STUDENT ASSOCIATION SENATE Of NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY 5:00 p.m. Sunday, 27 th March 2016 Clara Sperling Skyroom Holmes Student Center

Transcription

1 STUDENT ASSOCIATION SENATE Of NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY 5:00 p.m. Sunday, 27 th March 2016 Clara Sperling Skyroom Holmes Student Center I. Call to Order and Roll Call II. Pledge of Allegiance III. Approval of Minutes [[Minutes distributed electronically to members] IV. Approval of Agenda V. Speaker s Report VI. Executive Branch Report(s) VII. Cabinet Report VIII. Committee Reports IX. Old Business A. SAR A resolution to amend the Constitution- Living Constitution. X. New Business A. SAB A bill to approve Rehabilitation Counseling Student Association. B. SAR A resolution to take nominations for Speaker elections. C. SAR A resolution to approve senator at large- Dylan Angelo Tosti. D. SAR A resolution to support Divestment from fossil fuel holdings. E. SAB A bill to approve Supplemental Funding. XI. Public Comments XII. Announcements XIII. Adjournment

2 Minutes of the STUDENT ASSOCIATION SENATE OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY 6 March 2016 CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The meeting was called to order by Speaker Domke at 5:03 PM in the Sky Room of the Holmes Student Center. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Speaker Domke asks Senator Lewis to lead in the Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Speaker Domke motioned to approve previous meeting s minutes. Seconded i. Minutes Approved APPROVAL OF AGENDA A. Speaker Domke makes an amendment to add SAR A resolution supporting Illinois House Bill HB2990 as New Business item D in the Agenda. B. Speaker Domke motioned to move items A, B and D from New Business to Old Business. Seconded. i. Agenda approved SPEAKER REPORT A. Speaker Domke reminds all to submit the senator absence request forms if they were absent for any meeting. B. Speaker Domke notifies that the Senate pictures will be taken on April 3 rd at 5.45pm in the Sky Room and requests all to dress professionally. He also informs that the new Speaker will be elected that night. He then reminds all that the next meeting will be on March 27 th. C. Speaker Domke informs that the Illinois State House of Representatives passed a bill (2990) which will fund higher education and tells how important the bill is for students.

3 D. Speaker Domke notifies all about the lobby event that will take place in April to speak on behalf of the legislation passed by the Illinois State House of Representatives. E. Speaker Domke informs that they need some members to serve on the program prioritization Adhoc committee. EXECUTIVE REPORTS A. Nathan Lupstein- Director of SA is recognized. B. Nathan Lupstein appreciates Kevin Gordon s work for handling a high number of candidates for the elections. He also requests all to promote the SA elections. C. Nathan Lupstein talks about James Zanayed and his experiences. CABINET REPORTS A. Marvin Harris- Director of Organizational Development is recognized. B. Marvin Harris informs that the org networking session had a pretty good turnout. He also informs that they had a follow up meeting the past week to discuss about the goals accomplished till date. C. Marvin Harris informs that he has been focusing on huskie link and working with the transitions. He also informs that he has been meeting with different organizations to talk about the huskie link and is planning to embed huskie link on social media. D. Marvin Harris informs that he is working with a couple of new orgs and their ideas. E. Marvin Harris also tells that he has been working with the Assistant Director of Gender and Sexuality Resource Center Carrie Williams to conduct Men s Advisory Meeting. F. Marvin Harris informs that he has been working on transition materials for the next Director. G. Deputy-Speaker Kreml: On an average, how many orgs did you and Reginald help? H. It was high around September and it gradually decreased by the end of October and November. But now it has picked up since many new orgs are coming up with ideas. I. Deputy-Speaker Kreml: How did you go about marketing the student org expo? J. We sent mass s. I am still thinking of different ways to get it done for the next semester. K. Speaker Domke: How are you going to ensure that the orgs get before the senate and why do you think the number of orgs approved this year is less when compared to previous years. L. With huskie links, things have been a little more difficult. We drafted a tip sheet for the orgs and there are some documents that still has to be uploaded to the huskie link that will help the orgs to prepare themselves before coming up here. I have been sending up s to know the status of the orgs. And also I now have access to see what is being posted on huskie link. M. Senator Brandner: Can you a copy of the tip sheet? N. Ok. O. Kiran Gill- Director of Governmental Affairs is recognized. P. Kiran Gill informs that they had about 10 voter registration drives across campus and registered over 140 students. She notifies that the drives helped in informing people not only about the

