Student Senate
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Minutes – April 10th, 2008
Moen – Haugen – Agenda
Moen – Williams – Minutes
Public Hearing
MnSCU Presentation on Diversity / Affirmative Action
We work in four basic areas – first is policy. We work with developing and implementing policy that will enhance the colleges and universities that will help in work and education. They think about the 1B1 policy – non-discrimination in employment and education opportunity – Americans with Disabilities. We also provide consultation on these policies.
This is a way you can have an issue address – race, gender, etc. This is a way to address that. If we address that it's to make sure that the person and nobody is discriminated against and to work out a solution. While it sometimes has the tone of a legal document and is an important policy we try to work out issues in an educational environment. We provide leadership and collaboration in offices and institutions. 1B1 is not a law, it's a policy. The Civil Rights Act is a law as its amended. Minnesota has one of the broadest civil rights laws in the country.
What is the difference between diversity and affirmative action?
Diversity is a right – not about rules and regulations. Affirmative action was issued by President Lyndon Johnson. The best way to understand it is anyone who has a federal contract must take affirmative action to try and get people who were previously excluded in the workforce included in the workforce. It's regulated by the office of Federal contract compliance and the department of labor. You have to develop an affirmative action plan reaching out to the employers, individuals, and the community, which is different from quotas. You are not obliged to help anybody – unless the court has seen discrimination and ordered you to do so. So our affirmative action plan is about reaching out and taking steps. The principle is that if you remove old barriers, over time your work force will look like the group of people you are employing.
The goal of Moorhead is to help the professors look like the pool from which we hire teachers – we want variety and done equal in fair way, and the best person must be hired, and not hired just because of race and gender. Affirmative is to reach out and the best person rises to the top. Over time it will work and your work force will look like the pool it's coming from. The state of Minnesota has a requirement that we reach out to a wide variety of people. You can't deliberately discriminate against people.
Why aren't students included under the affirmative action plan?
You have to be a fulltime regular employee. You have to create a campus climate. Equal opportunity for all Minnesotans. One of the things that I want to say is diversity is different from AA because it's about positive steps and include students. It's about creating a climate where students can work and be prepared to work for an environment.
Seiler
I do a lot more than just affirmative action. If there's a complaint, a discrimination complaint against an employee including a student employee, I would investigate the claim. Becky Boyle Jones, our Judicial Officer would investigate using the same policy but different people. Recruitment and hiring – I can see where it gets really confusing for people. We're so bureaucratic, and I do some things, and not others. We develop these brochures. It's just information for you that we did develop a policy on anti-Semitism, sexual harassment; racism, sexual orientation, and discrimination are the major issues. One of the things you can do, and we do this in our vacancy – diversity can be part of the qualifications you're looking for – we value a diverse student body and university. It should not be a deciding factor – that's why Affirmative Action gets a bad name. Look around F/M – there isn't a lot of minority faculty – we look at the whole nation, and not just F/M, and that's what diversity means.
Norris – If you have a night class on Wednesday, you still have to go on Study Day.
Haugen – The smoking on campus is occurring more and more – I just thought I'd mention it. I don't know if CA is trying to do anything to deal with that situation.
Brungardt – We're trying, but there's not much we can do about it – we're taking the complaints.
Zeiher – Talk to the committee that deals with that.
Reports
Treasurer Morse
Hello all, sorry I cannot be at the meeting tonight; I have initiation tonight for Delta Zeta. This week I met with Chair Camargo about election expenses, and she has some great posters in mind for elections, so please vote for her motion. I also attended SABC this week and met with President Weber. Special assistant Ohren and I are also looking into purchasing pens and certain items that can help promote Student Senate for the coming years. This week I balanced the budget and we have $390.00 tied up in motions and $1096.63 in discretionary funds.
Garman – I have the receipt that she wanted.
Zeiher – Put it on her desk.
Vice President Zeiher
I attended UPBC and Exec this week. Chairs do not forget about your transition manuals. The Student Organization Awards ceremony is Monday at 12:00 pm in CMU room 101, there will be free lunch and awards. As many of you know, next week Collegians for Life will be hosting Genocide Awareness Project (GAR). I have heard talk about some sort of response. I just wanted to remind you to be respectful and think before you act and be an advocate for students.
