ASNAU SENATE MEETING #20 TWENTY FIFTH SESSION OFFICIAL MINUTES Date: April 4th, 2013 Number on council: 12 Date of Senate Meeting: April 4th, 2013 Number present: 12 Prepared by Shelby Burton Senate Chairman Ryan Lee called the Senate meeting of the 2012-2013 Senate to order at 4:03 P.M. in the Havasupai Room A & B of the University Union. Roll Call The following Senators were not present at the meeting: -Senator Cross Approval of Minutes Motion: Senator Fox move to approve the minutes from last week’s Senate meeting Second: Senator McDiarmid Discussion: None Vote: Unanimous, last week’s minutes have now been approved. Call to the Audience Ice Jacks D3: Senator Smart says that her understanding in appropriations was that they did not have a clear budget so that is why they did not feel comfortable passing it through to the agenda. The breakdown of the budget includes fundraising and how much more they needed. First, Scott says that they take pride in representing NAU and explains that they are students first and athletes second; in fact, it helps those athletes find a home in NAU. Some work hard every summer to pay for the costs during the school year. This is an unusual request, but they believe that all NAU students should be proud of the team. They placed 11th out of 50 top national teams. They still need $11,000 which will go down to $8,000. They have raised $15,000 and are still looking into other sponsors. To clarify, Chairman Lee says that our money will be going to plane tickets, which they can get receipts for. In addition, Senator Creer expresses that she was under the impression that it was not just going to be Senator McDiarmid working on the bills but two other senators in addition. Senator Lake requests that the parliamentarian look over article 6 and 4 of the bylaws, discussing the duties of appropriations if it was voted down in committee. He suggests that the parliamentarian may have the power to overrule the committee. Senator McDiarmid suggests that appropriations vote on it now. Senator Woodhouse wishes that they expand on what other monetary contributions the players have put in; they were asked to each raise $500 through the community and their families. They have also done restaurant fundraisers, but do not have an official sponsor although they do not have temporary sponsors such as Taverna, Eagle Mountain Construction, and are looking into future sponsors (like Buffalo Wild Wings, Pita Pit, and Native New Yorker). They also host a golf tournament every year to fundraise. One student in the audience expresses his concerns with ASNAU passing the Ice Jacks D3 bills. He attends the games and supports the team, but says that each club gets the same amount and that giving them more funding would be favoring one club over another. He says it is unfair to other clubs and believes other clubs would have the same concerns. Although the hockey club is exceptional, many other clubs are also exceptional. By favoring them, he feels like that the student government is inherently favoring athleticism and that is not the point of higher education. Senator Lake says that appropriations must submit all documents 48 hours before meeting. President Smart suggests voting to disregard the bylaws as a voting item or suspending the bylaws, as there was no clear reason why it was voted down. The most appropriate step would be to go through new business, then vote out other bylaws; after voting, they will do another call to audience. Senator takes fault for having no representative at the meeting. Senator Lake asks the parliamentarian to draft how they should go about suspending what to get onto the agenda, and in what motion? He says that when ASNAU ends the year with additional funds, there was not enough money going back to the students. The team says that they have never asked to be favored and maybe some people have the wrong idea. However, the team does not want this just for them but to set a precedence for other clubs; in addition, if other wanted the same request, maybe they should have been speaking as well. The exec team reports that there is still roughly $50,000 to give back to students and VP Niemann has leftover in her event lines, which include $4,000 and $2,500. The parliamentarian says that since it was a senate bill, appropriations does not need to vote again. Senator Lake says that the appropriations committee is in charge of submitting bills to the senate he suggests moving to add it to the agenda. In addition, he recommends suspending the article pertaining to the duties that involving submitting bills, including that documents be submitted 48 hours in advance. Chairman Lee says that there is a check and balance here; the parliamentarian says it is okay to go through with the bill. Motion: Senator Lake move to add items q, r, and s to the agenda and title them SB 25-98: Ice Jacks D3, $3,000, SB 25-99: Ice Jacks D3, $3,000, and SB 25-100: Ice Jacks D3, $1,500 Second: Senator Lopez Discussion: VP Niemann asks to explain each of those bills. If the senate is voting to put it on