4 presidential primary but also the absentee ballot. She also informs that they have been working on getting the vote out when it comes to elections in general. She says that they have been sending information to the master calendar and hopes to get information through NIU Announcements as well. Q. Kiran Gill informs that she along with the Director of Community Affairs will be having a meeting with the city manager and the mayor to develop more consistent roles for us as the SA to have with the community of DeKalb. R. Senator Martin: Do you have a voter drive for this semester? S. Yes. Right now you can have a voter drive because you cannot register people online. T. Senator Brandner: How much do you know about grace period voting? U. It will be a part of the information that I will be sending to organizations. We are trying to figure out the uniqueness of grace period registration depending on the county. The way that I organized the s and other things will help in eliminating that confusion. V. Alyssa Dunbar- Director of Advertising is recognized. W. Alyssa Dunbar encourages all to stay in touch with their respective districts and distributes a list of businesses within each district. She also requests all to update the current list to get as many sales as possible. X. Alyssa Dunbar informs that with the approval of Greg Lezon, they have stared implementing a new advertising discount for university associates which will help various offices and student organizations. Y. Alyssa Dunbar informs that she have been advertising the events through huskie link giving student organizations more chances to advertise for their events. Z. Alyssa Dunbar informs that the total for ad sales are currently standing at $8,335. AA. Alyssa Dunbar informs that she has been working on her transition materials for the next director coming in and also prioritizing some of her clients. She also informs that she have been working on scanning all the documents to make her office eco-friendly. BB. Senator Holt: In regards to businesses, would you consider advertising to religious establishments? CC. Absolutely. I have already done advertising through some churches. I am more than willing to reach out to other religious institutions if you can give me their contact information. COMMITTEE REPORTS A. Speaker Domke: The Rules and Procedures approved a review of the executive staff and will be conducting that in the near future. We had a small increase in board of elections in regards to candidates that came in. OLD BUSINESS A. Motion to hear SAR A resolution to amend the Constitution- Qualifications.

5 B. Motion to vote SAR A resolution to amend the Constitution- Qualifications. C. Motion passes. D. Motion to hear SAB A bill to approve funding levels for Sub-Committees. E. Speaker Domke talks about the bill. F. Senator Holt: Is it possible for the amount to go up if we get funding from the state. G. It is not dependent on state allocation. It depends on tuition paid by students. H. Deputy-Speaker Kreml: How much of the percentage we actually use for the security fund. I. I don t have any correspondence from Marc stating how much we have used nor do I know what we have used. J. Deputy-Speaker Kreml: The money is not utilized and it can be used for other sub-committee. If you can allocate some of it to other organizations, it would be nice. K. President Lupstein: There is a committee that needs security fee waiver regularly. It is utilized very often. We need to make sure it lasts for the whole year because it is requested so frequently. L. Speaker Domke: We had around 5 groups who came in and asked for it. M. Deputy-Speaker Kreml: I just wanted to make sure that the funds are being utilized and not frozen in a place that we cannot access them. N. Speaker Domke: We do have a rollover of funds so that they can be used next year. The student association is very responsible with the money we are given and the money we look after and we can actually increase what we are giving out to student organizations to fulfil their mission and fulfil the mission of the university. O. Senator Martin: In what situation will the $1.5 million break down? P. Speaker Domke: These are just projections at the moment. We have to see how many students we get enrolled and how the population of student body shapes up the next semester. The projections for student enrollment for next semester have been taken into account for these projections as well. The drastic decrease in student enrollment would be one of the few ways to change the number. Q. Motion to vote SAB A bill to approve funding levels for Sub-Committees. R. Motion passes. S. Motion to hear SAR A resolution to approve senators at large- Sankeerth Koppuravuri. T. Senator Palepu: Unfortunately he is sick and could not come. U. Motion to postpone SAR47036 until our next meeting. V. Senator Koss makes a motion to table this in case he doesn t come next week. W. Speaker Domke tells about tabling and how it works. X. Deputy-Speaker Kreml: How does that work with the queue? Y. Speaker Domke explains the process of how the queue system works. Z. Senator Martin: If they were kept aside and come to the meeting, they will be placed in the queue again? AA. Speaker Domke: Yes as they will have the first spot in the queue. BB. Senator Brandner clarifies the concept of tabling and how changes will be made in the agenda. CC. Motion to table SAR A resolution to approve senators at large- Sankeerth Koppuravuri.

