RUSA Agenda April 23, 2015
8:45 PM
1) Call to Order
2) Pledge of Allegiance
3) Approval of Agenda
4) Legislation
a. Bill to Approve the 2015-2016 Allocations Board
b. Bill to Approve the Fall 2015 Allocations
c. Resolution to Support Rutgers University Faculty to Include Student-Wellness
Information on Class Syllabi
d. Resolution to Support Racial/Ethnic Diversity with Multiple Scarlet Knights
5) Internal Elections
All executive board positions are required to:
 Complete 20 hours of office hours per month in the RUSA office
 Complete 5 hours of office hours per week during the fall and spring semesters
 Meet with Lori at least once every 3 weeks
 Attend E-Board meetings every Sunday at 4 pm
 Give an Officer Report during each RUSA meeting
University Affairs Chair
 Effectively manage a large committee
 Advocate on behalf of students interests in a wide variety of fields ranging from Housing to
Dining Services to Public Safety.
 Devise a way to select a group or organization to run meal swipes for Charity.
 Work closely with the public relations chair to advertise the meal swipes for Charity
program.
 Communicate on a regular basis both in person and other media with Administrators.
 Meet with the heads of dining services, transportation, public safety, etc.
 Meet with Lori on a regular basis twice per month.
 Work closely with Student Affairs chair and committee to set clear goals and charges.
 Assist the body in advocating for what it feels is important.
 Assist UA members in accomplishing what they hope to, support their initiatives.
 Check email once a day
Candidates: Nivedh Rajesh
Academic Affairs Chair
 Acquire input from various sources
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Good understanding of topics pertaining to academics such as IT, classrooms, faculty,
textbooks, etc.
 Requires you to correspond and/or meet with many different individuals or groups
 Requires good communication skills
 Proficient in research skills to understand and devise "best practices" or policy changes
that would affect students, faculty, and administration.
 Ability to manage multiple committee projects at once
 Often delegate between students and faculty
 Meet with many different administrators and faculty departmental liaisons.
 Check email once a day
Candidates: Evan Covello
Student Affairs Chair
 Inform students about the caucus chair positions of each campus and the positions
responsibility
 Collaborate with the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs to distinguish student concerns
on campus
 Facilitate committee projects including, but not limited to: Public Safety and Student
Center initiatives, town halls, tabling sessions, surveys, etc.
 Must sit on the Student Center Advisory Council
 Communicate with administrators that have specific connections to campus community or
student concerns.
 Guide committee members in scheduling times and locations of the town hall
 Supervise food orders for respective town halls
 Work closely with the treasurer and parliamentarian for food orders
 Work closely with the public relations chair to advertise town halls
 Answer phone calls, talk to student who come to visit, etc.
 Communicate findings from office hours to committee
 Responsible for overseeing the What’s On Your Mind Survey, or any other survey that
RUSA seeks to accomplish
Candidates: Mohamed Asker, Allie Williams
Athletic Affairs Chair
 This committee serves to act as a liaison between the student body and the athletic
department.
 Attend monthly meetings with the athletics department to discuss various issues that
concern the student experience in the realm of athletics.
 Responsible for working on initiatives related to Recreation
 Actively seek input from student athletes
 Devise initiatives to enhance the student experience with the Athletics department and
serve as core focus group for Athletics.
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Qualified candidates to chair this position should have proficient communication skills,
especially when communicating with officials in the Athletics Department.
The chair should have a passion for college sports
Have an understanding of the nuances of various college sporting experiences (from the
advertising to point of ticket purchase to in-game experience) for fans at Rutgers
Knowledge of the general business and history of college sports landscape.
Flexibility is essential for chair, as they must be able to communicate through various
platforms and to different groups of people, while being able to adjust meeting times with
Athletics.
Check emails once a day
6) Officer Report
7) Advisor Report
8) Public Sector
9) Adjournment
RUSA Bill: S15:17
Author: Vishal Patel, Treasurer
: Akash Parmar, Allocations Chair
Sponsor: Executive Committee; Allocations Board
Bill to Approve the 2015-2016 Allocations Board
Whereas, the Rutgers University Student Assembly (RUSA) is dedicated to providing a
means for and promoting student involvement and awareness within the University and
the community at large; and
Whereas, the RUSA Allocations Board is responsible for the allocation of funds to
registered Rutgers University Student Organizations as well as various registered events on
an as needed basis; with a goal to promote and support diversity of programming made
available to all Rutgers University Students through the fair and efficient use of the student
activity fee; and
Whereas, the goal of the RUSA Allocations Board is to promote and support diversity of
programming made available to all Rutgers University Students through the fair and
efficient use of the student activity fee; and
Whereas, it is essential to approve the nominees of whom have been carefully and
diligently vetted by RUSA Allocations Advisors and outgoing seniors of the Allocations
Board.