the agenda, it will be like a loop hole. The parliamentarian believes that this decision is fine. Vote: Unanimous, items q, r, and s have been added to the agenda and titled SB 25-98: Ice Jacks D3, $3,000, SB 25-99: Ice Jacks D3, $3,000, and SB 25-100: Ice Jacks D3, $3,000 Unfinished Business Item a, Bylaw Revisions, and item b, IA: Ralpha Garcia, $235, will continue being tabled. New Action Business Motion: Senator McDiarmid move to vote on item a, Club Recognition: NAU Disc Golf Club Second: Senator Boruch Discussion: This club aims to get a club recognized, but has no estimate of future funding. Everyone is invited to play; Senator Woodhouse asks if they will be part of Club Sports. They will not be. Those in Club Sports will compete in competitions throughout the school year; they would consider it if they found a sponsor. Senator Fox asks if the constitution is a rough draft and suggests amending it to not include specific names. Vote: Unanimous, item a (Club Recognition: NAU Disc Golf Club) has been approved Motion: Senator Chan move to vote on item b, Club Recognition: Thirteen Stripes Second: Senator Tenney Discussion: This club is designed to promote leadership and diversity through academic achievement and to advocate for change for students of color and different backgrounds at NAU. Vote: Unanimous, item b (Club Recognition: Thirteen Stripes) has been approved Motion: Senator Fox move to vote on item c, Club Recognition: Yarn Crafting Club Second: Senator Lake Discussion: None Motion: Senator McDiarmid move to table item c, Club Recognition: Yarn Crafting Club Second: Senator Lake Discussion: None Vote: Unanimous, item c (Club Recognition: Yarn Crafting Club) has been tabled Motion: Senator Lake move to vote on item d and e, IA: Dana Krementz, $400 and SB 25-92: Dana Krementz, $100 Second: Senator McDiarmid Discussion: None Motion: Senator Fox move to table items d and e (IA: Dana Krementz, $400 and SB 25-92: Dana Krementz, $100 ) Second: Senator Lopez Discussion: None Vote: Unanimous, item d and e (IA: Dana Krementz, $400 and SB 25-92: Dana Krementz, $100) have been tabled Motion: Senator Creer move to vote on item f, OA: NAU Predental Club, $105 Second: Senator Lopez Discussion: They wish to get reimbursed for the trip they took to a school in the valley for a tour for nine NAU first year students. It was beneficial and nice to speak to others in the field in their age range. They wish to get reimbursed for gas. Senator Fox asks why it is a special event; Mary Lou circled that, but it is a regular event. Vote: Unanimous, item f (OA: NAU Predental Club, $105) has been approved Motion: Senator Reddig move to vote on item g, OA: Theta Chi, $366.67 Second: Senator Boruch Discussion: They wish to get reimbursed for the trip that they attended at their regional conference; they got to meet new members and bring back activities to bring back to NAU and make Greek life thrive. Senator Fox asks what their budget was for the event. He sees it on the sheet. Vote: 10 in favor, 1 abstains, item g (OA: Theta Chi, $366.67) has been approved Motion: Senator Boruch move to vote on item h, OA: Women’s Ultimate Frisbee, $500 Second: Senator Chan Discussion: They are requesting money for their sectionals tournament which will be April 20th through the 21st. It is a very important tournament because how well they do will define whether they will go to regionals or not. Senator McDiarmid asks if the budget is exact; they are estimates because they have not yet received a bid fee. The gas will depend on the car and how many people are in the car. Senator Woodhouse asks if they have to pay the USUF membership fee every year; they do, otherwise they could not compete. It is a one-time fee per year. Vote: Unanimous, item h (OA: Women’s Ultimate Frisbee, $500) has been approved Motion: Senator Lopez move to vote on item i, SB 25-93: Women’s Ultimate Frisbee, $500 Second: Senator Creer Discussion: Senator Lake asks if they do well at sectionals, will they go to regionals. Of course; in past experiences, they have not but have high hope! Vote: Unanimous, item i (SB 25-93: Women’s Ultimate Frisbee, $500) has been approved Motion: Senator McDiarmid move to vote on item j, OA: Athletic Training Students Association, $500 Second: Senator Woodhouse Discussion: They wish to request funding for gas for their regional district meeting next week in Colorado for 20 to attend; three are presenting and there is a quiz bowl. Last year, they took four out of the top five placements. They will have the opportunity to meet other trainers from their district (the southwest region). It is a good networking opportunity for juniors and seniors. Senator Woodhouse confirmed that they would be taking two cars and a van; the two cars are student cars. Senator Lake says that they do not have a budget for the specific spending; it is on the last page for the travel funding request. Vote: Unanimous, item j (OA: Athletic Training Students Association, $500) has been approved Motion: Senator Woodhouse move to vote on item k, SB 25-94: Athletic