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Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

 

  1. Call to Order
  2. Roll Call
    1. Absent: Sen. Saucier; Sen. Hudson; Sen. Zink
    2. Others in attendance: Daniel Green – 1L; Christopher C. Chan – 3L; Alex Laytin – 2L; Zach Lampell – 2L; Chris Sabol – 3L; Lara Nakomovitz – 1L; Dean Andelman; Patty Kim
  3. Accepting or Amending of the Agenda
    1. Honor Code Committee
  4. Accepting or Amending of the Minutes
  5. Dean Andelman: Use of SBA Funds & Dean’s Office Funds
    1. Dean A received resolution about funding for Negotiation team.  She’s here to address what her office takes care of
      1. Dean A: confusion over what moneys she has control over.  Sponsor head of student org and traveling as the head to a leadership conference of national organization.  Try to foster development of leadership skills for student leaders – not for personal networking – for benefit of student body.  That is the sole thing she does with giving money to student orgs.  Over the past year, sometimes students come in seeking information about team funding – that’s on the academic end, and she doesn’t deal with that issue.  There are a lot of student orgs and the school has funded a moot court competition and a mock trial team.  Ideal would be well-organized competitions, representing the school, etc.  They can’t fund limitless opportunities – have to limit it to make sure school can staff.  Those are run by Professor Leatherbury.  Dean Simpson has asked Leatherbury to think about these issues.  This is a student resource issue and finding good coaches, in addition to drawing a line as to who and how many to fund.  She did not send people to SBA to ask for money.
        1. Tsai: What is the role of SBA in funding this?  It’s your money – can’t say.  Just warning that there’s a lot of competitions out there.  Have to decide what to do with limited dollars.  SBA has never had any role in this at all until this year. 
  6. Officers Reports
    1. President’s Report
      1. Bagel Breakfast – none next week because short week
      2. Flowers – series of events of sending out flowers – death, birth, csu player hurt
      3. Updates on Bar Reps
        1. See handout/summary sheet
    2. Vice-President’s Report
      1. Committee Meetings Sign Up
        1. Meeting with every committee chair.  All chairs, please meet with committee members after this meeting and come up with a time to meet with Holmes. 
    3. Secretary’s Report
      1. Blackboard discussion groups
      2. Change of Meeting Date – Thursday, Nov. 30 at noon
    4. Treasurer’s Report
      1. Updated Budget Status
      2. Funding Requests
        1. Phi Alpha Delta – Initial Funding Grant
          1. Introduction to tell us who they are
          2. Daniel Green – international law frat – had a chapter 10 years ago, bringing it back now.  Planning a community service event – clothing drive.  Getting started now, need to get things in order to get started.  Promoting professional bonds, etc.
            1. Sen. Schmitt: how different from others?  Others here are regional, this is international and big across the US
            2. Sen. Illar: is this a private org/open to everyone? App process but open to anyone to apply.  No one gets turned away.  Once a member there’s an academic standard, but that’s it.  Membership dues?  Yes, most go to funding intl. part of org for good standing.  Not going to charge next year to get members, but will in the future.  Paid out of pocket for 2 events already.  1 time due
            3. Holmes: membership – 25 so far.
        2. SILS, LS4C – Festivus Funding Request
          1. Requesting additional $615 for Festivus
            1. Alex Laytin: Last year given 5-600 and 400 from other orgs – SILS asked for another 400 to cover all expenses.  Last year was a great turnout – 120 pple and this year expect a lot more.  Need more than the 1400 from last year to accommodate the increase.
            2. Chris Sabol: Festivus – spent around 1500.  ask student orgs to have members make dishes – pot luck event at mad greek.  Open bar, but limited.  Non-denominational holiday party – open to significant others.  Professors are coming too.
            3. Sen. Tsai: go over funding request – itemized. 
            4. Sen. Davidson: did you get larger side room?  No.  Rework where food is located to avoid bottleneck.  Other groups that gave last year, giving this year?  Festivus fund set up this year – 1,000
            5. Sen. Malbasa: so this is separate from remaining funds allocations?  Taking from general fund.  Why not taking money out of their orgs budgets?  That money is for other events for the year.
            6. Move to spend money – 615. 
            7. Sen. Logue – keep in mind how many pple it’s benefiting
            8. Sen. Malbasa – some objection to allocating $ and none been spent yet – vote for it
            9. Sen. Davidson – if 500 earmarked for festius?  Festivus fund takes money from orgs
            10. Sen. Schmitt – we need to look into budgeting like fall ball
            11. Secretary Aldes – although I support this, we need to keep in mind that our general fund is dwindling and we still have most of the year left
            12. Sen. Tsai – set up collection plate – donated to charity
            13. Sen. Conard – how much has general fund dwindled?
            14. Vote: unanimously passes
        3. SBA for Student Org. Office Supplies
          1. $300 to restock supply cabinets for student orgs.  We stock it instead of making each org get their own.
          2. Passes unanimously
      3. SBA Webpage Update
    5. Senate Counsel’s Report
  7. Committee Reports
    1. Appointments Committee
    2. Alumni Committee
      1. Exec attending the annual alum board meeting this Friday – bringing our ideas and sell clothes
    3. LRAP Committee
      1. 1-3L rep – Senate Counsel Kringel, Rose Osbourne, Michelle Mcateer - new 1L
    4. Community Service Committee: Sen. Schmitt
      1. Botanical gardens last Friday went really well
      2. Last one for the fall is this Friday at red cross – limit of 8 people
      3. Food drive winding up, cart is almost full.  Need a truck to get the food delivered.
      4. Toy drive after thanksgiving.  We need to do a better job of organizing these events – too many events at once.  Big Bros needs toys by Dec. 1 – wrapped & new (Patty Kim)
    5. Financial Aid Committee: Sen. Tsai
      1. Met last week – outlined what to do for the rest of the term.  Check blackboard for discussion of separate issues.  Main: refund check timing, possible tuition freeze, choice in different lenders, customer service issues.  Want to formulate a policy.  Possibility of subpoenaing Tanya Phillips and have a hearing.  Find a strategy that will matter.  Hosted bagel breakfast – went well.
      2. President Choy: look into people who want to look into negotiation competitions
    6. Student Life Committee: Sen. Davidson
      1. No more bar reviews for semester
      2. Friday – dance off at blind pig
    7. Honor Code Committee
      1. Student reps on faculty committees – chaired by Professor McMunigal
      2. Looking at adopting the Stetson University law school’s code – using as template.  Residual provisions, etc.
      3. How much can admin reach into student’s lives for punishment
  8. Subcommittee Reports
  9. Old Business
  10. New Business
    1. Sen. Nardulli
      1. Resolution regarding a new smoking policy
      2. SBA asked by administration to formulate a student-led policy decision regarding what to do with smokers.  Complaints about pple walking through the smoke – moved to E blvd – but not entering the building – A58.  no binding effect.  Since passage of issue 5, cleans up issue a lot for us.  Now by law, the school can’t keep smokers in either area once it takes effect.  This incorporates the upcoming statutory text – solution to put them on E blvd side by bench near walkway as a temp solution.
        1. Secretary Aldes: why don’t we just propose that we ask the administration to decide what remedy to take.  We, as SBA, shouldn’t say that smokers aren’t allowed to stand by the building.  Although I don’t like smoke, where are they supposed to go?  Nardulli: Taken in conjunction with Alice Hunt – solution we felt was the most feasible.  Wanted to resolve this before finals because students expressed concerns.  Gotten a lot of comments about. 
        2. Sen. Tsai: language? Lines 6-9 - language from 3-8 is from proposed issue 5.
        3. Sen. Pottker-Fishel: admin suggested that we pass this?  They wanted a student led decision/suggestion.
        4. Sen. Kuhn – Finals time is when most smokers come out to relieve stress?  What is a actual number of complaints
          1. Sen. Nardulli – Alice Hunt receives the actual number of complaints, Nardulli does not.  It is a significant amount from what Alice says.
        5. Sen. Saykiewitz – Why is this actually being discussed if the law is going into effect and the University has to address it anyways?
          1. Sen. Nardulli – Administration asked us to propose a solution on behalf of the student body.  This will be part of the solution offered to the administration after it becomes law anyways.  We are taking steps to address the concerns of students before finals.  Students will be studying and want a resolution as soon as possible.
        6. Christopher C. Chan – Spoke to administration after talking with his classmates and professors.  Admin Law taught by Prof. LaCroix has two classes in A58 and environmental law both have smoke fumes which has caused problems for her and her students.  Smell permeates throughout ALL classrooms and rooms on the ground floor including Alice Hunt’s office.  It is not a localized issue, many students have commented on the problem, especially in those two classes.
        7. Sen. Schaeffer – Who is going to enforce the issues?
          1. Nardulli  - That is something that we do not address.
        8. Sen. Paeffken – Administration is pawning off a bad decision on the Student Bar Association to make.  We shouldn’t make this decision for them.

