83rd MSSA Senate
September 30th, 2015
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Call to Order by 83rd Speaker Farah
Roll Call
Presentations:
a. Officer Stephanie Wilkins – Introduction
i. Here for you students.
ii. Want partnership with you guys and want that bridge.
iii. Schedule isn’t set as work flexible hours. Easiest way to reach me is to
call me.
 Open Forum
o Todd Pfingsten – Dir. Of Campus Recreation
o RSO process for sports club. Dis. Currently, there are concerns for 6 of the 21
clubs not recognized.
o Deadlines are important for all of us and I understand that.
o Three clubs missed the dinner and the Fencing, Cricket, & Men’s Lacross Clubs
missed steps in the process.
o Transition is unique as leadership changes every fall and former club leaders
sometimes fail to respond so can find out current club leaders.
o MMA has repeated this same problem that they had last year.
o Men’s ice hockey rep, Jack Eriks is here today and didn’t make dinner. He
should’ve communicated that but he was at a game in Winona at 2:30 so didn’t
make it back in time. However, he had submitted everything else that was
required by 9/3.
o MSU Triathalon Club president is out of the country so he couldn’t attend.
o Don’t feel that this issue is black and white and there are gray areas sometimes.
o It is not acceptable when former leaders don’t give us past info but should also
be exceptions to some of the things at times.
o With potential moneys at risk for sports clubs, you’ve got my attention.
o I’m not willing to break the rules for long-term impact of our sports club
o MSSA holds the power with this issue. I get that.
o Cricket Club is set to hold regional tournament this weekend. Got notice from
Scheduling that that reservation is on hold. Too late to cancel anything with that
as it is so big and wouldn’t be fair to those players. It has to take place this
weekend.
Riesterer: If we make an exception for Campus Rec, then why do we make rules?
Todd: I agree with that and you have to have deadlines. But with leadership turning over year
after year, it can be very difficult to transition information. I don’t know if this is all a
communications piece and I don’t expect Ashley’s area to do all of that. But certain situations
sometimes require exceptions and feel like there are gray areas here. Things slip through the
cracks.
Hussein: I understand where you coming from with passing information from president to
president. Being a student with so many things to do I understand how this can happen as I
had the same thing happened to me last year. Agree that there are gray areas.
Dahir: I understand you rep the dept. but as a student organization it should be run by student
leaders so why aren’t they here pleading their case? Really feel it is not your responsibility and
the fact that they are not here is problem.
Todd: Four of them were invited to come and did not. We take this seriously because of the
funding we receive from MSSA.
Farah: We will have an open forum next week so we can bring this up again to discuss.
MavLankesn’s : America’s night: couldn’t attend dinner this year so didn’t get recognized. I
did everything but the dinner so here asking for another chance.
Riesterer: If we make an exception for you than why not for everybody? What do you think we
should do?
MavLanken’s : I don’t know but just need to know if you can approve us today?
Sadeghi: I want to hear what your commitment is for the future?
MavLanken’s : I’m here and need this done. I’m responsible for my group and they had faith
in me and won’t let happen again.
Dolly-ISA: Requesting opportunity to get recognized. I apologize for not fulfilling one
obligation and missing the quiz. There was confusion and misunderstanding with believing we
were following previous years. I was told by someone else that we needed to attend dinner.
There were emails sent out to other RSOs and was discovered that it included former names of
past presidents instead of new ones. I was shocked and disappointed as we had worked the
whole summer on events. Events that benefit the whole student population. I request a second
chance.
Riesterer: Why should you be the exception as many others did get it done?
Dolly: yes I apologize but others also had confusion with the process this year.
Haffield: Are these events combined with other RSOs? (Yes) Only for this semester? (This
semester but have already planned others for spring.)
Katelyn-Jacqueline, Psi Chi: We had no idea until an hour ago. We heard no word of this from
our advisors, etc.
Martin: I talked to constituents and they had same problem with no communications at all.
Don’t feel it is an isolated case. Feel it is more administration’s fault of poor communication
and process being changed.
Dahir: If there is a problem with the process, it should be taken up with Student Activities. It
isn’t the students’ fault.
Proxy: On behalf of the swing dance club, I had no idea about this so it isn’t an isolated
incident.
Sam: The problem here is either the process or the organization itself. We’re just following the
MSSA by-laws here.
Farah: I will talk about more about this in my report.