President Weber
As most of you know I am not here this week as I am attending the Model UN conference. While I am sure it will be hard to go on without me, I have faith in all of your ability to persevere in the face of any challenge that comes your way. So without further ado, I will recount the exciting things I did in my presidential capacity.
This week I attended SABC, UPBC, and Student Tech Fee. I also met with Warren, Dean Adler, and Assistant VP Solinger to discuss graduate student issues. Some interesting ideas came out of that meeting and I would be willing to discuss them at further length next if anyone so desires. I attended strategic planning for MSUSA this weekend, which Vice-Chair elect Jennifer Ohren also attended. If you have any questions regarding that please give me a call or talk to her. I attended the keynote speaker dinner and the luncheon for the Student Academic Conference. At the luncheon I spoke briefly to thank president Barden for all of his hard work on behalf of the conference. I met with election committee to go over our election chairs spectacular plans for advertisements and other get out the vote measures. Though, I am sure you will be hearing plenty about that tonight.
Oh and on a final note, I would just like to express my disappointment that my full report of Wrestlemania did not make its way into the minutes, as I feel generations of future senators will be deprived of this wonderful information as a result of this atrocity.
Secretary Randall
I did the minutes and attendance.
Campus Affairs – Chair Brungardt
I emailed Dan Kirk about summer fees and non-traditional students requesting a place to meet. I emailed Cindy Sogn about a parking ticket issue.
Committee on Committees – Chair Norris
We convened throughout the week and made the appointments list for this week.
Marketing – Interim Chair Williams
Attendance: Chair Williams, Treasurer Morse, Senator Weiss, Senator Garman
Technical difficulties have hindered the former chair from getting the apparel information to me – those have cleared up though, so I expect to have that information soon. Senator Weiss designed our fliers to promote elections. We have a motion in new business to get those printed so we can get those out to our peers.
Legislative and Internal Affairs – Chair Jenson
Box Lunch with Mayor Voxland will be April 29th from 12 pm to 1 pm. Please get the word out to your friends. Registration for the lunch will be in the office by Monday. Just sign your name so we can order your lunch. Constitution will be coming to senate later tonight in the form of a motion as always. Letters to Langseth and Lanning will be written next week.
Tuition Fees and Oversight – Chair Randall
I'm still working on the new bookmark and pamphlet for orientation. We met on Friday to come to a conclusion about MSUSA's budget. We made a recommendation, and if you want to know more, please come see me.
Diversity – Chair Abey
The committee convened on Friday and we discussed how we can improve Diversity Week. We came to an agreement that the carnival should not be dropped and to promote the events more. I met with diversity representatives and assessed how the week went and how we could improve it. I will be adding all notes taken to the diversity chair journal for future references and if you have ideas how to improve event please pass them over to me so that I could add them as well. Apart from that the committee will be writing to the individuals and the donors and thank them for their support.
MSUSA Campus Rep Lovcik
The final conference of the year is coming up! This is taking place April 25-27 in beautiful Winona. We have 14 people signed up to go, that is freaking amazing. I have a motion coming up tonight requesting for some additional funding to make sure all of these people are paid for. Also, I have sent the names in so if you cannot go for some reason you will have to pay for the hotel/meal. I will talk more about this conference and travel arrangements at next week's meeting.
Keep reading and responding to the legislative action updates. If you haven't signed up yet you can do so at msusa.net. I'm trying to get an idea of what to buy for the BBQ. Mitch will send around the lovely list. MSUSA would like us to send out letters to the editor to hometown newspapers in the state. Would anyone by interested in doing this? I will totally help you with it!
Special Projects Assistant Ohren
SABC, continuing research for off-campus housing, researching marketing materials for senate, beginning work on a senate newsletter that will talk about senate and MSUSA. I will be talking with the Advocate about having them placed in the newspaper.
Diversity Representative Ellsworth
I don't have my report on the state yet – I will have that next week. I started working on Diversity Ambassador Banquet, which is going to be on study day night.
Elections – Chair Camargo
Norris – Elections are on Wednesday and Thursday?
Camargo – I haven't figured out when the election is going to open online.
Norris – What specifically do you need help with? I'm worried about helping.
Camargo – Help, but don't promote yourself. Reminding them to vote around the Dragon Stop area to get them to do it quick.
