DRAFT MINUTES1
USG Senate Meeting
Thursday, February 13th, 2014
Meeting called to order at 7:30 pm. Meeting held in SAC 302.
Agenda item 1.0: Attendance
The roll was called:
Senator James Alrassi
Present
Senator Gibryon Bhojraj
Present
Senator Nicole Bustamante
Present
Senator Dennis Caruana
Excused Absence
Senator Demoy Dobson
Present
Senator Michael Duffy
Present
Senator Vincent Justiniano
Present
Senator Angelo Lambroschino
Present
Senator Ma Deza Lerasan
Present
Senator Bryan Mathews
Present
Senator Bryan Michel
Present
Senator Betty Monsanto
Present
Senator Jawad Mourabet
Present
Senator James Mutino
Present
Senator Larissa Nysch
Present
Senator Kim Pacia
Present
1
Typically, minutes should only contain the essentials of a meeting. This includes the meeting time and location, a
list of those who attended, as well as a record of all motions made and their outcome. Debate (or a summary of
debate) is usually not included. I include it here at the request of the Chair. Mistakes and omissions are likely, so
Senators are encouraged to e-mail the Secretary with corrections prior to the next Senate meeting, so that the
record reflects what was actually said at the meeting and so corrections can be made efficiently.
Senator Joy Pawirosetiko (PPT)
Present
Senator Melody Pena
Present
Senator Caitlyn Pfeiffer
Present
Senator Cody Pomeroy
Present
Senator Nicole Tavarez
Late (7:35 pm)
Senator Michael Valentino
Late
President Adil Hussain
Present
Executive Vice President Mallory Rothstein
Present
Treasurer Brian McIlvain
Present
VP of Academic Affairs Steven Adelson
Present
VP of Student Life Garry Lachhar
Present
VP of Clubs and Organizations Kerri Mahoney
Present
VP of Communications and Public Relations Mario Ferone
Present
Senior Class Representative Akinbowale
Present
Junior Class Representative Ray
Present
Sophomore Class Representative Cheslak
Present
Freshman Class Representative Rodriguez
Present
A quorum exists.
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Senator Justiniano moved to amend the agenda, by moving item 4.0 to 1.1.
o Motion approved unanimously.
Agenda item 1.1: Transportation Update from Jim O’Connor and Greg Monaco
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We represent parking, transportation, and sustainability at the University.
We think it is extremely vital that you provide feedback about our services.
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We want you to be aware that we exist and you are always welcome to attend our meetings.
The main takeaway we want to leave you with is the transportation fee.
o The transportation fee is the sole provider of income for transportation, paid entirely by
students. We do not get an allotment from the state.
o It costs money to buy fuel, buses, dispatchers, etc.
o This past summer and fall, we worked with your executive board for a potential Friday
night shuttle to Port Jefferson. At the end of the day we priced the service and it would
have required a $4 increase to the fee. Working with your executives and other student
groups, we jointly decided that the cost was too much for the service provided.
o We augment transit service. transportation@stonybrook.edu is the best way to contact
us regarding changes to the bus schedule. If you have suggestions, bring them to our
attention.
o You can use 7-bus instead of the Long Island Rail Road. This has nothing to do with the
transportation fee.
o We continue to increase the number of solar powered bus shelters on campus. We
have long-term aspirations that all of the shelters will be solar powered.
o We are moving forward with additional metered lots and also having places to plug in
electric vehicles.
o Virtual carpool idea is being floated around.
o There will be additional Wolf-Ride bike stations. We are going to have eight stations
and up to sixty bikes in the near future.
o Our transportation fee budget is online. For the most part, students pay $265/year for
transportation. We are the second highest SUNY (Buffalo is the first) in terms of the
cost of the transportation fee.
o We are carrying a large deficit of $1.8 million dollars, and we are recommending a
transportation fee increase in order to reconcile that deficit.
o I have been here since 2006 and many student groups do not support increasing fees.
The most important takeaway you need to know is that you have a direct line of
communication in terms of how we operate.
o We are recommending a 3% increase to the fee.
We have Recycle-mania going on and other sustainability projects.
The advisory group will have three more meetings in the spring semester. Feel free to attend as
your schedule allows.
Senator Justiniano: Is the Sunday route also free for Stony Brook students?
o Yes.
Senator Alrassi: Was there a deficit when you started work in 2006?
o Yes, there was a minimal deficit. We have also grown significantly since then.
o Senator Alrassi: What was the fee at the time?
o It was in the hundred dollar range.