Na Chum: I am a normal student and am very involved with RSOs in the past and just want
you to understand what they are actually know what they are all about. I have encouraged
students to just get involved and feel it is very important to meet new people as that is what
student life is all about and is important thing. I’ve been involved with RSOs for 7 years and
know the requirements are different this year so feel it has been a little more difficult and
maybe missing transparency this year.
Martin: I feel we need to re-evaluate our system on this as this is so important for a student’s
experience on campus. I think it needs to be more student-friendly.
Farah: I feel that if we managed to get over 200 clubs recognized, it is not so complicated.
Dinner date was already set last spring. We do recognize that the process could be done better.
We’re not here for that. There is conversation about changing the process moving forward. If
we break rules for one, than how does that look to others? In situations where it was the
advisors’ fault, then they are not on this list. I’ve been an RSO president before so not being
told is not an excuse. If you want to look at the list I can then tell you why you were not
recognized. We will rewrite the motion.
Rayani: Some organizations have no idea that this has been decided so am wondering what we
can do about this going forward. We need to be an ethical body on this issue.
Jabri: Did we have the same problem last year?
Farah: Some have happened in past but felt that this year we need to, once and for all, stick to
them.
 Approval of Consent Agenda
Appointments:
Commission on Ethics & Standards: Yahya Jabri, Paul Ngumah, Husayn Hankerson, Ian Irungu, Patrick
Riesterer, Miranda Steele, Faical Rayani.
Recognized Student Organizations: Chemistry Club, Entrepreneurship Club, Oromia Student Union;
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship; Somali Student Association; School Psychology Society; Dream Closet
for Girls; Mudworks
Student Allocations Committee:
1. Recommend allocating up to $275 for non-food related expenses to Maranatha Christian
Fellowship and up to $275 for non-food related expenses to International Student Outreach
contingent that all requirements of the fall 2015 RSO recognition process have been
completed and approval of recognition has been granted by MSSA. The recommended funding
will support the RSOs co-sponsorship of a “Creation Lecture Series” presented by speakers Dave
and Mary Jo Nutting of the Alpha Omega Institute to be held in the CSU, October 6-8, 2015,
open to all students. -- Pending
2. Recommend allocating up to $1,000 ($50/student x 20 students) for non-food related travel
expenses to The Navigators to travel to The Navigators Upper Midwest regional fall conference
in Osceola, WI, October 16-18, 2015.
Meeting minutes 9.23.15.
Approved.
 Vacancies
 Officer Reports
o President Haffield
o Vice President Al-Mohamadi
o Speaker Farah
 Senator Reports
 New Business
 Motion 83 MM 09.30.15.01 Haffield/Al Mohamadi
Whereas: There have been a significant number of previously recognized student organizations that
are not being recognized the fall 2015 semester due to missing requirements (see list of student
organizations included in the minutes);
Whereas: Student organizations that are not recognized do not receive the benefits of being a
recognized student organization. These benefits are listed under the Minnesota State University,
Mankato “Recognized Student Organizations, Privileges and Responsibilities” Policy;
Whereas: Some of these previously unrecognized student organizations fall under various
departments and entities within Minnesota State University, Mankato, such as Campus Recreation,
the Multicultural Center, the Kearney International Center, etc.;
Whereas: There is the possibility for unrecognized student organizations to receive such recognized
student organization benefits through departments and entities, which would be against Minnesota
State University, Mankato policy and Student Allocation Committee guidelines;
Whereas: The Minnesota State Student Association feels that any departments or entities that
provide such benefits to these unrecognized student organizations should be sanctioned as they are
not following Student Allocation Committee guidelines;
Therefore be it resolved: Any campus department or entity that is found providing such recognized
student organization benefits to any unrecognized student organizations will be sanctioned;
Be it further resolved: The sanctions will be decided upon by the Minnesota State Student
Association and any committee that is legal and deemed appropriate. An example of such sanction
is a reduction in future student fee funding.
Haffield: I move to table to the next Senate meeting on Oct. 7th.
Vote: Motion passes.
Aye: 28
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Announcements
Roll Call
Adjournment
******“Where Does My Money Go?” Presentation – Ostrander Auditorium – 5pm****
MSSA Student Open Forum
Where Does Your Money Go?
