83rd MSSA Senate
September 23rd, 2015
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Call to Order by 83rd Speaker Farah
Roll Call
Presentations:
a. Student Recognition – Presented by Tien Bui
i. Dennis Durst Recognized
b. President Haffield – Charting the Future
Charting the Future - (CTF)
a. What is MnSCU? - Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system
i. Public colleges and universities in Minnesota (except U of M)
Structure: Board of Trustees, System Chancellor, System Presidents
a. Think of it like the federal government and the state government
What is CTF? - Plan to ensure that:
a. There is extraordinary education for all Minnesotans
b. MnSCU is the partner of choice for Minnesota’s workforce and community needs
c. Students, employees, communities, and taxpayers are delivered the highest
value/most affordable option
Original 6 recommendations:
a. Dramatically increase the success of all learners, especially those in diverse
populations traditionally underserved by higher education.
b. Develop a collaborative and coordinated academic planning process that
advances affordability, transferability, and access to our programs and services
across the state.
c. Certify student competencies and capabilities, expand pathways to accelerate
degree completion through credit for prior learning, and foster the award of
competency-based credit and degrees.
d. Expand the innovative use of technology to deliver high quality online courses,
strengthen classroom instruction and student services, and provide more
individualized learning and advising.
e. Expand the innovative use of technology to deliver high quality online courses,
strengthen classroom instruction and student services, and provide more
individualized learning and advising.
f. Redesign our financial and administrative models to reward collaboration, drive
efficiencies, and strengthen our ability to provide access to an extraordinary
education for all Minnesotans.
Problems from last year:
a. Some bargaining units were concerned that:
i. There was too much top-down control over the process
ii. Concerns were not being adequately addressed
iii. IFO removed themselves from the process and voted no confidence in the
chancellor
What has happened since?
a. IFO is involved again, Focus on campus-based implementation; New list of
initiatives based on the original six recommendations; Deadlines for these
initiatives; System tasks or institution tasks;
 Initiatives examples: Strengthen academic advising; Research advising best practices
and develop recommendations; Identify current advising best practices on each campus;
Identify training and professional development needs and programing; Ensure all
students have access to technology; Conduct campus-level assessment to understand the
needs for the current programs and students, future students and programs, and the
current institutional capacity to meet the needs.
 What is our campus doing?
a. Identify the initiatives that we are already doing or planning to do
b. Charge existing structures with remaining initiatives (i.e. Charge Technology
Roundtable with the “ensure all students have access to technology” task
 So what will MSSA do?
a. Provide recommendations to the University President and his Cabinet of what
we feel the students would to focus on
b. Inform the students about what’s going on
c. Be a part of the local implementation process
d. Need more info?
 For more info, visit: http://www.mnscu.edu/chartingthefuture/
Yang: How have students been involved?
Haffield: Taskforces, Gallery Walks,
Sam: How is MSU farther along than other schools?
Haffield: I can’t speak to that but already actually doing some of the initiatives.
Martin: Real world examples?
Haffield: Academic advising, ensure all students have access to technology.
a. Student Affairs Committee Update – Fred de Ruiter
i. Summer Rec Fee1. Decided to forego as other competitors don’t offer what Camp rec
does pool, racquetball); not sure how many people this affects.
2. Decision to go with current structure.
3. This does not kill a motion on the table should senate not agree.
Sam: how many ppl were in the meeting? Any reports or facts from Campus Rec and other
entities in Mankato?
Fred: if taking two credits, comparable to paying rec fee. Based on info available from previous
years, took that to get this.
Ruiz: Did you ask for student input on this matter.
De Ruiter: It was the primary intent of the SA committee to rep the constituents themselves.
Smith: Part of reason is although competitors are cheaper, they don’t have the things that
Campus Rec has so things are weighted differently.
Riesterer: I talked to a bunch of constituents who do use the gym and most are ok with the fee.
Farah: Did you ask Campus Rec for statistics?
De Ruiter: No, I did not ask.
Riesterer: I did compare areas with some other athletic clubs. Most had much smaller facilities
and charged $100, just to be there. To raise the fee now that they now need, it will cut
something else. Thought, if necessary, our budget committee can figure it out.
Smith: We decided we have to tread carefully when asking as fees have fluxuated over the
years and we didn’t want the fee to go up.
b. Student Events Team – Emily Lange, Chair; Morgan Romero, PR
i. Preview of rebranding video/items –effective this summer
1. Students already identify with new name and what we do.
2. Thanks for allocating us the money.
3. Banners, stand up, polos, t-shirts (items should last for 4-yrs;
shirts are being re-used), lanyards, event magnets, selfie wall,
promo cart, Glow-bowl for light effects, pamphlets, texting cards.
4. Event overview/attendee: Cosmic bingo; movie nights, foam
party; concert tickets already sold out for students.
5. Mavericks After Dark; Haunted Takeover; Renting 101 Session at
Housing Fair;
Sam: Great job for your team. How many people attend each movie?
Bill: Our typical movie averages 200-300 movie; Friday night attendance 50-80; already over on
our numbers;
Sam: open to the public?
Lange: free to students, $1 for public.
ii. Meetings Tuesdays, at 4:00 pm.
