about senate and MSUSA to garner participation and awareness.

  • There are some projects in the planning that will require mass organized research and rallying of the students.

  • In my overall vision, the talents possessed by each committee member make an excellent combination that will contribute to the success of the Marketing Committee.

  • Congratulations Chair Schmit, though as a downside this requires another report of you each week.

• Committee chairs: There are several projects on your tables.  Make sure that timely and thoroughly researched motions are brought before this body.

  • Though we are early in the semester, there is research that needs to be taking place now, completed soon, so discussions can take place and decisions can be made before the end of the semester.  I don't suggest hasty activity but I also don't suggest taking time for granted.  Deadlines have a way of creeping up quickly.

  • Set timelines for your committees and include that type of information in your reports.  This gives Senate a sense of committee progression by showing direction toward goals and also facilitates transparency.

• There is one appointment this evening and two or more next week.  I will post those applications after the meeting adjourns.  Be sure to ask questions that are pertinent to the position.  It is my goal to have a full Senate by the end of the month.  

  • I am still looking for people to fill the Dahl/Ballard seat and also the Neumaier and Snarr seats.  Please keep recruiting students from those areas.

• MSUSA conference this weekend!

  • It's always a great opportunity to host our peers from the other universities and showcase the many great aspects of MSUM including administration and alum.

  • Cliff Schuette, MSUM Director of Career Services will give some leadership training Saturday morning.

  • Lunch guests:

    President Barden

    Advisor Wiese

    VP Midgarden

    VP Crockett

    Michael Redlinger, MSUM alum, former MSUSA chair, and former university student trustee on the MnSCU board as well as Moorhead's current Asst. City Manager.

  • I encourage you all to attend the conference.  If you can't attend the entire conference stop in when you can.  Many of you will attend at least one of these throughout the year and so would be great to begin networking with some of the students and especially the MSUSA officers and staff.  The conference agendas are posted in the Senate office.

  • MSUM Student Senate is serving up a great BBQ for lunch.  Lunch will only be provided for those on my participants list.  However, if you are around at lunchtime and there are leftovers after everyone from the conference have eaten, help yourselves.

  • We are diplomats of MSUM and the student body.  Please accommodate our guests and show them why I believe our university and student government is a benchmark for all others.

  • I have a gift for each of you.  Tonight after we adjourn I will tape your very own glamorous MSUM lapel pins to the inside of your mailboxes.  I suggest you leave them there to be easily found and wear them when representing the university at MSUSA events and other functions.  These pins were donated by the MSUM Alumni Foundation.  Please sign the thank you note that will be coming around.

• Last week during PGO inside jokes and remarks with humorous intent were noted as an annoyance to some members.  Several members iterated similar expressions to me in the past week.

  • Though Senate meetings should be somewhat lighthearted, I also expect them to be efficient in their primary goal of getting business done for the student body.

  • Excessive chatter and comedic comments which disturbs other members and the proceedings will not be tolerated as lightly as they have been.

  • I feel I've been pretty lax partly because of the new membership though it seems many of the veteran members are, at times, more often in breach of order by making comments not at all germane to Senate business whether those statements are in a report or in a motion.   

  • In addition, allow me to comment on unnecessary parliamentary procedure acrobatics.  I refer to them as acrobatics because they are largely for show, contribute to inefficiency and annoyance of the assembly.  I refer to them as acrobatics because they are largely for show and they've shown traits that this assembly dislikes.

  • Parliamentary procedure should be used to keep order and prevent obstruction of good work and ideas, not the opposite.

  • Please make sure the direction given to the assembly is in good and respectful faith.

  • I will be refereeing these proceedings with stronger order now that we are becoming more familiar with the way Senate does business.

• Other than that I attended the first Student Activity Budget Committee meeting on Tuesday.  Looking at the standing of the reserve account it is very obvious that something has to be done to increase that reserve.  One account that will determine the fate of the reserve is the Drive-A-Dragon program.

  • It is paramount that TFOC finish compiling the data from the previous year, discuss some options to make the program more cost efficient and bring a motion to this assembly very soon.

  • There is immense time sensitivity here as the contract with Doyle's needs to be negotiated for next semester based upon these stats and programmatic parameters.

  • I recommend a motion be brought to the floor issuing a deadline for this data as well as a formal deadline to bring the suggested program changes to the assembly.

• Angela Boser from the Office of Student Activities is the new SABC chair and I believe she will do a great job in this role as it is related expansion to her role as Asst. Director of Leadership and Organizations.

• Keep up the good work!  Remember that I will be lobbying on behalf of MSUM students in D.C. September 24-28.  During that time VP Cailao will be completely in charge ( I know it's scary)!  Make sure if there's anything you need of me that you ask before I leave next Friday night. 