6 DD. Seconded. EE. Motion to hear SAB A bill to approve Program Prioritization selection Ad-hoc Committee. FF. Speaker Domke talks about the bill and provides some information regarding the process. GG. Motion to vote SAB A bill to approve Program Prioritization selection Ad-hoc Committee. HH. Motion passes. II. Motion to hear SAR A resolution to approve James Zanayed- Trustee. JJ. James Zanayed gives a brief description about himself and his accomplishments. KK. Senator Martin: How will you work as a student trustee even when you are not present at a meeting? LL. I know that the main meetings of the trustees are only once a month. I spoke to the former trustee Raquel Chavez and she told me that she served on every committee. I believe I will be on all the committees and I want to get involved as much as I can. MM. Deputy-Speaker Kreml: What does being a trustee mean to you? NN. My first thought is to be able to serve on the Board of Trustees of NIU. It is an absolute honor to be considered for the position and it means my ability to represent students at the highest level. I can make decisions that will effect students directly. OO. Deputy-Speaker Kreml: How active of a trustee would you be if you got confirmed today? PP. I will be as active as possible and I understand the procedures of both the senate and the executive side. QQ. Senator Lewis: Do you have trust, confidence and faith in your abilities to succeed as trustee and will you succeed in representing the voice of students and their feelings? RR. I think I have all three of those and I am absolutely confident in representing the students. SS. Discussion on James Zanayed. TT. Deputy-Speaker Kreml: I am slightly concerned with time management as he being a law student too. But he said clearly that he is capable for this position and according to me he is one of the most perfect candidate for this position. UU. Senator Martin: I agree with Deputy-Speaker Kreml. VV. Senator Holt: He said he had a voice with the trustees already and that he was willing to work with other senators, cabinets and other executive positions. He seems like a very passionate person and definitely has some experience. He is actually dedicated to this position and he will be the best candidate for this position. WW. Motion to vote SAR A resolution to approve James Zanayed- Trustee. XX. Motion passes. YY. Motion to hear SAR A resolution supporting Illinois House Bill HB2990. ZZ. Speaker Domke talks about the resolution. AAA. Senator Martin: I didn t know that we had the credit rating and I found that interesting. BBB. Speaker Domke tells that they were downgraded by Moody s this past week and talks a little more about it. CCC. Senator Holt: Is there any funding for HB2990?

7 DDD. Speaker Domke: They are working on that. Hopefully they can find a way to pass this and fund it. EEE. Motion to vote SAR A resolution supporting Illinois House Bill HB2990. FFF. Motion passes. NEW BUSINESS A. Motion to hear SAR A resolution to amend the Constitution- Living Constitution. B. Senator Brandner speaks about the resolution. C. Speaker Domke marks the resolution as officially read. PUBLIC COMMENTS A. None. ANNOUNCEMENTS A. Senator Holt: In regards to NIU Forensics, our parliamentary debaters won 1 st in state and we won 2 nd for individual events and also got many other awards. B. Senator Brandner: Last week we passed a letter for schools to sign on it and now we have 17 different universities and colleges that have signed it and only 2 haven t. C. Speaker Domke: The huskies hungry free dinner is being helped by Alpha Phi Omega. So please donate to keep this program running. D. Speaker Domke reminds all that the Illinois primaries are coming up on March 15 th. E. Speaker Domke also reminds that Pizza with Pritchard is on Tuesday and wants at least 10 people from the senate. F. Senator Wang: Is it alright if I come in late? G. Speaker Domke: As it is an open conversation, it will be fine if you come in little late. H. Speaker Domke: Spring break is coming up next week. Please be safe. I am leaving the country on Friday and so Robert is the one to whom any questions shall be directed. MINUTES SUBMITTED BY Bari Abdul, Clerk of the Senate 03/24/2016 EXECUTIVE ALLOCATION INFORMATION

