Unofficial </I>Minutes of the Undergraduate Student Government Association
Unofficial Minutes of the Undergraduate Student Government Association
for the meeting of
February 6, 1996
I. Meeting called to order at 6:02pm.
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, Shawn Ayube, Tara Carrie, Tanya Corrado, Matthew Defronzo, Matthew Freimuth, Marni Hall, Ed Hallissey, Seth Kintigh, Mickey Lacroix, Jason Mickey, Jeremy Olszewski, Michael Scott, Derek Sickman, Kristen Stagg, Kenneth Volock, Jason Willey, Adam Woodbury.
Absent: Heather Cleary, Sundeep Reddy (late), Jennifer Reese (late, ex), Justin Sprague (late), Tim Tully (ex), Cindy Vollaro (late, ex).
Parliamentarian: Jennifer Yambert
Needed for were fifteen (15), twenty-three (23) were present at the start of the meeting.
III. Approval of the minutes for January 30, 1996
The minutes of were approved without changes.
IV. President's Remarks
President Connelly discussed the upcoming trustees meeting on the sixteenth. She informed the Senate that she would be matching SGA members up with trustees for the luncheon; anyone with specific requests should talk to her soon.
At this time, she also entertained a motion to approve her appointment of Jim Armitage to the Senate. It was moved, seconded, and passed.
V. Committee Reports
Committee on Academic Issues
Chair Hall reported that Senator Mickey presented the results of the Maple survey to the committee at their last meeting and will be working on the write-up for presentation at the next meeting. Also, Senator Lacroix is working with Dean Durgin to obtain class lists for all courses with T.A.'s. He is also working on a survey regarding T.A.'s.
Treasurer Snow had no report.
Committee on Student Life Issues
Chair Freimuth reported that the committee continues to research the locations for a change machine and that he had met with Bernie Brown concerning both the trustee mentor program proposal and the liquor license for Gompei's Place.
Chair Sprague had nothing to report, other that the fact that he was stepping down as chair due to the fact that he is currently campaigning for office.
Policies and Procedures Committee
Chair Olszewski reported that the committee had met and discussed the Rules of Operation Amendment and other possible changes to the Rules for the future. The committee agreed to continue working on the Rules in hopes of making them useful by eliminating some of the rules the senate hasn't been using.
Public Relations Committee
Chair Stagg reported that responsibilities for publicizing elections have been delegated to senators, who should receive flyers to hang up early next week.
Committee on Academic Operations (CAO)
Secretary Plack reported on behalf of Representative Butland that the faculty passed the new biomedical major last week, despite some protests from students, and that the committee had not met this week.
Committee on Academic Policy (CAP)
Representative Sprague had no report.
Committee on Student Advising (CSA)
No report, as the committee did not meet this week.
Educational Development Council
Representative Woodbury had no report.
Representative Plack had no report.
Representative Snow had no report.
Representative Mickey reported that the committee has narrowed the list of nominees to sixteen. The committee meets again Monday, 12 February to narrow the field more.
VI. Old Business
Bill S.18 Social Fee Restructuring Proposal (tabled from the meeting of January 23)
Senator Defronzo moved to pull Bill S.18 from the table; it was seconded, and Defronzo deferred to Treasurer Snow, who withdrew the motion.
Appointment of Christopher Mello (tabled from the meeting of January 30)
The motion to remove the motion to appoint Chris Mello from the table was made and seconded. After a brief discussion, the motion passed.
VII. New Business
Bill S.20 Music Association Special Funding Request
Senator Sprague moved to award funds to the Music Association in the amount of $5000 to support the Glee Club's upcoming tour of Ireland and England and was seconded. After some discussion, during which Treasurer Snow reported that both Appropriations and the Class III OCFC had recommended to fund, the motion passed.
Bill S.21 Actuarial Club Special Funding Request
Senator Freimuth moved to fund the Actuarial Club in the amount of $1396.00 for the purposes of gathering books for a library. It was seconded, and Freimuth opened discussion. The Class I OCFC and the Appropriations Committee had both recommended to fund, but serious concerns were raised over the precedent which would be set by approving this request. Senators suggested other ways of obtaining these books without having SGA money pay for them. Senator Hall moved to refer the issue to the Committee on Academic Issues for two weeks, during which time the committee would investigate these other means and report back to the Senate. After discussion, the motion passed.
Senator Defronzo moved to hear further new business and was seconded.
Bill S.22 Social Fee Referendum Act
Senator Defronzo moved to support the bill and was seconded. (The bill states that a nonbinding referendum be placed on the election ballot regarding a $10 increase in the Undergraduate Social Fee)
After some discussion, the conclusion was reached that such a referendum would be futile, as the result of the vote would not be available in time for the SGA to recommend the increase to the trustees. In light of this, Treasurer Snow moved to amend the motion by striking everything and replacing it with the following:
"The Student Government Association supports a $10.00 increase in the Undergraduate Social Fee and a letter to the trustees on behalf of the student body will be drafted by the Appropriations Committee." The amendment passed, as did the motion.
VIII. Treasurer's Remarks
Treasurer Snow reported that he and Parliamentarian Yambert, Senators Sprague and Lacroix had attended a conference on student government treasury. He will make a more detailed report at a later meeting.
X. Secretary's Remarks
Secretary Plack had no remarks.
XI. Vice-President's Remarks
VP Reidy reported that the cabinet discussed a mentoring program for new senators to assist them in getting adjusted to their roles as senators. Any "old" senators interested in being mentors should talk to her.
XII. President's Remarks
President Connelly entertained a motion to appoint Senator Jennifer Reese to the position of Elections Chair. It was moved, seconded, and approved.
XIII. Announcements
XIV. Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 6:50pm.
Amy L. Plack, SGA Secretary
Agenda for the Meeting of
February 13, 1996
I. Call to Order
II. Roll Call
III. Approval of the Minutes for February 6, 1996
IV. President's Report
V. Committee Reports
VI. Old Business
VII. New Business
VIII. Treasurer's Remarks
IX. Secretary's Remarks
X. Vice-President's Remarks
XI. President's Remarks
XII. Announcements
XIII. Roll Call & Adjournment
Give feedback: newspeak@wpi.wpi.edu
Maintained by: Troy Thompson