University of North Florida Student Senate
Constitution and Statutes Committee Minutes- September 22nd, 2014 - Senate Chambers - 5:30PM-6:30 PM
Chair: Shomari D. Gloster
I.
Call to Order
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II.
Roll Call – Vice Chair Brahmbhatt.
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III.
IV.
Meeting is called to order at 5:34PM
Quorum is established with 5 voting members
Student Remarks
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Approval of Minutes – September 8th,2014
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Senator Rader: I move to approve the minutes from September 8th, 2014. Second. All
in favor. Moved.
V.
Approval of Agenda
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Senator Grantham: I move to approve the agenda for September 22nd, 2014. Second.
All in favor. Moved.
VI.
VII.
Guest Speakers
- none
Remarks of the Chair – sgaspt@unf.edu
o Message from Senate President Ramirez: “Tonight I want to remind you
about the senator scholarships. If you are an elected fall seat (Senator
Bachmann, Senator Stovall, Senator Cunningham) your forms are due the
week before your term ends. Either November 7th or November 21st,
depending on when elections are validated. If you need a scholarship form,
pick one up after committee. There are three requirements you must
complete: workshops, sponsorship, and involvement. The workshop
requirement is complete if you attend senator orientation. If you did not
attend orientation, you must schedule a workshop with the cabinet members.
The sponsorship requirement is complete if you sponsored any type of
legislation throughout your term. The involvement requirement is complete
if you did one of these three options: 10 hours at the lend-a-wing pantry, 2
agency events, or 5 hours at lend-a-wing and one agency event. You should
recall from our first senate meeting of the semester, SR-14F-2778 revisal of
senator scholarships. To remind everyone about the new senator scholarship
requirement, will be effective for senators elected from here on out. So the
new senators elected this fall and next spring will be a part of this. The new
scholarship requirements are two competitive $750 scholarships that
senators may apply for once a semester. Next senate meeting I will be
proposing newer language for the policies and procedures reflecting a vote
from the SG scholarship committee, to allow even senators applying in the
fall or spring instead of allowing those senators with those semester seats to
apply. Please let me know if you have any questions.”
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I am going to bring up the policies and procedures on the screen and call your
attention to section G, letter 2, letters G and H. Letter G states the constitution and
statutes committee may decide by majority vote to suspend the absentee policy for
an individual when an extenuating circumstance arises. Letter H states that a
senator will automatically be removed if the senator does not attend their scheduled
appeals hearing. Today we have three appeals going before us. I went over the
appeals process with you all last committee meeting and I will be going over them
so you new senators know how it works. Just to make sure all the facts are before
the committee, I received an email on Sunday stating “I have to work today and I
don’t get off 5:30”. The senator didn’t know if she was going to make it. I sent an
email out at 11:07 last Wednesday. I didn’t receive a reply until Sunday, and I
checked my email around 2 or 3 today. You all may decide by majority vote to
suspend the absentee policy for the individual when extenuating circumstances arise.
But also realize that line 8 states that a senator will automatically be removed if the
senator does not attend their appeals hearing. They have to be specific of what they
would like to be appealed.
VIII.
Old Business
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none
IX.
New Business
a. Appeals Hearing- Senator Hogan Gagliardi
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I have accumulated 4 absentee points. For the first senate meeting and I missed the
meeting for B&A. I have been very disconnected with my friends and school. I have
been suffering a lot of family health issues. My grandfather recently was put into a
hospital. My family was put in high distress. So I have been home every single
weekend. The past two weeks I was able to make the meetings. I believe I missed
the 1st two meetings for good reason, but I do understand I have obligations here. I
will ask that I got 1 point removed for each meeting that I missed. I ask you guys to
please forgive me this time.
o Senator Rader: What were the reasons you missed the 1st two meetings just
to clarify? - The 1st meeting I missed because my grandfather was
hospitalized. The following weekend I also drove home, I did not make it on
time. I also wasn’t aware of what committee I was on.
o Senator Gomez: In total how many points would you like removed? - 4 total.
o Senator Melquist: Did you give anyone a heads up before you missed these
meetings? - I did not.
o Senator Grantham: You mentioned you weren’t aware of which committee
meeting you were a part of? – I wasn’t aware, and I was also still at home. I
could’ve gone, but I chose not to, to be with my grandfather.