We are attempting to offer more services by partnering with other organizations and
municipalities in order to reduce the cost for students.
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Senator Lambroschino: What can be done regarding traffic on campus?
o Traffic is a challenge. Long-term, we might be able to do it better by having dedicated
bus lanes. I am sure there is a situation out there that we can come to. We are well
aware of the number of vehicles on campus.
I would like to thank you for your time.
Senator Pacia moved to amend the agenda, moving item 18.0 to 3.1.
o Motion approved by a vote of 20-1-0. (Roll Call #1).
Agenda item 2.0: Approval of Last Meeting’s Minutes
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Senator Mourabet moved to amend the minutes, to add “The salary of the current EVP will not
be changed” at the end of his remarks.
o Motion approved unanimously.
Senator Alrassi moved to approve last meeting’s minutes, as amended.
o Motion approved unanimously.
Agenda item 3.0: Announcements
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Chair: Senators and EC members are reminded to submit their reports.
Chair: You need to submit your stipend requests on time.
Agenda item 3.1: Resolution to Condemn the Proposed Increased Fees on Sports Clubs by the Stony
Brook Department of Campus Recreation
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Senator Justiniano moved to grant members of the Sports Council speaking rights.
o Motion approved unanimously.
Treasurer McIlvain presented the resolution.
o Field use costs are increasing, as well as maintenance and other costs.
o We believe that it is unfair that students be charged these fees.
Sports Council representative: As many of you probably know, we have been able to use fields
in the South P lot, in order to use the fields and play for free. Campus Recreations have been
adding numerous fees for use of the fields, costing student athletic groups hundreds and
thousands of dollars. Many of these fees are arbitrary and capricious.
Treasurer McIlvain: We are saying that athletic trainers are not required for all sporting events.
o The site supervisor does not have a defined function and these salaried employees
should not be paid by the student activity fee.
o Additionally, maintenance and water fees should not be paid for by the student activity
fee.
Treasurer McIlvain: Administrative Director Kirnbauer has spoken with the Athletics
Department regarding this matter.
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Administrative Director Kirnbauer: The new South P fields are a new endeavor and we need to
hash out who is responsible for paying what. This resolution is urging that USG and the Athletics
Department come to mutually agreeable terms and compromise on reducing the fees and this
resolution would help move these talks along. It is just a matter of sitting together and deciding
how to divide up responsibilities.
Sports Club representative: We want to be able to show the people we are meeting with that
we have the support of USG and the whole student body in these negotiations.
o We just want to work to make sure that sports clubs can afford to hold home games.
President Hussein: How much money does USG pay to Campus Recreation?
o Treasurer McIlvain: Over $175,000.
o Administrative Director Kirnbauer: Much of that money goes to fitness classes,
intramurals, and off-campus recreational events. None of those funds are budgeted to
the South P lot fields.
Senator Alrassi: I don’t think this resolution is shining a bad light necessarily on Campus Rec, but
that we are showing that this is a serious issue that USG and Campus Rec should mutually
discuss.
Senator Bhojraj moved to adopt the resolution.
o Motion approved by a vote of 21-0-0. (Roll Call #2).
Agenda item 5.0: Executive Order #0012
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Chair: This executive order takes all issues other than speaking order and when I will step down
from the Chair away from me and instead turns the issue into a vote by the Senate, where the
majority will decide the issue.
Agenda item 6.0: SBU Needleworks Request for USG Acknowledgment
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VP Mahoney presented the SBU Needleworks acknowledgment request.
Senator Pena moved to grant all club representatives speaking rights.
o Motion approved unanimously.
Club representative (Jasmine Aleem, President): We want to be a charity-based organization.
We teach our students how to knit, sew, etc., and we want to make products that can be sold
with proceeds going to charity, or where the products can be directly donated.
Senator Justiniano: If they club makes items using a budget that comes from USG funds, can the
items be donated to charity?
o VP Mahoney: The club would have to replace any funds used to purchase raw materials
to make goods. However, USG funds could be used to promote the club, or for other
purposes, and those monies would not have to be returned to USG.
Senator Bhojraj moved to approve the USG Acknowledgement request for SBU Needleworks.
o Motion approved by a vote of 21-0-0. (Roll Call #3).
Agenda item 7.0: Students Helping Honduras Request for USG Acknowledgment
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Senator Alrassi moved to postpone agenda item 7.0 until next meeting.
o Motion approved unanimously.