(Time Constraints Shorten Discussion)

        1. Sen. Tsai – Motion to vote on the issue.
        2. Sen. Malbasa – Motion to amend the Resolution before voting
        3. Put in line “Whereas Dean A. asked the SBA to address the issue as the voice of the students”
        4. Put in line “Whereas the school and administration will enforce the issue that they are asking the SBA to make.”
        5. President Choy – Motion to Vote on Amendment
        6. Senate Counsel Kringle – No time time class room is coming in, “move to postpone discussion and voting until next meeting / Possible emergency meeting prior to the 30th” (Passes)
  1. Cheers and Jeers
    1. Sen. Malbalsa – Cheer to Sapna for reversing her Shirt without the BU Logo showing in support of OSU team, Jeers to Shticks on Principal (If Shticks would serve regular sandwiches without pita bread, Sen Malbasa will stop his Jeers to Shticks on prinicipal)
    2. Sen. Illar – Cheers to APALSA Sushi Night and Student Faculty Reception both were very well run and a lot of fun.
    3. VP Holmes – Cheers for the SBA Bowling Event to all that showed up and had a good time.  Cheers to all U.S. Marines and a happy celebration for their 231 birthday.  Cheers to Nardulli and Tsai for working on the Smoking Resolution with such little advanced notice.
    4. Sen. Schmitt – Cheers to OSU Football
    5. Sen. Davidson – Cheers to James Zink and the Sports Committee for a fun Flag Football Tournament against CSU
    6. Treasurer Chan – Cheers to all the people who participated in the Flag Football tournament and raised money for a good cause.  Cheers to the Refs (Zink, Gupta, Stupp, Aldes, & Chan) for being placed in a tough situation on a cold and wet Saturday afternoon.  Jeers to the Case players who lacked common decency and respect for others while playing in a charity event. 

Senator Saucier came in at the end of the meeting (12:55)

    • Adjournment