September 30, 2015
Rick Straka
Presentation Topics
1. Tuition vs. Fees – What is the difference?
2. Types of Fees – What are they and why?
3. Fund types – What are they?
4. What role does foundation play in budget?
5. Trends in State Appropriation
6. General Budget Update
7. Capital Budget/Building Updates
8. Q&A
Tuition vs. Fees
Tuition
o Major source of General Fund revenues along with State Appropriations
o General Fund
 Core Instructional and Operational budgets
o
Tuition does NOT fund:
 Parking related expenses
 Student Union operations or debt service
 Residence Life operations or debt service
 Student Activity operations
Tuition vs. Fees
Fees
o Defined and authorized by MnSCU Board Policy 5.1.1
o http://www.mnscu.edu/board/policy/511.html
o http://www.mnscu.edu/board/procedure/511p1.html
o Fee revenues are restricted for specific uses based upon above MnSCU Policy and
Procedure
Types of Fees
Mandatory Fees
o Senior citizen fee in lieu of tuition, Parking fee, Late fee, Payment plan fee, Statewide
student association fee.
Optional Fees
o Application fee, Credit for prior learning assessment fee, Student life/activity fee,
Athletics fee, Health services fee, Special events fee, Residential learning community
fee, Technology fee
Personal property charges and service charges
Revenue Fund fees
Major Fund Types
General fund
o Tuition and Appropriation, Primary university operations
Student Activity Fund
o Student Fee Funded activities
Revenue Funds
o Student Union, Residential Life (Room and Board), Outdoor Rec Fee
♦ Auxiliary Funds
o Parking, Bookstore
o Other Fund Types
o Federal Grants
o State Grants
o Private Grants
o Financial Aid Funds
o Agency Funds
♦ Role of Foundation
Primary Role of Foundation
o Scholarship Support via Annual Gifts and Endowment Earnings
Secondary Role
o Restricted Purpose Gifts
o Foundation revenues are not a material source of unrestricted General Fund Budget
State Appropriation Trends
Historic state funding goal
o 2/3 Appropriation, 1/3 Tuition
o Current Funding
o Approximately 1/3 Appropriation, 2/3 Tuition
o
Ten year trend has been steadily declining state support. There has been an increase in
last two biennium which supported tuition freezes in 3 of last 4 years. Unlikely to return
to historic funding goal.
State Budget Outlook
FY16-FY17 State Surplus Per State Revenue Forecasts
Nov. 2014
$1.0B
Feb. 2015
$1.8B
What will impact be on MnSCU, Minnesota State University, Mankato?
< 2016 is Bonding Year. Supplemental Request?
< Recent legislative support included tuition freezes
FY15 Review
Mid Year (Feb) Revised Budget Forecast of $4.2M Deficit for FY15
 Enrollments Decreased to 13,910 FYE
 Reserves Look Sound – 7% range plus
 $5M in Base Reductions from FY15 Budget Planning Process To Be Detailed This Fall
 One-Time Measures Helped Achieve FY15 Level Cash Flows
 Preliminary Results Appear to Meet Financial Recovery Plan Goals for FY15.
FY16-FY17 Update
Enrollment for FY16 Projected decrease140 - 170 FYE. Plan for Stable enrollment in FY17
< 3rd Largest Incoming NEF Class in History
Possible FY16 Tuition Shortfall of $750K built into $5M Deficit Reduction Plan
FY16 Budget Planning Shows One-Time Cash Flow Increase
FY17 shows Possible $3M Structural Deficit
Bargaining Contract Costing Not Finalized
o Impacts both Base Salary and Fringe Costs
o Insurance Increase of 7.4% and 6.6%. Planned for 0%
Capital Budget/Building Funds
General Obligation (GO) Bond Funds
< Funds Major Academic (Non-Revenue Fund) projects
 Ex. Ford Hall, Clinical Sciences, Trafton Renovation
< MSU Pays 1/6 of debt service from General Fund
Revenue Bond Funds
< Funds Major Improvements to Residence Halls, Student Union and Other Revenue
Streams
 Ex. Sears and Preska Halls, CSU Addition/Renovation, Outdoor Recreation
Project
< Revenue Funds Pay 100% of Debt Service via Student Fees (Room and Board, CSU
Facility Fee)
Capital Budget/Building Updates
Received $25.8M in GO construction funds for Clinical Sciences Building. Estimated Completion summer
of 2016.
Will ask for $6.5M in Phase II funding in 2016 GO Bonding cycle.
Carkoski Dining Replacement (Rev Bonds) scheduled for completion December 2016.
Finalizing Construction on Verizon Center Expansion. Men and Women’s Hockey move from ASA to
Verizon full time. Operating lease from Gen Fund each year.
Open Q & A
Questions??