Training Students Association, $810 Second: Senator Creer Discussion: None Vote: Unanimous, item k (SB 25-94: Athletic Training Students Association, $810) has been approved Motion: Senator Fox move to vote on item l, OA: NAU Wushu, $500 Second: Senator Boruch Discussion: They are seeking for funding to attend the 17th annual tournament in California; this will be their third year. It is a nationally-ranked tournament and they have taken back trophies from years past. Senator Woodhouse asks for further explanation; they host a tournament in the fall every year. They charged a small spectator fee now which helped them fund much more money. Chairman Lee asks of previous competitions throughout the year; this past weekend, one member went to the Chinese martial arts tournament. He received one gold and one bronze. Last year, they went to the collegiate tournament and they host their own tournament every year. They participate in many other events put on by other multi-cultural organizations. Vote: Unanimous, item l (OA: NAU Wushu, $500) has been approved Motion: Senator Boruch move to vote on item m, SB 25-95: NAU Washu, $2592 Second: Senator Lopez Discussion: None Vote: Unanimous, item m (SB 25-95: NAU Washu, $2592) has been approved Motion: Senator Tenney move to vote on item n, OA: NAU Paintball, $500 Second: Senator Creer Discussion: On March 2nd, they attended a tournament in Phoenix; they wish to be reimbursed for tournament fees and gas. Senator Fox asks how often they practice; they practice twice a week and it costs $100 per practice entry fee for paint. Per month, they pay $1,000 to play paintball. Senator McDiarmid asks about the OA questions; the answer was no to all of them. Senator Mcdiarmid is concerned that their budget page may not be right; Senator Lake went through it to make sure. Senator Woodhouse asks if they can fund practice, they use air so they cannot keep the air. It is not tangible, but cannot be kept by the organization. They rent a scuba tank and then they go to the forest to practice; it is a large can of air. Are they funding the individual tank or the large tank that is rented? They are funding the rented one and that is no different than a DJ or any other equipment that one rents. Senator Lopez is okay with funding air; Chairman Lee asks if they should be funded. Senator Woodhouse says they should amend it to be consistent; Senator Fox agrees. Motion: Senator Lake move to amend the bill to replace all mention of $851 with $811 and to strike the word air from the first whereas Second: Senator Fox Discussion: None Vote: Unanimous, the bill has been amended to replace all mention of $851 with $811 and to strike the word air from the first whereas Discussion: Senator Lake rescinds the amendment. Vote: Unanimous, item n (OA: NAU Paintball, $500) has been approved Motion: Senator Lake move to vote on item o, SB 25-96: NAU Paintball, $851 Second: Senator Fox Discussion: Motion: Senator Lake move to amend the bill to replace all mention of $851 with $811 and to strike the word air from the first whereas Second: Senator Boruch Discussion: None Vote: Unanimous, the bill has been amended to replace all mention of $851 with $811 and to strike the word air from the first whereas Discussion: None Vote: Unanimous, item o (SB 25-96: NAU Paintball, $851) has been approved Motion: Senator Boruch move to vote on item p, SB 25-97: Tau Beta Sigma, $250 Second: Senator Lopez Discussion: They are looking for funding to cover hotel costs for a convention in Boise, Idaho this weekend; this will give back to each of the members considerably. Senator Woodhouse asks what they hope to bring back; this is a good chance for students throughout the district to exchange ideas and come up with better ways to get the community involved as a whole. Vote: Unanimous, item p (SB 25-97: Tau Beta Sigma, $250) has been approved Motion: Senator Lake move to vote on item q, SB 25-98: Ice Jacks D3, $3,000 Second: Senator Boruch Discussion: Senator Reddig has concerns about the precedence that this decision could set for next year. Chairman Lee says that those future issues will simply be the next senate’s call; decisions of one senate have not affected decisions of a different senate. President Smart says there is $49,465 in the budget for allocations and between $80,000 and $100, 000 left overall. They only allocated less than $8,000 today. Senator Fox says that he has two issues: equality and transparency. For a whole year, they have told clubs that there was a cap of $3500 and he has a problem giving money to a club that has already received the maximum amount. There were a number of student leaders that have raised concerns in opposition to the team receiving money. Several names were read off [names to follow]. With that being said, those students expressed that they fully support the hockey team but that one club will be getting the “most favored club” status and there is a transparency issue with that. If they make one exception, it will open the door to many more. He also believes that they should