Senator Rader: I move to remove 4 absentee points from Senator
Gagliardi. Second. Discussion. I move to resend my motion.

Senator Grantham: I motion to remove 2 absentee points from
Senator Gagliardi. Second. Discussion. Roll call vote: Senator
Brahmbhatt-yes, Senator Gomez-yes, Senator Grantham- yes,
Senator Melquist-yes, Senator Rader-yes. Motion passes 5:0:0.
b. Appeals Hearing- Senator Abigail Hartsfield
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I have 4 points, 3 of which are from summer time. One for missing a C&S meeting, I
wasn’t feeling well and I slept through it. The other was for Osprey Voice. It was
really hard for me to do this the week of. Since three of mine are from the summer, I
was under the impression that our points are reset each semester. I have an email
from Kaitlin stating that they are reset over the summer. I would like 3 removed
from my total.
o Senator Grantham: Just to clarify what the points were from for osprey
voice? - There was 2 from osprey voice, 1 for summer and 1 for fall.
o Senator Gomez: Why did you miss the Osprey Voice? - He tells us the
Monday of. I have a full time job, so it’s really hard to make the 11-3 times.
By now we have figured out a system to where I can take the iPad to class.
o Senator Gomez: Why did you miss the C&S meeting?- I was sick, and I slept
through it
o Senator Melquist: Can we see the email from Kaitlin stating about the points
being reset.
o Chairman Gloster: Through language in 2010, points do not reset, but there
was no law standing. It was just habitual from pro-temp to pro-temp that
they had thought the points did reset. The points don’t reset after every
semester. An email was sent out last week about it.
o Senator Grantham: Was there any discussion with Chase about missing
Osprey Voice? – Yes, we talked about me taking the iPad to class. I will be
doing that from now on.

Senator Melquist I move to remove 3 points from Senator Hartsfield.
Second. Discussion. Roll call vote: Senator Cunningham- yes, Senator
Brahmbhatt-yes, Senator Gomez-yes, Senator Grantham- yes,
Senator Melquist-yes, Senator Rader-yes. Motion passes. 6-0-0.
c. Appeals Hearing- Senator Boban Tunjic
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I come to you today with 4 absentee points. 2 from the summer and 2 from the fall.
The first was for missing first roll call at senate and the second was for osprey voice.
The other 2 were from missing a committee meeting. I was stuck in traffic, and that
is why I missed the 1st roll call. I missed the Osprey Voice because I was working
40+ hours a week. As Abigail said Chase emails us the Monday of, and I couldn’t
make it and I let him know. As for the committee meeting, I am in a fraternity and I
was doing rush week. So, I am asking that you remove the two points from the
summer. I was also not aware that the policy had changed about the points being
reset. I asked that you look at that when it comes to your vote.
o Senator Grantham: Just to clarify, you are asking just for the summer? Yes
o Senator Melquist: Did you get with Chase? - Yes.
o Senator Gomez: Why did you miss OV in the summer? – I was working a lot
and I was taking online classes.
o Senator Grantham: You had the same situation as Hartsfield, they didn’t
have the iPad over the summer ?- yes

Senator Cunningham- I motion to remove 2 points from Senator
Tunjic. Second. Discussion. Roll call vote: Senator Cunningham- yes,
Senator Brahmbhatt-yes, Senator Gomez-yes, Senator Granthamyes, Senator Melquist-yes, Senator Rader-yes. Motion passes 6-0-0.
X.
Announcements
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When senators do come up for an appeal, they can only come before the committee
one time. So if they get 4 points again they will be removed. They can appeal it to
the senate president. Nothing resets, it shouldn’t have the past 4 years. Nothing
resets from semester to semester. There was an email sent out to everyone about
this.
XI.
Final Roll Call – Vice Chairwoman Meghan Cunningham
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XII.
Quorum is reestablished with 6 voting members
Adjournment
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Meeting is adjourned at 6:09PM.
Minutes prepared by: Leah Tolisano, Senate Secretary.