Agenda item 8.0: Engineers Without Boarders Request for USG Acknowledgment
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Senator Bustamante moved to postpone agenda item 8.0 until next meeting.
o Motion approved unanimously.
Agenda item 9.0: Global Medical Brigades Request for USG Acknowledgement
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Senator Bhojraj moved to postpone agenda item 9.0 until next meeting.
o Motion approved unanimously.
Agenda item 10.0: Model UN Request for Line Budget Status
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VP Mahoney presented the Model UN request for line budget status.
o This club has had two semesters of being acknowledged and two further semesters of a
probationary budget.
VP Mahoney: Have you had any budgetary problems or overspend your budget?
o Senator Bhojraj (speaking as a club representative): We were on SSC last semester.
One of the events did not materialize and the check for that event was lost. The money
was not lost but we had to go to Accounting and the funds were not spent.
Senator Valentino moved to approve the Model UN request for line budget status.
o Motion approved by a vote of 18-0-3. (Roll Call #4).
Agenda item 11.0: Christian Student Services Request for Line Budget Status
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VP Mahoney: This club used to be on line budget status and the club was subsequently sent to
SSC. They have spent two semesters on SSC since then and are now applying for line budget
status again.
Senator Justiniano: The minutes state that the club’s e-board is inexperienced. Would it be
better to keep the club on SSC for another semester?
o Darren (President): I think the club would benefit from access to more funds.
President Hussein: Can you elaborate on what the problem was that shifted the club from line
budget to SSC status?
o Treasurer McIlvain: The club failed to spend its allotted budget at the time, in violation
of the rules, and was moved to SSC status.
Senator Duffy moved to approve the Christian Student Services request for line budget status.
o Motion approved by a vote of 17-1-3. (Roll Call #5).
Agenda item 12.0: International Student Organization SSC Budget
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Senator Pfeiffer moved to postpone agenda item 12.0 until next meeting.
o Motion approved unanimously.
Agenda item 13.0: Organization of Actuarial Students SSC Budget
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VP Mahoney: The club has been acknowledged for more than two semesters.
Wells Tanzer (President): We have been restarted on campus in Fall 2013. This was a club on
campus previously. In fall 2012 – spring 2013, the club was inactive, but I have restarted it since
last fall. I spoke to VP Mahoney regarding a budget. For this spring, there were discussions
regarding getting an SSC budget.
Senator Alrassi: Can you explain what an actuary is?
o Mr. Tanzer: We try to educate our general body members as to what an actuary is. In a
very general sense, an actuary analyzes risk, most commonly associated with insurance,
consulting, 401k planning, etc.
o We plan on bringing professionals to present and talk about the career. Professionals
do not charge fees typically for this, because they like to have outreach with students
and it is a great networking opportunity for students.
o We want to also hold events to help students study for actuarial exams.
Treasurer McIlvain: Can you elaborate on the taxes portion, since we are a tax-exempt
organization?
o Mr. Tanzer: That has been brought to my attention.
Treasurer McIlvain: How will you utilize the practice exams?
o Mr. Tanzer: We can go over questions at a general body meeting, or more likely, we will
take a poll about how many members will be studying for an actuarial exam, and the
most common ones (in probability and financial mathematics), we would have study
groups within the clubs to share these exams and study materials, which would be kept
within the club and be available to current and future students. Our faculty advisers in
the AMS department can take custody of the materials.
Senator Justiniano: Would you be using these practice materials as a part of general body
meeting or an event?
Senator Bhojraj: SSC money has to go to having open on-campus events.
o Mr. Tanzer: We have not held this type of event yet, but we can definitely consider this
in the future.
Senator Pfeiffer moved to approve the Organization of Actuarial Students SSC Budget in the
amount of $337.
o Senator Tavarez: For the study events, are they open to the campus?
 Mr. Tanzer: Certainly, they are open to everyone and all are welcome.
o On the motion to approve: Motion approved by a vote of 20-0-1. (Roll Call #6).
Agenda item 14.0: Pay Rate Adjustment Act of 2014- Presidential Veto Exercised
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Chair: The President vetoed the adjustment act of 2014.
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VP Ferone: This is related to an idea that used to happen. Senate meetings used to be filmed to
prevent discrepancies like this and I think we should film the Senate meetings to prevent this
from happening.
EVP stepped down from Chair. PPT Pawirosetiko in the Chair.
