83rd MSSA Senate
October 28th, 2015
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Call to Order by 83rd Speaker Farah
Roll Call
Presentations:
a. David Cowan – Director of Facilities Services, Mark Anderson, City of
Mankato
i. Handouts (bus routes, financial update)
ii. Parking Budget: $1.6M in revenue goal; cost of buses: Expenses last year:
$426,000; this year expect expenses of $526,000 this year due to expanded
routes and increase in rates, depreciation of buses.
iii. Shortfall from last year of $140,000.
iv. Ridership has seen significant increase of 755,000 in ridership; (represents
entire system)
v. Passenger per hour is impressive; current standard of 17/per hour is
considered successful, however, one route reflects having 108/hour (Rt
#8)
vi. .90 cents/credit hour
vii. City bought 3 new buses at $460,000 ea. MSU is not paying for these.
 Bus Ridership – MSU ridership continues to increase.
 January – September Ridership
 MSU Ridership by Route
 MSU Hours of Service
 Passengers Per Hour
 Route 1B South; Sept Hours = 220; Sept PPH = 36.34
 Oct Ridership = 6,848; Oct Hours = 176; Oct PPH = 38.91
 Route 1B South Alignment
Bui: Has there been any thought or discussion about using gas-alternative buses?
Anderson: Actually, the exhaust coming out of every bus is cleaner than anything on this
campus. They are that environmentally sound. Electric buses haven’t worked so well for those
who’ve had them. CNG (natural fuel) vehicles are cheaper per gallon, however, downside is
maintenance and the storage needs are unique and so requirements are incompatible to
existing.
Sam: How long have you had the buses?
Anderson: Other than the new ones, they are 12-year buses.
Sam: How is increase justified for those routes not heavily used?
Anderson: It is the total operational costs of keeping them on the road.
Sam: Is City contributing to increase at all?
Cowan: Our increase is actually less as they were able to get federal funds.
Farah: You said that MnDot pays 80% and MSU pays 20%??
Anderson: You’re only paying for the actual buses that you are using.
b. Cynthia Janney – Residence Hall Rates
i. Summary of summer projects (handouts)
ii. Room & Board process/timeline
 2016-2017
Residence Hall
Room & Board Rates
 Setting Rates:
 How does it work?
 October 19, 2015
 Residential Life
 Minnesota State University, Mankato
 Overview
 What are room & board rates?
 What is the student consultation process?
 What changes have come from this process?
 Prior years in general
 This last year specifically
 What’s next?
 What Are Room & Board Rates?
 Room Rates
 The fees that students pay to live in University-supervised housing
 Crawford
 McElroy
 Julia Sears
 Preska
 Stadium Heights
 Room Rates
 Room rates generally cover more things than apartment rent covers:
 Room & furnishings
 Utilities (power, heat, cooling if offered)
 Cable, internet (wired and wireless)
 Laundry
 Water, sewer, trash & recycling
 Common areas: amenities, cleaning & maintenance
 Services
 Front Desks
 Res Tech Services
 Staff supervision
 Board Rates
 The fees that students pay for meal plans
 This covers:
 Food
 Staff to make & serve the food
 Staff to clean up
 Maintenance of dining equipment
 Utilities
 Cleaning, & maintenance of dining spaces
 Disposable items like cups and napkins
 Utensils, pots & pans, to-go containers
 Computers, cash registers, software licensing
 Setting the rates for the next year
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We look at current and projected expenses for both room and board
We determine rates that will cover those expenses and reinvestment in the facilities
We talk about new services and amenities that students may want
We set a rate to meet these needs
What about the tuition freeze?
Does not apply to room and board rates.
No one is required to live on campus
Residence Halls and Student Unions are part of the Revenue Fund, and are like
individual businesses within the University.
Have long-term debt, and need room rates that will pay off that debt.
All students pay tuition. Tuition is a required fee.
What is Student Consultation?
Student Consultation Process
The University shares information with student leaders about the rates planning process
Students ask questions and provide input
Students vote on recommendations
The Board of Trustees considers the rate proposals and has approval authority
They want to see evidence that the campus staff consulted with the students on this
process.
Student Consultation Process
MnSCU Board of Trustees (BOT) legally sets all fees
 Universities consult with students
 Universities submit their fee proposals and rationale to BOT
 MSSA sends a letter to BOT describing the consultation process
 Board of Trustees decides
Residence Hall Rates Consultation Process
 Setting up the Process October 1
 Presentations to RHA and MSSA Beginning today
 Reps share information & get floor input
 RHA votes, recommends to MSSA Nov 30, Dec 2
What Changes Have Come
From This Process?
