OSA Senate Agenda
March 15, 2016 at 4:45 PM
Reeve Memorial Union, Room 221
I.
II.
Call to Order – Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call –
III.
Open Forum -
IV.
Approval of the Agenda -
V.
Approval of the Minutes –
VI.
Club/Org Recognition –
OSA 15-102
BE IT RESOLVED: That the OSA Senate and Assembly gives recognition and voting privileges
to those Organizations with “Assembly” after their names:
1. Communication Club, Assembly – voting rights
Sponsored by: Austyn Boothe, Speaker of Assembly
VII.
Guest Speakers –
a. Chancellor Leavitt
b. Professor Dennis Rioux – Engineering Technical Degree Program
VIII.
Officer Reports –
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
IX.
X.
OSA Directors and Ambassadors –
OSA Office Manager – (Rae Ann - wetzelr@uwosh.edu) –
OSA Advisor – (Petra – roterp@uwosh.edu) OSA Academic Liaison – (Rotating members of Senate for Academic Staff - ) Speaker Pro-Tempore – (Maria - osaspeakerpt@uwosh.edu) Speaker of the Assembly – (Austyn – osaspeaker@uwosh.edu) Vice President Pro-Tempore – (Zachary – osavppt@uwosh.edu) Vice President – (Graham – osavp@uwosh.edu) –
President – (Jordan - osapres@uwosh.edu) –
Presidential Appointments –
Unfinished Business –
OSA 15-100
WHEREAS Wisconsin State Statute 36.09(5) gives the responsibility to university student
associations to review and offer recommendations for the policies concerning student life,
service and interests; and
WHEREAS the men’s soccer and tennis team is an organized sport which concerns student life,
service and interests of the student body; and
WHEREAS the Oshkosh Student Association (hereinafter “OSA”) was not asked for an opinion
and therefore could not offer a recommendation regarding the termination of the men’s soccer
and the men’s tennis team for the 2016 season and the foreseeable future; and
WHEREAS the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh has made an effort toward transparency in the
discretion of its employees; and
WHEREAS the decision making party has not reconsidered feasible alternatives to terminating
the team, which in fact negate the original reasoning for the action taken by Athletics Director
Sims. The current reasons that were given were that they have no conference, do not
automatically qualify for the playoffs and therefore a reduced chance of qualifying, the budget
cuts require cutting to save our university money, and that self-funding would be unsustainable;
and
WHEREAS 26 of the 32 years the men’s soccer team at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
has been operating, they did not have a conference. This has not prevented the men’s soccer team
from qualifying for the NCAA playoffs including this past year;8 and
WHEREAS The University of Wisconsin Whitewater has also experienced budget cuts that
actually were the largest cuts with 32.7% reductions from their last years budget, and still, they
have retained a sustainable level of funding in their athletic programs.2 The University of
Wisconsin Whitewater men’s soccer team has also not had a conference this year, yet they still
qualified for the NCAA playoffs,8 while suffering the largest percentage in budget cuts; and
WHEREAS the University of Wisconsin Whitewater understands the importance in building
school pride and culture to help recruit and retain students, and therefore does not eliminate
programs that actually generate more revenue through student recruitment and retention than
what is expensed to fund it; and
WHEREAS the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh has a marketing budget that exceeds $60,000
which helps fund billboard placement;3 and
WHEREAS the men’s soccer team received an annual budget of $26,000.8 Through the
program, the men’s soccer team recruited, on average, seven students every year7 that lead to
revenues to the university of $15,000 per student via tuition and fees.1 When averaged out, this
tuition brings in revenues of $105,000 a year to our university that supports our Academics,
OSA, their own program, and more. This makes a net difference (Revenues gained minus the
$26,000 for the program expense)1,8 of $79,000 our university gains from the new students
recruited through soccer alone each year. When adjusted for a conservative four years a soccer
player stays till graduation, the $79,000 per year grows to $316,000 a year for each class of
soccer players that comes and graduates through the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Being
that the program would be completely self-funded (and therefore not expensed through the
university) and still be able to recruit each year, the soccer program runs would bring in
$420,000 more revenue for our university(through soccer alone). Already, not even a year after
the men’s soccer and tennis program have been terminated, five students, Tyler Howard, Kevin
Schenk, Nick Harenda, Jakub Rys, and Javier Simone have transferred to other universities that
work “collectively toward ensuring a prosperous collegiate experience for each student by
representing, safeguarding, and promoting [their] interests and rights throughout [their] pursuit
of knowledge”; and
WHEREAS the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh has shown support by planning on allocating
$10,000 yearly,4 which partly comes from student tuition dollars, for programs such as the
Advance Titan that about six years ago had a reserve balance of $26,459.07 and in those six
years went to a deficit of $75,129.85 student dollars;5 and
WHEREAS it has been said that budget cuts require cutting, yet our university is still able to to
to give $10,000 yearly to a program that in six years had a negative net change of $101,588.92