have a lesson in self-reliance. He believes that it is their job to help, but not to cover completely, an opportunity and make an organization stronger. He is here to serve students and thinks that if giving out extra money should—at most—go to a student vote as it is their money. Senator Lake has conflicting morals. In office, he promised to help as many students as possible and is worried about students who have not asked for money yet. He feels that they should wait until the end of the year to see how much rollover is available. He believes that he should be allocating as much money as possible and thinks they should consider it at the last meeting of the year. In past experiences, April is one of the busiest months for funding because some organizations request funding for the summer months as well. Senator McDiarmid replies that, in response to Fox’s issue with consistency, that something similar could happen again but it is then up to that senate and they cannot prepare for their future problems. In addition, he included in the last line of the bill that this will not influence future funding. He also does not believe that they set a club limit, but rather a bill limit, for funding. Chairman Lee states that they have written multiple bills up to $3,000 (like buses for the ASU game) for one organization. Senator McDiarmid says that they have already broken the chain of consistency and that they don’t always have to follow rules for situational circumstances. He asks Senator Fox how many people did not respond to his email when he reached out to 30 student leaders; four or five were in favor and he is unsure about how many did not respond. McDiarmid responds that Club Sports—17 people total—voted unanimously in support of it. Senator Tenney is also concerned with consistency; he believes that this does not fall in line with our missin/creed and says that two wrongs do not make a right. He says it is not a concern with how much funds ASNAU has, but with the mission statement of equality. Senator Creer had concerns but now believes that this money could help them get on their feet as a club sport to receive more funding; Chairman Lee explains that they are already a club sport, but are not an NCAA sport. She then says to consider the extra funds they are putting forth including coaches, transportation, etc. in addition to other financial obligations as a student (like tuition). President Smart explains that truly equitable funding is very difficult because each situation is different. ASNAU has funded individuals for $3500 and yet this same amount could go towards 30 people. On the issue of self-reliance, although it is wonderful to establish that, it is also difficult with tuition increases and ASNAU should encourage students to live the total college experience—including extracurricular activities. Senator Fox says that it does not matter how large an organization is, it does not align with equality and agrees that two wrongs do not make a right. In response to Creer, D3 was not getting funded because they are not an NCAA sport and that there is no intention of them becoming one. She then suggests that maybe there are fundamental errors in this organization and that they should consider increasing the bill amount. Senator Reddig asks if this can go to a student vote. Senator Woodhouse asks Fox if, when reaching out to students, he included all of these details. She says that without proper background, their vote could be swayed and she wonders if they knew that their budget of $100,000 was an exceptional budget. They have done more fundraising than any other club on campus. Senator Smart notes that she does not agree with a student vote because they are elected to represent them. Also, she thinks that these decisions will be up to each senate’s discretion. She believes that with such an outstanding budget, it is difficult to be fully self-reliant and suggests doing an IA for each person, but that would be even more money. Senator Chan says that they worked very hard to fight for what they believe in and that they are not favoring a club. Senator Boruch says that she was voted into office by promising to be transparent and she does not think that she can stray from that principle; however, she does consider waiting until the final meeting as Lake suggested. Senator Lopez agrees with Senator Smart and says that there are no official bylaws and that if D3 knows that they have the talent, they can plan for that now. C.J. Cooper expresses that we throw around “transparency,” but that word is generated from an unwritten precedence that is undocumented. This team has proved that they have done more than enough fundraising and that maybe it is time for ASNAU to step up to the plate if they have the funding available. Senator Lake says that the decisions ASNAU makes are never wrong, so never consider them that way. He remembers that they did not set a bill number in stone so as to have flexibility if absolutely necessary. Senator Fox says that he emailed 30 people, 20 were against the bill and 4 or 5 