Past Changes From Student Consultation on Residence Hall Rates
Water bottle fillers
Ice Machines
Reuseable To-Go containers
Food Service hours
 Weeknight & weekend dinner hours
 Weekend continuous service (doesn’t close between meals)
Desk supplies, DVD checkout, RHA promo item
 2015-2016: RHA Voted For . . .
Desk Check-Out Supplies
Upgrade Desk Check-out Supplies
 $750 per desk
 Pots, pans and utensils for use in floor kitchens
 Games
 Sporting equipment
 Add to base rate: $1.00 per student
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RHA Promotional Item
One item provided to each residence hall student
Add to base rate: $3.00 per student
Water Filters in Floor Kitchens
One residential style water filter installed in each floor kitchen. Cost includes
maintenance and filter changes.
Add to base rate: $11.00 per student
Two-Ply Toilet Paper
Two ply toilet paper instead of one ply toilet paper.
Add to base rate: $3.00 per student
Fresh Fruit in Dining Hall
Provide fresh fruit, cut up, at least two kinds served together. They will include pears,
melons (honey dew, cantaloupe, watermelon), berries (strawberries, raspberries,
blueberries), pineapple, grapes, and other selections that are seasonally available from
the produce provider.
Add to base rate: $49.00 per student
What’s your idea?
Would you like to see the cost of these ideas that have been raised in the past?
 Water filters on floor kitchen faucets
 TVs in each floor lounge
 Paper towels in floor bathrooms
 What ideas do you have?
Next Time:
Budget Assumptions for 2016-2017
Base Rate for Room & Board
Improvement Options, first draft
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Open Forum
o Alex – American Indian Student Association
 Approval of Consent Agenda
Appointments: Mamadou Pouye--MSSA Budget Committee
Appointments still needed: Technology Fee Advisory Committee, Elections Commission, Athletic
Advisory Committee, CSU Board (1 more). Learning Technology Roundtable (1 more). Budget Sub-Meet
and Confer (1 more), MSSA Budget Committee, CTF Planning Sub-Meet (2), Arts & Humanities Dean
Search Committee(1), Extended Education Dean Search Committee (1), Vice President of University
Advancement Search Committee (1)
Commission on Ethics & Standards: Zana Vejsa
Recognized Student Organizations: Post-Secondary; Gender and Women’s Studies Club; Love Your
Melon; International Business Organization; Fulbright Student Association – MNSU; Korean Student
Association; Recreation Majors Club; MavHouse Records; Arrowstotles; The Fulbright Student
Association - Minnesota State University, Mankato; Options for Women; Teachers of Tomorrow
Meeting minutes 10.21.15.
Approved.
 Vacancies
 Officer Reports
o President Haffield –
a. Looking for people for committees.
b. Met with Provost with Academic Affairs Coordinator, Smith
c. President Davenport here on the 11th.
d. Hockey game this Friday.
e. Talked with Campus Rec about possible trivia idea. Could be a lot of fun.
Vice President Al-Mohamadi
f. Halloween Haunted House tonight from 9-12 tonight.
g. Been working with administration to bring back MSSA Scholarship back. If
anyone would like to be part of this, please talk to me.
o Speaker Farah
a. Working with COB on an undergraduate advising program. Many students we
spoke to prefer to speak to other students versus their advisors. Junior and
seniors will be doing the advising.
b. AA and SA Coordinator concerns with senators not attending meetings.
c. Reminder that senate meetings are from 4-6 pm, and see people leaving earlier
than not. If not an excuse to leave, or class, you’ll be counted as absence.
d. Number of senators who would be interested in the leadership skills
training/assessment online module proposed by Ashley Strom. There is a cost of
$11/student associated with it. (Hand count unanimous).
 Senator Reports
o Senator Abdulrahmane
 Overview of Ethic & Standards Committee role.
o Senator De ruiter – Student Affairs Committee
 Campus Rec numbers – previous two summers have gone down from 42 to 35
and paying $50 fee. One session ($25) went from 14 to 11 students.
 Several years ago (6 or more) this was a MSSA decision.
 Faculty pay $100 for the summer.
 Costs are to cover for facility maintenance. (cost breakdown)
 General consensus of Student Affairs Committee is to keep fee as is.
Pfingsten: When people come to me with question as to whether they can pro-rate, I just try to make it
fair to them.
Sargent: Different fee for community member?