 Open Forum
 Approval of Consent Agenda
Appointments: ADD!
Commission on Ethics & Standards:
Recognized Student Organizations:
Love Justice, Men's Club Volleyball, Pseudoscience Club, Semper Fi Society, Cultural Connections,
American Institute of Gr. Arts Student Grp., MSU Veterans Club, Residence Hall Association, Badminton
Club, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, APICS, Psychology Graduate Student Association, Phi Kappa
Psi, Minority Association of Pre-Health Students, Lighthouse Chapel International – Mankato, Trap
Shooting, Triathalon Club, Voice and Vision, Performance, Industry, Education Society, NAfME –
Mankato Economics Club, Microbiology Club, Maverick Machine Athletic Band, Child Development and
Family Studies Club, Anthropology Student Society, Students for Alcohol and Drug Education, Phi Sigma
Pi, Art History Round Table, MNSU League of Legends, Pre-Optometry Club, Saudi Student Association,
TEDxMNSU, KMKT (Korean Mankato), MSU Shotokan Karate Club, Sigma Tau Delta Honors Society, Phi
Alpha Social Work Honor Society, Maverick Jazz Student Organization, Women's Rugby, Ultimate Frisbee
Club, Mavericks for Fair Trade, Latter Day Saint Student Association
Student Allocations Committee:
1. Recommend allocating up to $500 for non-food related expenses to assist the Entrepreneurship
Club host a “Startup Weekend” for entrepreneurs to be held in the CSU, October 2-4, 2015,
open to all students.
Meeting minutes 9.16.15.
 Vacancies
 Officer Reports
o President Haffield
a. Reception for Mexico students
i. Partnership between US and Mexico
ii. Meet & Confer next Thursday.
iii. Rhonda Dass – Grad. Div. implementation team will begin meeting in
October.
iv. Davenport meeting – Homecoming and CTF, ties and scarves for
senators. Sign-up sheet circulated.
v. MSUSA Board Meeting last weekend –(brief rundown)
1. MSUSA’s State Chair will now be part of the discussion for the
Chancellor’s performance review.
vi. Constitution Commission – David Cowan and Ginger Zierdt appointed.
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Vice President Al-Mohamadi
a. Homecoming – We’ll be spending about $300. Pie a Senator, date TBD. Parade,
o Speaker Farah
a. Next week is VP Straka’s presentation, “Where does the money go?”
b. Attended RSO dinner this past Sunday. Survey was passed around. Comments:
Sodexo complaints, (rep will be coming to future senate meeting) funding,
different recognition process, see MSSA more and attend meetings. I encourage
senators to reach out to their RSOs.
c. Senators still not logging in hours. You’ll be given one more grace week.
d. ISRS Session on Oct 2nd. Encourage you to go.
Mark C: Also for your information, we also invite Dining Director to come to CSU Board and talk about
concerns, questions, etc.
 Senator Reports
o Senator Steele
 Dept. of Family Consumer Science-Spoke with the Administrative Assist. And she
mentioned concerns about almost hitting a student on a bike so we talked
about bike lanes. I emailed David Cowan about it. I think it is something for us
to think about.
Sam: City/University meeting upcoming so will bring that up.
o Senator Huntington
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Yang: Any idea if this person could actually provide some music therapy?
Wes: I can look into it.
 New Business
83 MM 09.23.15 01 - Summer Campus Rec Fee - Al-Mohamadi/de Ruiter
Whereas: Student Affairs Committee had no statistics reporting Campus Rec fees over the summer
when making decisions.
Be it Resolved: The Senate requests statistics of Campus Rec fees over the past two summers and then
refer back to Student Affairs for further discussion.
De Ruiter: When I spoke about this, I didn’t make it very clear that this was a SA decision and didn’t kill
this motion.
Motion passes.
Aye:27 Abstain: 1
83 MM 09.23.15 02 - Board Actions of President Haffield at MSUSA -- Riesterer/Sargent
Whereas: President Haffield attended MSUSA Board Meeting on Sept. 20th;
Be it Resolved: MSSA approves the actions President Haffield took on our behalf at MSUSA.
Riesterer: I think we should support our president.
Motion passes.
Aye: 25 Abstain: 3
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Announcements
Haffield: MSSA sponsoring the dying of fountain water for Homecoming. Looking at getting
signs stuff. Hopefully, will become tradition.
Ruiz: America’s Night
Sam: Need everyone to participate in Homecoming. Looking for senators to also be pied.
There’ll be a sign-up sheet on the whiteboard in the Senate office.
De Ruiter: Is there a rideshare program on campus?
Rayani: Kearney Int’l Center does have one for Int’l students.
Smith: There are free depression screenings this week at the Counseling Center as September is Suicide
Prevention Month.
Mark C.: SAC met first time this past Friday. Thanks to Bassam for organizing that. We’ll be meeting
10:00 on Fridays. CSU project updates: Last spring, Rooms 253/4/5 were marked for remodeling. It is
your student fees at work. We’re very happy with the result. Feel free to give us any feedback. We also
did one of the HVAC units. The one downstairs is scheduled for replacement next year.
Sam: I just want to make sure that you all know that SAC meetings are open so if any of you want to go,
you can attend them.
 Roll Call
 Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 5:17 pm.