were for it. Senator Lake says that his constituents are both athletes and artists and many of them supported it, including all club sports representatives (which represents 500 students). They were more than self-reliant, considering that they had no expectation of going to nationals, yet they budgeted and fundraised. Senator Tenney says that it is wrong to tell people that they have a bill limit and then go against it. Senator Creer says that the mission statement says that they are here to represent the students and that we are forgetting the root: they are students. Senator Fox says that they admitted to being here for hockey and does not agree to fund $7,000+ for them. He then confronts Senator McDiarmid, asking if he promised them any money throughout the election. President Smart says that that is an invalid question, as elections are over and have no impact. Senator McDiarmid shares his disappointment when he heard last night that one club did not go to nationals because they could not fund it and he does not want students to ever feel that way. He believes that these boys fought and asked for help. He also notes that, though they are all hockey players and hockey may be a focal reason for being at NAU, that does not make them any less of a student and in turn they should be treated equally. Chairman Lee notes that the Lumberjack is here and will be doing a story on this and asks to clarify if the senate would be willing to do this in the future. The senate agrees that it is situational and that that is up to the discretion of next year’s senate. Senator Lake also says that others should be aware of how much preparation went into this to result in whatever decision will be made. Dr. Brandel thanks everyone for having health discussions with valid points and that he hopes everyone will remain respectful outside of the meeting. Everyone has good intentions and have the students in their heart. He also suggests that the team do games between the three teams we have here to fundraise, in addition to other ideas. Senator Fox proposes a roll call vote. Vote: Those in favor include Senators Lake, Reddig, Lopez, Creer, Smart, Chan, McDiarmid, and Woodhouse; those against it include Senators Boruch, Fox, and Tenney; item q (SB 2598: Ice Jacks D3, $3000) has been approved Motion: Senator Lake move to vote on item r, SB 25-99: Ice Jacks D3, $3,000 Second: Senator Chan Discussion: Senator Fox requests a roll call vote. Vote: Those in favor include Senators Lake, Reddig, Lopez, Creer, Smart, Chan, McDiarmid, and Woodhouse; those against it include Senators Boruch, Fox, and Tenney; item r (SB 2599: Ice Jacks D3, $3000) has been approved Motion: Senator Lake move to vote on item s, SB 25-100: Ice Jacks D3, $1500 Second: Senator Boruch Discussion: Senator Fox requests a roll call vote. Vote: Those in favor include Senators Boruch, Lake, Reddig, Lopez, Creer, Smart, Chan, McDiarmid, and Woodhouse; those against it include Senators Fox, and Tenney; item s (SB 25-100: Ice Jacks D3, $1500) has been approved Executive Report a. President- Sammy Smart -President Smart says that the ABOR meeting was today and the tuition proposal was approved; the regent abstained, which was disappointing because he is not a fan of the pledge program but the others voted yes. Regent Killian mentioned that it is unconstitutional for the regents to continue to vote on an increase in tuition and wants to see a proposal saying that tuition will no longer increase, which will hopefully pass through the court. ASA is trying to realign the mission statement so that the statewide student voice is on one page; she attended the shuttle and parking committee and 8 new buses will be bought for next year. The committee tried to raise the fee, but administration does not support that, so students should not see an increase. There are links about a fossil-free NAU so get informed; there is also a campaign called Mayors Against Guns. The ASU and UA president took a stance and sent a letter to our senator stating that they are against guns, so please let her know your thoughts so she can also write a letter. It is not about guns on campus, but guns in general. Shari is going to the president’s office to see if they will match funding for ASNAU to increase the legal aid service’s hours. GSG passed a resolution in support of ASA litigation. ASNAU is now the only student body that does not support the lawsuit. b. Vice President of Student affairs- Annsley Niemann - VP Niemann reports that she ordered glow sticks and fanny packs for the Undie Run; if you cannot make it, inform her as soon as possible. Continue hanging up posters; invite all of your friends to the Undie Run event on Facebook. The Snowjack Express budget resulted in a grand total of $3,889 which went to over 100 students ($38/person). Last year, they spent $8,000, going over the budget to pay for 50 to 70 students. It was much cheaper through parking than through NAU outdoors. She also attended a committee about the evaluation process for professors; for any comments, contact Senator