Withanachi – A person filed online to the education seat – he submitted an application but ran into technical difficulties. I am also aware he came and spoke with you – he never filled out the rest of his application and sent something in and was unable to do that because it wouldn't open.
Camargo – He's actually on the ballot. I did talk to him and encouraged him if he didn't see his name just to do a write-in campaign. I did talk to him; the ballot went in on Tuesday.
Withanachi – Is he aware of his application?
Camargo – I'm aware of it.
Elsperger – I talked to him today and he said he didn't know what was going on, so I can help him.
New Business
Senator Griffin is up for removal
Randall – Senator Griffin said, "I am bulletproof."
Norris – Anyone that flippant should be removed.
Virnala – I concur, we have armor-piercing bullets.
Williams – Why?
Zeiher – Eurospring.
Haugen – I concur.
Weiss – I don't know who she is. Did she go to Shanley?
Brungardt – Yes.
Ohren – I'm wondering if she made an effort for proxies.
Zeiher – She didn't make a case, regardless.
Withanachi – What can a person on a leave of absence like this done not to get up for removal?
Zeiher – We had another senator who had a proxy and made a case for himself. He knew he would, but made a case as to why he should remain on senate. If she would have came and talked to me, I would have helped her with points.
Vote – 15Y, 3N - Senator Griffin removed
Motion – Approval of S.O.S. Constitution – Leg/Internal
Norris – I sent it around, we went through it. It has all the required statements. I see no reason not to approve it.
Vote – Motion – Passed Unanimously
Motion – Marketing for Senate Elections – Marketing
Williams – Senator Weiss designed these flyers. We wanted to do our own thing for elections, and cleared it with the elections committee. We can't do enough in promoting elections.
Ohren – So these are for elections and they were discussed with elections committee?
Camargo – She's focusing on more getting out to students, like talking to teachers and stuff, and there are going to be little handouts, and since it is marketing committee I figured they could do something.
Vote – Motion – Passed – 1A
Elections Ads & Voting – Bill – Elections
Camargo – It's kind of crazy to think - $450 is a lot to ask for and for you to see what I'm planning on. I figured out the I Voted stickers – NDSU graphics is going to make them. I'm going to check on Scott's Signs to have it for 3 days. Hopefully that will grab attention. I planned on four flavors of ice cream. Sodexho is extremely expensive, so we're going to Sam's Club for toppings. Hopefully the Advocate does print something next week.
Johannessohn – Where are you serving ice cream?
Camargo – In front of the library.
Vote – Motion – Passed Unanimously
MSUSA Winona – Lovcik, Camargo
Camargo – There were 14 people signed up, so money to help cover for them.
Ohren – Earlier in her report she said if you cancelled she said you would be responsible to pay that back to student senate.
Amendment – "Student does not attend the conference they are responsible for their share." Randall, Norris
Amendment withdrawn
Ohren – First three people that cancelled?
Zeiher – We'll split up the amount – the amendment reads that if you don't attend, you have to pay your portion back. Going strictly by the amendment, that's what it states.
Passed – 1A
Norris – Butrum – CoC Nominations
Norris – Haugen – Close CoC Nominations
Points for the Good of the Order
Wiese – We have a new president beginning July 1st: Dr. Szymanski. It will be well announced so I would encourage you to attend if you have that time slot open.
Ohren – I would highly recommend those that cannot attend the MSUSA conference to find someone to go in your place – they can be any student on our campus because Student Senate is putting forward this money.
Haugen – All You Can Eat Pancakes Feed on Delta Zeta House – 5:00 to 8:00 pm. $5.00. Genocide Awareness Project – Pro-life, Pro-Choice. I was told that this organization was going to be on campus for the project, and if you are on the more liberal side of the issue, it is encouraged that you do not provoke those individuals on campus. They want to document the event and to provoke those who have an opposing voice to them. If you are on campus when it occurs in the campus mall, please try to be as diplomatic as possible. It might be difficult if you don't agree with them, but they want to insult people.
Camargo – People who are running for office this spring, come talk to me if you want to be in the open forum. I don't know if people got that – I need to come up with a schedule. Senators would speak first, then treasurer, VP and President. Discussing your platform and why you want to be on senate.
Announcements
Randall – Johannessohn - Adjourn