EVP Rothstein: I think this veto is ridiculous. The exact motion of Senator Mourabet, even after
the correction in the minutes, has nothing to with the veto. People say not to take things
personally, but there are definitely things that are personal.
o EVP: I think that all executive council members work 15 hours and should be paid the
same. There might be an argument to paying the Treasurer and VP of Communications
more since they work more, but the President does not work that much. I highly urge
you to consider that.
Senator Justiniano: Why have we not been filming Senate meetings this semester?
o VP Ferone: I think people have been generally uncomfortable with the idea.
Senator Mourabet: What is the motion? What are we doing now?
o Administrative Director Kirnbauer: You can override the veto, keeping the bill exactly
as-is, by a 2/3 majority. If you make any amendments, you would be passing a fresh bill,
which would be handled as a normal bill. You could also do nothing, in which case the
bill will die.
EVP Rothstein: Your decision last week for the Executive Vice President was that the EVP does
not do as much as other people. I think it is wrong to base pay on the hours worked, because if
that is the basis, the VP of Communications would deserve the most money, as well as the
Treasurer, because they work the most.
Senator Alrassi: If we do accept the veto, we need to have something to be in compliance with
state law.
o Administrative Director Kirnbauer: No, the minimum wage increases mandated by state
law will happen regardless of what happens to this bill.
Senator Lambroschino: I think we need to take a look at an evaluation of these positions so the
Senate can make a more informed opinion.
Senator Bhojraj: I want to revisit the point I brought up last meeting. I don’t think the Senate is
qualified to talk about this. Last week, two executive board members motioned that the EVP
should take a cut. Now the EVP is saying that everyone should be paid the same. The Executive
Council should provide a unified budget plan for the Senate’s approval.
Senator Justiniano: It is our job as a Senate to have a basic outline what the EC members’ jobs
are. Secondly, to the EVP’s point, that seems like an interesting route to go and something
worth exploring. That should not be an amendment on the floor. Let’s let the budget
committee or other committees look at the proposal of having all the Executive Council
members paid at the same rate and have that go through a fresh bill.
Administrative Director: The Senate can always send the bill back to the Budget Committee for
further action.
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EVP Rothstein: I did not necessarily say that everyone gets a pay decrease. I am simply saying
that everyone should be paid the same. All of us put in a lot of work. I don’t think the
philosophy of a more senior position should necessitate more pay.
VP Ferone: I would not feel comfortable with increasing our salaries too much, since the funds
come from the Student Activity Fee. The Senate should definitely be doing this, and not the EC.
Senator Bhojraj: To clarify my point, I think the EC should propose budget plans regarding their
pay. With the utmost respect to Senator Justiniano, there are descriptions to all of these jobs
available. If you want to send this back to committee, that’s fine with me.
President Hussein: Let me explain why I vetoed the bill. The Senate needs to step up. You guys
should be weighing in on an important matter. I don’t think the Senate has thought about what
impact this pay raise entails. Just like every piece of legislation we go through, I hope that
Senators are considering all the implications. If you want to take time to read over the
descriptions or asking us what our roles are, that would be a prudent course of action.
VP Lachhar: No matter what the Senate does, I hope you look at the positions and not the
person who is in the position. Arguably, VP Adelson’s position might on paper be smaller than
others but he does more work than most.
Senator Mourabet: The Presidential veto’s issue is the central issue here.
Senator Alrassi: I move to refer the legislation to the legislative review committee for further
consideration.
o VP Mahoney: It is a good idea to refer the matter to committee. I feel that a point was
made that the EC should have come to the Senate with a unified proposal. Clearly,
there are opposing sides within the EC, so that is not possible.
o VP Ferone: Why legislative review since this is a budget committee matter.
o Senator Alrassi: Our committee is made up solely of Senators.
o Administrative Director Kirnbauer: I suggest an ad-hoc committee be made to focus on
this sole issue.
o EVP Rothstein: I don’t think an ad-hoc committee is an appropriate way to handle this.
o President Hussein: I also think that the budget committee is the best avenue to discuss
this legislation.
o Senator Justiniano: This is a budget issue. It makes sense for the budget committee to
deal with it.
o Senator Alrassi: I am not looking to reassess every position from a budgetary
standpoint, but to agree to a legal basis for pay.
o EVP Rothstein: The veto was for PASS Director and EVP, but the President has just
stated that he is not in favor of a pay raise for himself, and yet he is the official who
brought this legislation to the Senate. I would like to return to my point that it is
simplest to pay everyone equally. Every EC member can try to say that their position
does more work than written. That is a waste of time and I think the Senate needs to
step up and speak. This is why the EC rules these meetings. I see that they are all
speaking all the time and dictate the Senate’s actions. I am disappointed that the
Senate seems to be voting in line with exactly what is suggested to it.