with their allocated funds. Yet, we can not allow a program that brings in funds for our
academics, student life, and university to be self-funded? This is hypocritical; and
WHEREAS it has been said that the men’s soccer and tennis team should become clubs sports to
gain fundings from the OSA and save funds for our university; and
WHEREAS the potentially allocated funds via OSA is still student money and is still student
raised, and therefore the men’s soccer and tennis team would still be using the University of
Wisconsin Oshkosh’s student dollars to pay for their teams, instead of them self-funding. It is
irresponsible to claim to the student body this will save our university money, as we lose an
average net of $316,000 through team recruiting when paid through the university and a net
$420,000 when self-funded, yet still pay for it through our own student dollars; and
WHEREAS it is retrogressive academically and fiscally to cut and not allow complete self
funding for such programs that affect our University in such profound ways; and
WHEREAS it has been said that it is wise to not allow the men’s soccer and tennis team to self
fund because it is too costly and not sustainable, even though the men’s soccer team have already
fundraised $60,000 and the men’s tennis team $18,000; and
WHEREAS the University of Wisconsin La Crosse Men’s Baseball and Tennis programs were
defunded in 2009. The University of Wisconsin La Crosse allowed the programs to self-fund.6
With the reasoning based upon in the last whereas clause, with over seven years passing, the
programs must be depleted and fully terminated by now. However, the alumni and students at the
University of Wisconsin La Crosse understand the value in promoting their university,
community, and involvement through the athletic programs and therefore are still strongly
running both programs to this day; and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that all of the current reasons given (they have no
conference, no automatic qualifier and therefore a much less likely chance of qualifying, the
budget cuts require cutting to save our university money, and that self-funding would be
unsustainable) are faulted in significant factual reasoning, and therefore, alternatives should be
considered; and
THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh should
follow other UW campuses examples, such as UW La Crosse and UW Whitewater that stand
with and for their students, and allow the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh men’s soccer and
tennis team to self-fund and compete with the recognition this university has always offered
them; and
THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the men’s soccer team understands that,
most likely, they will not be able to compete this upcoming season due to the inability to recruit.
They are not simply doing it for their own sake, but for the future program that both the alumni
and the students here support, because going to a liberal education college is more than a
technical degree. It is a university that fosters student academics, student involvement, and
student interest. That is why as the students’ official voice, we need to stand for our students and
asses what our administration and university does, as OSA was created to do.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED after passage of the resolution a copy of resolution shall be
transmitted to the following; Dr. Andrew Leavitt, Chancellor, Dr. Petra Roter, Vice Chancellor
for Student Affairs, Darryl Sims, Athletic Director.
Sponsored by: Jared Schadrie, Oshkosh Student Association Senator, Men’s Soccer Team,
Men’s Tennis Team, Ultimate Frisbee Club, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club, Women’s Soccer Team,
Women’s Rugby Football Club, College Republicans, and Karate Club.
OSA 15-101
WHEREAS: The Oshkosh Student Association (OSA) is committed to ensuring communication
between the organization and students continue to remain strong; and
WHEREAS: The Marketing Ambassador in conjunction with the marketing committee is tasked
with through promoting awareness of OSA activities to the campus and community through the
use of poster development and developing marketing strategies to gain maximum participation
for various events and initiatives sponsored by OSA; and
WHEREAS: The leadership of the Marketing Ambassador is critical to providing direction of the
Committee and developing those strategies; and
WHEREAS: Currently the Marketing Ambassador is not compensated by OSA but receives a
small monetary amount from her role as USA Today Ambassador; and
WHEREAS: The compensation of the Marketing Ambassador is an issue that requires attention
due to the amount of duties and responsibilities outlined in the role; and
WHEREAS: Adequate compensation of the Marketing Ambassador will reflect the duties and
responsibilities that will attract and retain students to effectively perform the role; and
WHEREAS: The Oshkosh Student Association Constitution Article IV, Section 3, (c) (5)
requires the OSA President to submit a request to the Assembly and Senate to withdraw any
reserve funds from the OSA Reserve Account; and
BE IT RESOLVED; A request of $500 is asked to be considered by Assembly and Senate to
compensate the Marketing Ambassador for the 2015-2016 academic year; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be delivered to the Oshkosh Student
Association Assembly and Senate
Sponsored by: Reginald Parson, OSA Chief of Staff
XI.
XII.
New Business –
Committee Reports –
XIII.
Discussion –
XIV.
Announcements –
XV.
Adjourn -