Pfingsten: They would have to come in as a donor to the institution, which is $250 as a 1X donation and
then can pay for a staff/faculty membership of $100/semester.
o Senator Smith – Academic Affairs Committee
 Met with Provost on Thursday: Academic Planning and Mapping; Diversity
requirement for graduation is currently on hold for formal assessment of Purple
& Gold courses and why they aren’t meeting diversity needs of the students;
working on preparing next steps.
o Senator Gibson – College of Education
 First committee meeting of COE Advisory Board meeting: goals and outcomes;
more on Friday; wants to be more visible college to alumni and students;
learned earlier disappointing news on Edina Campus. Block 3 students (15 of
them) learned of meeting during semester break and if not attending it will
affect their grade. Students are afraid if they speaking up, will result in
retaliation of some sort.
o Senator Smith & Senator Ututalum
 Ututalum: Concern with online differential cost of $40 compared to traditional
classes. Purpose of cost is to improve online learning environment, however,
concern is that students can’t see these enhanced improvements.
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Smith: Discussed with the Provost and she said that they do QM, to determine
quality, and to be certified for online quality. She emphasized transparency to
students and possible next step could be creating focus groups for the students.
She will be sending me the budget information on where that money actually
goes so we can talk about what we may want to do next.
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Old Business
o Motion MM83.10.21.15.01
Haffield/Al-Mohamadi
Whereas: the Speaker has drawn up Operating Policies for the Minnesota State Student Association
as proposed by Article VIII Section 2 of our Bylaws
Whereas: The Operating Policies have been presented and open for amendments;
Be it resolved: The Minnesota State Student Association adopts the revised Operating Policies
Motion passes.
Aye: 22 Nay: 0 Abstain: 1
o Motion MM83.10.21.15.02
Ruiz/Dahir
Moved to amend Article I Section 1 Subsection E of the MSSA Operating Policy draft to read “Card
Access for the Office is given to by default the President, Vice President, Speaker, Academic
Coordinator, Student Affairs Coordinator, Office Manager and all the senate.”
Motion failed.
Aye: 3 Nay: 16 Abstain: 3
Ruiz: Think it is fair to all senators.
Dahir: Feel all senators should have access.
Haffield: I’m very opposed to this for various reasons. I was also a senator and so understand, however,
seen the problems with it. The problem with letting 30 some people include: leaving doors open, items
stolen, personal items being left available for Oasis, ISA, etc. Not every student in those offices who are
involved have access. If you have a legitimate reason for needing to do so, just let us know and we can
work with you.
De Ruiter: Several years ago incident with the RHA office. Some had access to that office and after a
couple of weeks there was an incident and access was revoked. It has still resulted in a loss of trust.
Think that this is a matter of we want it because we don’t have it. I don’t find that any senator
necessarily needs the office as I can talk to them elsewhere.
Dahir: Is there a way to track as to who has access? That way we can hold responsible whoever last did
so and hold accountable.
Sadeghi: I can’t imagine a scenario where a senator has to go into the office after hours.
Ututalum: I feel like anyone could swipe their card and let others in.
Farah: I’ve multiple points on this. There have been incidents of inappropriate things in our office in the
past. Even though I feel we have a responsible senate, when we pass these Operating Policies, it is not
just for this one but future senates. We don’t know if future administrations are responsible like our
current. Cindy or the work study student is there from 8:00-4:00 every day. I can give you my promise
that if needed, I can give you that access.
Sam: I really hope you know that when we talk about issues that we respect our senate. I see that
people hold office hours during the day and don’t see them doing so after hours. Already hard to
control this with a few of us who have it. It will get out of hand.
 New Business
Motion MM83.10.28.15 Summer Campus Rec Fees
Whereas: The Student Affairs Coordinator presented data and stats as requested.
Whereas: The current fees seem to be higher than locally and statistics show a reduced number
of attendees;
Be it Resolved: The Senate requests that this fee should be reduced to $30 for two sessions and
$15 for one session.
Motion passes.
Aye: 19 Nay: 0 Abstain: 1
Sam: Feel this has been an issue for a while and is too expensive. As de Ruiter stated, it is
approximately $2,000. That is not much for a University, however, something for a student to pay $50.
Let’s reduce it. It is also being more competitive. As more students may participate, you’ll make up for
it. This reduction only amounts to 1.2 days that Campus Rec has to find money for operating costs. This
is fair.
Dahir: Think it needs to be discussed.
De Ruiter: Yield to Todd P.
Todd: If we reduce it, yes, it will affect our budget. It is not tremendous, but does impact. We don’t
know if we get more students because of it. We do have a lot of services we offer over the summer that
students can access.
Sam: Feel this is doing a favor for Campus Rec. as more students will use it.
Krueger: I’ve worked at Campu Rec and don’t feel that the fee is really the problem.
Sadeghi: Whatever change we make now can be changed back if it doesn’t change memberships.
 Announcements
 Roll Call
 Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 6:15 pm.