Creer. c. Vice President of Academic Affairs- Ryan Lee -VP Lee reports that next Thursday, the student health advisory committee is holding a brief alcohol screening day. They will have an individualized meeting to talk about each person’s lifestyle, which will be available in the dub. There will also be Stressbusters from 6-7 and a theatre performance afterwards. There are only three meetings left, so finish the year strong and keep sticking to your responsibilities. Email your clubs and let them know that we are beginning to wrap up the year. Please email about the job applications for ASNAU and attend all events this month! d. Chief of Staff- Makenzie Mastrud -Chief of Staff Mastrud says that there are posters at the desk, so please hang them up. If you did not receive an email today about working Sunday, then you are working the actual concert. Tomorrow, she is meeting to finalize everything for Sunday and is sitting on the last Study Abroad Committee meeting. She spoke with the advisors, and thinks that they should put together a survey to send out in the fall to re-vote on the 23 fee. She needs new ideas, so please network and hear what the students are suggesting! Throughout the summer, they will be looking at which services will “skip” the survey like legal services, club headquarters, etc. They will begin working on the budget on Monday to be presented on the April 25th meeting. Go through the packet with potential new staff-members and sign them out; applications have a new element that will allow the exec team to confirm that they are eligible. Her view on ASA is to work on a plan that will work great for all AZ students. Chief of Staff interviews are tomorrow and they are excited to announce it tomorrow evening! Staff Reports A. ASA- Jack, Danielle, Shayna - No Report B. Public Relations- Matt Villa -Matt says that he got 1548 placeholders for Sunday for floor seats. He also put something on the Facebook page to get everyone hyped! C. ITS-Joey Smoll -Joey reports that the staff application is now online. D. Special events- Tony Buchta, Sara Martin -Tony and Sara report that if you are working Sunday or for the concert, you need to go (and wear your polo!). They will be playing games on Sunday and so they made vouchers for the winners so that they can retrieve prizes. There is also a schedule for games. You need to check in with an ASNAU member once going to work. E. NSG- Representatives -NSG says that all of the details for the dance event are coming together; they ordered shirts and prizes. Please email the clubs for the event to take place on April 20th from 6-10; please include the philanthropy website in the email. They are utilizing their budget for this event, so please support them. There are registration forms at the front desk; turn them in before the event, but the money will be collected that night. They ordered enough so that if we all wanted to wear the tanks to publicize the event, we can. Committee Reports A. Appropriations: Senator Woodhouse says that they had a club come in that was not an official club, so please double-check. Chairman Lee says that if they are a collective body, they can have a special exception. B. Legislative: Senator Lake reports that the last meeting is next Saturday. Senator Reports College of Arts and Letters a. Shannon Boruch-Senator Boruch reports that she said one thing but did not back it up with her actions and she apologizes. b. Anthony Lake-No Report College of Social and Behavioral Sciences a. Samantha Cross- No Report b. Jeremy Reddig- Senator Reddig reports that he handed out OAs and participated in office work. College of Health and Human Services a. Derek Lopez-No Report b. Dominique Creer-Senator Creer says that she went to the diversity club and wants to know about student evaluations. College of Education a. Kelsey Smart-Senator Smart reports that she wishes everyone to have a good weekend. b. Adam Fox-Senator Fox says that he met with a club and will be attending the parking appeals committee meeting. He thanks everyone for the democratic debate and supports the discussion. College of Business a. Jeremy Chan- Senator Chan reports that he wrote his first bill for a club this week and is looking forward for the video that comes out tomorrow. b. Derrell Tenney- Senator Tenney reports that he is going to also try to contact the dean; he is also happy for the hockey team’s accomplishments. He also wrote a bill for Relay for Life. College of Forestry, Engineering, and Natural Sciences a. Oregon McDiarmid-Senator McDiarmid reports that he attended the club sports council meeting. They have not voted on the fee and plan on doing so next semester; tonight is PRISM’s drag show. b. Shayla Woodhouse-Senator Woodhouse reports that she used the water filter! She also hung up her posters and emailed her clubs. Advisor Reports (Rick Brandel and Art Farmer) Rick Brandel— Stay strong for the final stretch of the school year! Art Farmer— No Report Discussion Items Announcements Adjournment Motion: Senator Chan Second: Senator Fox Unanimous 6:07 PM