Unofficial Minutes of the Undergraduate Student Government Association

I. Meeting called to order at 6:04pm.

II. Roll Call

Executive Board: Cathleen A.. Connelly, President; Kirsty E. Reidy, Vice-President; Amy L. Plack, Secretary; Gregory R. Snow, Treasurer.

Senate: Alfred Andrade, Ryan Betts, Tara Carrie, Harish Chawla, Heather Cleary, Tanya Corrado, Matthew Defronzo, Simba Dutt-Mazumdar, Matthew Freimuth, Marni Hall, Ed Hallissey, Seth Kintigh, Jason Mickey, Jeremy Olszewski, Jennifer Reese, Derek Sickman, Kristen Stagg, Tim Tully, Kenneth Volock, Jason Willey, Adam Woodbury.

Absent: Shawn Ayube (excused), Sundeep Reddy, Harrison Ripps, Michael Scott, Justin Sprague, Cindy Vollaro.

Parliamentarian: Jennifer Yambert

Needed for quorum were sixteen (16), twenty-two (22) were present at the start of the meeting.

III. Approval of the minutes for December 5, 1995

The minutes were approved with no changes.

IV. President's Remarks

President Connelly reminded committee heads to complete and return their reports to her before leaving for the break.

V. Committee Reports

SGA Committees

Committee on Academic Issues (CAI)

Chair Hall reported that the Humanities Department approved the committee's proposal regarding transfer sufficiency credit. Next, the proposal will go before committees and the Faculty. Also, the committee approved a new Maple survey, to be distributed this week with course evaluation forms in the calculus classes.

Committee on Student Life Issues

Chair Dutt-Mazumdar reported that the committee continues to work on several issues and that there would be no meeting this week. (No report was filed with the Secretary)

Committee on Elections

No report, as Chair Sprague was absent.

Committee on Policies and Procedures

No report.

Committee on Appropriations

Treasurer Snow reported that the committee has been looking at special funding requests and that petitions to raise the social fee are due before break.

Institute Committees

Committee on Academic Operations (CAO)

Representative Butland reported that the committee discussed and tabled the social science minor and the physical education course renumberings in order to obtain more information. The committee approved revisions to the distribution requirements for the major in computers with applications and the concentration in medicinal chemistry for chemistry majors. Both of these need to approved by the faculty now.

At the next meeting, the committee will be looking at the tabled proposals as well as the mechanical engineering concentrations, and changes to the chemistry/biochemistry distribution requirements.

Committee on Student Advising (CSA)

Representative Hansen reported that the committee met and discussed the roles, responsibilities and selection of advisors for WPI residential project centers. The committee decided to start fresh with the campus creed, choosing persons who will be around to see its revision through to the end. In C-term, the committee will focus on minors and concentration, advising on WPI's web server, and determining a more effective method by which to effectively evaluate advising here at WPI.

Committee on Academic Policy (CAP)

No report.

Educational Development Council

Representative Dutt-Mazumdar had no report.

Web Committee

Representative Plack reported that the committee met regarding style guidelines for the server. No formal decisions were made, and the committee will meet in C-term to discuss further changes.

Faculty Awards Committee

Representative Mickey had no report.

Provost Search Committee

Representative Snow reported that the committee had narrowed the number of candidates to four. The semi-finalists will begin on-campus interviews in January.

VI. Old Business

There was no old business to discuss.

VII. Special Orders

Kris Neindorf of Residential Services presented her proposal to change the room selection process, doing away with the current lottery system, for next year. A question and answer session followed, and copies of the proposal are available in the SGA Office.

VIII. New Business

There was no new business on the agenda.

Senator Woodbury moved to hear new business, Senator Defronzo seconded, and the motion passed.

Bill S.13 - Committee on Student Life Issues Renaming Act - Senator Dutt-Mazumdar

Senator Dutt-Mazumdar moved to change the name of the Committee on Student Life Issues (CSLI) to the Student Life Issues Committee (SLIC). During the course of discussion, Senator Olszewski noted that all changes to the by-laws and constitution must first pass through the Committee on Policies and Procedures. Chair Connelly called the motion out of order, and sent it to P&P for review.

VIII. Treasurer's Remarks

Treasurer Snow had no remarks.

X. Secretary's Remarks

Secretary Plack had no remarks.

XI. Vice-President's Remarks

Vice President Reidy reported that she submitted a work order to Plant Services to have the air conditioner in the office removed. Anyone with changes to the 1996 Senatorial manual should see VP Reidy before break.

XII. President's Report

President Connelly had no report.

XIII. Announcements

President Connelly again encouraged people to enter the 25th Anniversary of the Plan Paper Competition.

XIV. Adjournment

President Connelly entertained a motion to adjourn. It was moved and seconded. Meeting adjourned at 6:35pm.

-Amy L. Plack, SGA Secretary