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29 Old Business First Reading Agenda Item: A March 6 th, 2016 Author: Senator Timothy D Brandner, Deputy Speaker Robert Kreml Sponsor: E N R O L L E D S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N F o r t y - S e v e n t h S e s s i o n Summary: A resolution to transition the Student Association Constitution into a living document Legislation: Whereas, Article IX, Section 3 of the Constitution of the NIU Student Association currently preserves the document in its original form and requires all amendments to be added to the end of the document; and Whereas, The Constitution was ratified in 1963, a period of time in which the Constitution could only be kept in a physical copy; and Whereas, Physical copies of a document would have to all be re-printed, either by hand or typewriter, thus making it more practical to keep amendments separate from the original document; and Whereas, This method of amendment creates a more complicated and confusing document which, over decades of amendment will become more and more difficult to read or understand; and Whereas, In a modern age with computer word processors and internet a document that is primarily available online can easily have the original text altered and be redistributed without issue; and Whereas, the Student Association Senate created a Historian position in 2015, making consistent preservation of the original text of the Constitution redundant; and Whereas, It would be easier to read, search and interpret the Constitution if it were amended as a living document in which amendments are placed directly into the text, rather than placing amendment at the end; and Whereas, All other governing documents, such as the Student Association Bylaws and the Operations Manuals of the various branches of government, are amended as living documents ; therefore, be it Resolved by the students of Northern Illinois University represented in the Senate, That

30 (1) The Constitution of the Northern Illinois University Student Association be amended by striking Article IX, Section 3; (2) The Vice President of the Student Association in addition to updating the Constitution with the amendment herein within 30 days as instructed by Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution is hereby directed to update the Constitution with all previously ratified amendments in order to make the document in compliance with the amendment herein. This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

31 New Business First Reading Agenda Item: A March 27 th, 2016 Author: Speaker Domke Sponsor: E N R O L L E D S E N A T E B I L L F o r t y - S e v e n t h S e s s i o n Summary: A bill to recognize Student Organizations Legislation: WHEREAS, The Vice-President of the Student Association has granted Sociology Club temporary recognition WHEREAS, The senate has the responsibility of approving student groups for complete recognition THEREFORE, The student of Northern Illinois University represented in this Senate enact: That the Student Association grants permanent recognition to: 1. Rehabilitation Counseling Student Association This act is ordered to take immediate effect. Enclosure: ## Temporary Recognition Forms & Organizations Constitutions

32

33

34

35

36

37 New Business Agenda Item: B FIRST READING Author: Speaker Domke March 27, 2016 Sponsor(s): E N R O L L E D S E N A T E R e s o l u t i o n N o F o r t y - S i x t h S e s s i o n Summary: A resolution to take nominations for the Speaker of the Senate Legislation: WHERAS, According to the Student Association Constitution The Speaker shall be chosen by the Senate and serve a one year term of office. WHEREAS, The end of the current Speaker Domke s one year term is nearing it s end WHEREAS, The Senate must elect a Speaker, only those properly nominated may take place in the Speaker Elections WHEREAS, Members seeking a nomination must be present at the time nominated to accept the nomination give to them. THEREFORE, The students of Northern Illinois University represented in this Senate Nominate as candidate(s) in the upcoming election on Sunday April 3rd for Speaker of the Student Association Senate. No nominations may be put forth after nominations have been officially closed. This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