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Senator Lambroschino moved to end debate.
 Motion approved by a vote of 15-5-0. (Roll Call #7)
o On the motion to refer the legislation to the legislative review committee, the motion is
approved by a vote of 12-8-0. (Roll Call #8).
Senator Michel moved to extend the meeting time to 10 pm.
o Motion approved unanimously.
PPT Pawirosteiko out of the Chair. EVP Rothstein returns to the Chair.
Agenda item 15.0: Election Laws
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VP Mahoney presented the Election Laws.
o I have made several recommended changes.
Senator Alrassi moved to postpone further consideration until the next Senate meeting.
Anthony LaViscount: How would tabling discussion impact the Elections Timeline?
o VP Ferone: The information sessions are coming up soon, so it might be prudent not to
table this matter.
o VP Mahoney: I think we should amend the parts under consideration on the floor and
pass the bill today.
Senator Bhojraj: What is the purpose of having different petitioning levels and what do you
think is the relevance of that discussion in terms of pay?
o VP Mahoney: I have no idea. I wanted to make the petitioning requirement of the EVP
equal to the other Vice Presidents, considering the recent possible move of making the
pay of all Vice Presidents equal.
President Hussein: If the Senate can outline a process by which elections violations can be
reported to the university, so that action can be taken for any alleged violations of the Student
Conduct Code. That would be great.
Senator Michel moved to end debate.
o Motion approved by a vote of 21-0-0. (Roll Call #9)
o On the motion to postpone: Motion failed by a vote of 7-13-0. (Roll Call #10).
Senator Bhojraj moved to amend the Elections Law, as per VP Mahoney’s suggestions, namely
to make the EVP petition requirements equal to that of the President and Treasurer, as it
appears in Page 23 and 25 in the minutes.
o Amendment ruled friendly and adopted.
Senator Bhojraj: I think the issue of Executive Council pay and petitioning requirements are
inextricably linked.
VP Ferone: I edited this document to make a point that the Senate is not thoroughly reviewing
legislation. I included a change in Page 25 and would recommend that the relevant section is
amended to state that “no candidate should be DENIED to take independent donations…”
Senator Alrassi: The fact that we don’t get our agendas ahead of time is part of this. I am trying
to say that we did not expect this sneakiness.
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Chair: No one wants to abide by the rules of providing legislation well in advance of the Senate
meeting. I sometimes have to put the agenda out very late because I get many last minute
changes.
Senator Bhojraj moved to approve the Elections Laws.
o Motion failed for lack of a second.
o Current elections legislation remains in effect and unaltered.
Agenda item 16.0: 2014 Eligibility of Class Senators Act
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Senator Justiniano moved to postpone agenda items 16.0 and 19.0 until next meeting.
o Senator Bhojraj: I think it is not needed to table this. There is no controversy
surrounding these proposals. I think we should continue moving forward if we have a
quorum.
o Motion approved by a vote of 10-7-0. (Roll Call #11).
Agenda item 17.0: Amendment to New Club Act #1
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VP Mahoney presented the legislation.
The legislation allows appeal to the Treasurer instead of the VP for Clubs and Organization in
circumstances where a club seeking SSC funding wishes to appeal a decision by the SSC
committee.
Senator Mutino moved to approve “Amendment to New Club Act #1”
o Motion approve by a vote of 18-0-0. (Roll Call #12).
Agenda item 19.0: Sloth (GPA Check for Supervisors/Directors) Act
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Postponed.
Agenda item 20.0: Open Agenda
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Senator Justiniano: We have two USG teams for the kickball tournament.
Senator Lambroschino and others wished Senator Bhojraj and others a happy birthday.
Senator Michaud: All Senators, myself included, we are all in here and should speak up and pay
attention.
President Hussein: If any Senator is interested, I will be meeting President Stanley regarding the
pool renovations, and would like to have a Senator go to that meeting regarding the pool
renovation resolution.
VP Lachhar: Concert. Concert. Concert.
Chair: Please get me your Senate reports.
Chair: With timesheets, I’m the only person allowed to sign the timesheet.
Senator Michaud moved to adjourn.
o Motion approved unanimously.
o Meeting adjourned at 9:42 pm.