Grace Pugsley (Secretary)

• Hello!

• I went to Harvest Fest last weekend!!! and it was a lot of fun.  I'm sure that the Senate meeting was much more intriguing but I had to miss it.  However, I did have the opportunity to take a picture of the Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth, MN.

• Former Senator Frolek and I went to see the band The Almighty Senators and Frolek came up with the idea for Student Senate to make T-shirts this year that say The Almighty MSUM Senators.  (I think it's a great idea)

• Thank you to Mihal for filling in for me while I was away! YAY!

• I did the minutes from 9-1-05 and some of the minutes from 9-8-05

• Updated the attendance.

• There is a benefit concert in Wisconsin which costs $5 and 2 cans of food, and all of the proceeds are going to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.  

  • I thought since we made a motion to help those people, that we could have a mandatory meeting at the concert!

• Thank you again to Mihal for fixing the minutes set up so that I can start to get those out.

• I am going to be taking Warren's Beverage Management class on Wednesday nights.

• I set up a recycling program in the Senate office.  Please put your plastics/cans in their respective places in the recycling bin!  There is also a place to put recycled paper, please take off the staples/paper clips before throwing paper in the recycling bin!

• For those of you who know me, you will be glad to hear that I am finally starting my cycle of being sick constantly! (Thank you to former President Maier)

• I apologize to Chair Randhawa who did turn his report in last week also!  Thank you!

• I am wearing this beautiful orange vest to inspire all of you to want to do Adopt-A-Highway!

• Quote of the Week.

  • We must overcome the notion that we must be regular.  It robs us of the chance to be extraordinary and leads us to the mediocre. 

  • - Uta Hagen

Emilie Mihal (S.P.A.M.)

• Went to last week's meeting

• Did the minutes 3 hours

• Went over parking with Leigh 1 hour

Campus Affairs (Chair Randhawa)

Attendance

• Randhawa 

• Maurina

• Lien

• Bliss

Guests

• Billy Holmes

• Kemi Oni

• Emilie Mihal

• Complaint last week about handicap door in MacLean/Weld door entrance. - has been taken care of.

• Spoke to facilities/grounds about unkempt flower gardens.  Looking into it deeper.

• A motion to approve the Wellness Center location was discussed.

• Holmes clarified ambiguities and answered questions.

• Questions and review of floor plans of proposed Wellness Center

• Talked about the Library ideas.

• Discussed Committee members for considerations for COC to approve

• Getting together with Todd S. to invite him to the next CA meeting.

• CMU bathroom 'random' smell tests were done, and the problem seems to be resolved. (for the moment)  New information concerning the situation was brought to light, pending further investigation.

• Meeting with Greg Toutges and the Dean of Education/Human Services regarding Lommen ADA federal requirements in entrance/exits and restrooms.  "Justin's Special Project."  Has task force and will be videotaping wheelchair accessibility and how these don't meet federal guidelines.

• CA will be taking on paper towel dispensers for all residence halls.

• Meeting adjourned at 6:08.

Committee on Committees (Chair Obach)

Attendance:

• Obach

• Czapiewska

• Bard

• Braddock

• Report:

Legislative & Internal Affairs (Chair Wilson-Mattson)

Attendance:

• Wilson-Mattson

• Ascheman

• Trenbeath

• We have a new meeting time (Monday's at 9:00 p.m.) and MSUSA Campus Rep. Schmit will be attending the meetings.

• Call-In Day Training will be after the meeting.  Go to the office and after Cabinet the Senate will be broken up into 3 small groups and training will be taught by Peter, Leigh and Dan.

• Chair Wilson-Mattson met with Campus Rep Schmit to be trained 

• Call-In-Day.

  • Send aroudn time sheet - everyone has to sign up!

  • Table is reserved for Tuesday at 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

  • Encourage students to use their cell phone so that the office won't know who is calling.  If they don't have one they can use the Senate phone or the provided cell phones.

  • Printed off a summary of the Bill HR 609

  • Asked President Holmes if we could print off the actual bill as well as the related bill.

  • Will leave a laptop if someone will be responsible for it every hour.

  • The phone number on the table will go to an operator and then you tell him/her which Congressman/woman you would like to talk to 

  • Senator Ascheman will be printing off district maps as well as numbers to their direct office.

  • Will also print off a script for the students and have that on the table as well as the MSUSA information packets.

• Textbook Action Day

  • Table reserved outside of the bookstore in Flora Frick

  • *plan* 

  • Have a table across from the bookstore.

  • Conduct a type of drawing.