38 New Business First Reading Agenda Item: C March 27 th, 2016 Author: Speaker Domke Sponsor: E N R O L L E D S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N F o r t y - S e v e n t h S e s s i o n Summary: A resolution to appoint Dylan Tosti to the Student Association Senate Legislation: WHEREAS, Dylan Tosti has met the requirements to be appointed as a member of the Student Association Senate; WHEREAS, the Senate is required to have forty members and there are currently only 39 seats filled. THEREFORE, The students of Northern Illinois University represented in this Senate appoint Dylan Tosti Senator at Large. This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

39

40

41

42

43

44

45 New Business First Reading Agenda Item: D March 27 th, 2016 Author: Evan Bray Sponsor: Speaker Domke E N R O L L E D S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N F o r t y - S e v e n t h S e s s i o n Summary: Legislation: A resolution to divest from fossil fuels WHEREAS, Scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal. We have already raised the global temperature 1 C, and that has caused far more damage than most scientists expected. A third of summer sea ice in the Arctic is gone, the oceans are 30 percent more acidic, and since warm air holds more water vapor than cold, the occurrences of devastating floods and drought are predicted to increase ; and WHEREAS, Carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels surpassed 400 ppm for the first time in recorded history and scientists estimate that humans can pour roughly 565 more gigatons of CO₂into the atmosphere and still have some reasonable hope of staying below 2 C. Even if we stopped increasing CO₂ levels now, the temperature would still rise another 0.8 C above the amount we ve already warmed, which means that we are already three quarters of the way to the 2 C limit; and WHEREAS, Coal, oil, and gas reserves of the fossil-fuel companies, collectively equal about 2,795 gigatons (a unit of explosive force equal to one billion tons of tnt) of CO₂, five times the amount we can release to maintain a 2 C of warming limit. If extracted and utilized, these reserves will only intensify the damage caused by warmer temperatures, creating a multitude of global challenges. The student and faculty of the Northern Illinois University community has expressed the desire to combat climate change, and our Board of Trustees has indicated that our university values Commitment to a public purpose addressing regional, state, national, and global challenges and opportunities. However the Northern Illinois University Foundation currently holds investment with the very fossil-fuel companies that contribute to climate change. The foundation s mission is To energize and connect the private sector with the NIU community to secure and steward resources that support the future and growth of NIU. By investment in

46 fossil-fuels, the foundation is missing its mission by only considering the stewardship of monetary resources, while ignoring the importance of natural resources. Our university has the opportunity to lead the way in Illinois. By divesting from fossil-fuel and reinvesting in other companies, we can influence the industry that has a significant effect on global well-being. Divestment from fossil-fuel companies and reinvestment in globally responsible companies are the actions that will best align with our values as a university and foundation and with our mission to support the future growth and excellence of NIU. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, The Senate recommends action and change on this issue to the Board of Trustees, asking that the issue be brought up before the Trustees at its next scheduled meeting; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Northern Illinois University, immediately stops and instructs asset managers to stop any new investment in fossil fuel companies; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Northern Illinois University ensures none of its directly held or commingled assets include holdings in fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds within 5 years as determined by the Fossil Free Indexes list of 200 public companies based on CO₂ emissions; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Northern Illinois University releases quarterly updates, available to the public, detailing progress made towards full divestment and reinvestment. This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

47 New Business First Reading Agenda Item: E March 27 th, 2016 Author: Speaker Domke Sponsor: E N R O L L E D S E N A T E B I L L F o r t y - S e v e n t h S e s s i o n Summary: A bill to provide supplemental funds for Philippine Student Association Legislation: WHEREAS, it is the duty of the Student Association to appropriate student funds to aid organizations around campus, WHEREAS, NIU Forensics is a recognized Student Organization and has submitted the proper documentation to apply for supplemental funding from the Student Association Senate; WHEREAS, Philippine Student Association is attending the Midwest Filipino American Summit held at the University of Minnesota. WHEREAS, The supplemental funding will go towards the travel costs and hotel. THEREFORE, The student of Northern Illinois University represented in this Senate enact: That the supplemental funds in the amount of $3, are to be allocated to Philippine Student Association to be used for costs and hotel for the Midwest Filipino American Summit held at the University of Minnesota This act is ordered to take immediate effect. *Documents Attached*

48

49