  • We will have lists that people sign (by state) Name, signature, hometown, how much they spent on books, and what they could have bought.

  • We are going to ask the bookstore to donate 2 items which will be the prizes.

  • 1st prize - best "what I could have bought"

  • 2nd prize - whomever spent the most money.

  • I am going to write a press release and send a fax to school media outlets as well as in the community.

  • Senator Trenbeath is going to write in the TTN.

• Next meeting we will discuss having caucuses for the mayoral and city commission.

• Mihal and myself have been driving around figuring out where students are parking.  We went on Monday morning and Thursday morning.  Next week we will go in the afternoons.

Marketing (Chair Schmit)

Attendance:

• Schmit

• Peeters

• Chaudry

• Deutz

• Chair Schmit spoke with Senator Chaudry about scheduling a meeting time.

• Chair Schmit attempted to contact Senator Peeters to receive her schedule and is still awaiting that.

Tuition & Fees Oversight (Chair Welle)

Attendance:

• Welle

• Ellefson

• Smolley

• Vrtis

• Discussed logon for university computers

• Discussed Senate Budget

• Worked on Taxi program

• Set new meeting time to Thursdays at 4

• Congratulations to new TFOC member Syed

Cultural Diversity Sub Committee (Chair Oni)

• Report

MSUSA Campus Rep. (Schmit)

• Met with Peter Strohmeier (Campus Organizer from MSUSA) and spoke about up coming National Call in Day.

• Received training for National Call in Day.

• Finished last minute details on MSUSA conference (dinner details, podium with microphone)

MSUSA Cultural Diversity Rep. (Oni)

• Report

Taxi Cab Program (Ellefson)

Election Board (Chair Mihal)

• In consultation with the president, I have chosen these people for the election board

  • James Cailao

  • Justin Schwegel

  • Grace Pugsley

  • Justin Lien

  • Brian Vrtis

  • Jordan Smolley

  • Chris Braddock

  • Landon Ascheman

  • Kemi Oni

  • Amy Peeters

  • Gaib Wimmer

  • Chris Haugen

  • Amanda LaGare

  • Jeremy Chura

  • Lindsey Young

Old Business:

Approval of 9-1-05 minutes

• Welle/Braddock move from the table

Minutes from 9-1-05 pass unanimously

New Business:

Open COC Nominations (Braddock/Obach)

Unanimous approval of all appointments

Student Conduct Committee

Landon Ascheman

Liberal Studies Committee

Grace Pugsley

Parking Committee

Jessica Schultz

Ian Hopkins

Academic Policy Advisory Committee

Dan Schmit

Comstock Union Committee

Dustin Switters

Technology Committee

Kendall Bliss

Close COC Nominations (Braddock/Obach)

Appointment 

• Appointment of Syed Hussain to Business/Industry

• Suspend rules to question candidate (Welle/Obach) - pass

• Move to executive session (Welle/Obach) - pass

• Appointment of Syed Hussain passes (12y/6n/2a)

Motion 06-10 Campus Affairs

Whereas the MSUM Student Center Committee has met over the summer to plan the location and layout of the Student Wellness Center

Whereas Student consultation was paramount in the discussions.

Be it resolved that Student Senate formally support the general layout and location, and support the continued planning of the Hasting and Chuvetta's layout of 12A.

Motion passes with 2 abstentions.  

Motion 06-11 (Ellefson/Braddock)

Whereas it is in the best interest of the Drive-A-Dragon taxi program to conduct an audit for future planning

Whereas information must be compiled from two academic years and is a time consuming act,

Be it resolved that the absolute completion date for the audit be November 1, 2005.

*Be it further resolved that a proposal be brought before this assembly by November 1, 2005.

• Welle/Schwegel - amend* - pass

Motion 06-11 passes with 1 abstention 

Points for the Good of the Order:  

Announcements

Fossey

• MSUSA conference is this weekend, you should all take part.

• On Saturday there will be an unofficial party at my house.

Mihal

• June 1st

Obach

• Saturday morning ROTC is doing a car wash by Walmart.

• There will also be a fiesta Friday night at my place for MSUSA

Schwegel

• Will Obach be wearing a Speedo?

Obach

• I will have on a camouflage Speedo on to both events.

Pugsley

• June 5th

• MNStateSecretary@yahoo.com

Bard

• Chair Wilson-Mattson and myself are doing a dating advice show at KMSC starting in early October.

Wilson-Mattson

• Stay after the meeting for training!

Holmes

• Next Thursday (22nd) wear close toed shoes and warm clothing.  We will be cleaning the ditches after approval of the minutes.  

• If you are absent you will have an unexcused absence. 

Adjournment