Whereas, the nominees have undergone intensive amount of training during the RUSA
Allocations retreat which took place on April 4, 2015, from 9AM to 4PM; and
Be it Hereby Enacted, that the Rutgers University Student Assembly will approve the new
RUSA Allocations Board; and
Be it Hereby Resolved, that the following students (in their respective positions) be
approved as the RUSA Allocations Board for the semesters of Fall 2015 to Spring 2016:
Chair: Akash Parmar
Vice Chair: Anirudh Thuppul
Treasurer: Saikiran Chilukamari
Secretary: Michelle Boyland
RUSA Treasurer: Vishal Patel
Auditor: Jamie Layne
Auditor: Parth Shingala
Member at Large: Dana Cai
Member at Large: Pranay Shah
Member at Large: Neil Bhavsar
Member at Large: Krina Patel
RUSA Bill: S15: 18
Author: Vishal Patel, RUSA Treasurer
: Akash Parmar, Allocations Chairperson
Sponsor: Allocations Board
Bill to Approve the Fall 2015 Allocations
Whereas, the Rutgers University Student Assembly (RUSA) is dedicated to providing a
means for and promoting student involvement and awareness within the University and
the community at large; and
Whereas, the RUSA Allocations Board is responsible for the allocation of funds to
registered Rutgers University Student Organizations as well as various registered events on
an as needed basis; with a goal to promote and support diversity of programming made
available to all Rutgers University Students through the fair and efficient use of the student
activity fee; and
Whereas, the goal of the RUSA Allocations Board is to promote and support diversity of
programming made available to all Rutgers University Students through the fair and
efficient use of the student activity fee ; and
Whereas, the budgets for recognized RUSA organizations for the Fall 2014 term were due
on April 1, 2015; and
Whereas, on April 4, 2015, the present and newly nominated RUSA Allocations Board met
from 9AM to 4PM to get trained and allocate funds to the approximately 360 registered
organizations of the Rutgers University New Brunswick/Piscataway Campus; and
Whereas, in order for groups and organizations to effectively program events, the RUSA
constitution requires the approval of the RUSA body to approve the Fall 2015 Allocation for
the groups listed in the spreadsheet attached; therefore
Be it Hereby Enacted, that RUSA approves the Fall 2015 Allocation for all registered
student groups that applied by the due date of April 1, 2015; and
Be it Hereby Resolved, that RUSA approves the allocation of a total of $ 568,242.12 to 286
registered student groups and organizations at Rutgers University New
Brunswick/Piscataway Campus using the Student Activity Fee.
RUSA Resolution: S15: 03
Author: Evan Covello, Luis Fernandez
Sponsor: Academic Affairs
Resolution to Support Rutgers University Faculty to Include Student-Wellness Information
On Class Syllabi
Whereas, academics is the unifying aspect of students at Rutgers University, despite if the
student commutes or lives on or off campus, and
Whereas, all Rutgers students should have equal access to student-wellness services and should
be educated on knowing where to seek these resources, and
Whereas, off-campus and commuter students do not have the same access to Residential
Assistants that on-campus students have, equaling in over 15,000 students that do not live on
campus and operate under the same encompassing structure as Residence Life, and
Whereas, it would be effective to place the contact information of student-wellness services on
the syllabi of faculty to get the conversations happening in the classroom, especially given the
focus on student wellness and sexual assault this past this, and
Whereas, almost all classes usually start by reviewing syllabi and important information
contained in it on the first day and it would only take a small amount of time to review, and
Whereas, Big Ten Universities are also looking to enact policies to improve mental health and
student wellness on campuses, and
Be it hereby resolved, that the RUSA general body supports a policy to work with faculty to
include basic contact information of student-wellness services on the syllabi of their classes.
Student-Wellness Services:
Counseling, ADAP & Psychiatric Services (CAPS)
CAPS is dedicated to serving the students and faculty at Rutgers - New Brunswick by providing
comprehensive mental health services to the campus community. CAPS strives to provide
services that are designed to help students reach and maintain a positive, productive university
experience, ranging from various counseling services, educational and preventive initiatives,
training programs, outreach and consultation activities, and to provide guidance on how to
contribute to a caring healthy community. As specialists in working with undergraduate and
graduate students, we can help students address whatever it is that may be of concern to them.
We will do our best to ensure that students get their needs met, through a CAPS group,
individual counseling, or a referral to another community resource.
● (848) 932-7884
● 17 Senior Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Victim Prevention & Victim Assistance (VPVA)
The Office of Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance offers counseling and advocacy
services, educational programming, and training, consultation and policy development services
to all members of the University community. Our programs and services are designed to
promote ways of coping with the effects of interpersonal violence and to prevent such violence
from occurring.
● (848) 932-1181
● 3 Bartlett Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Disability Services
The Office of Disability Services is dedicated to the philosophy that all Rutgers University
students are assured equal opportunity, access and participation in the University’s courses,
programs, activities, services and facilities. We recognize that diverse abilities are a source of
strength, empowerment, and enrichment for the entire university community and we are
committed to the elimination of physical, instructional, and attitudinal barriers by promoting
awareness and understanding throughout the university community.
● (848) 445-6800
● Lucy Stone Hall, Suite A145, Livingston Campus, 54 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Piscataway,
NJ 08854
Resoltuion to Support Racial/Ethnic Diversity with Multiple Scarlet Knights
RUSA Resolution: S15:04
Authors: R. Emmet Brennan, Mohamed Asker
Sponsor: Athletic Affairs
Whereas, Rutgers University Student Assembly (RUSA) serves to represent all undergraduate
students, including those in the Athletic community,
Whereas, Rutgers Athletics is currently represented by a Scarlet Knight, who is Caucasian with
blue eyes,
Whereas, Rutgers University prides itself on its diverse student-body and its mascots should
represent the like,
Whereas, an increase in diverse mascots would make Rutgers University the forefront of
racially tolerant communities,
Be it hereby resolved, that the Rutgers University Student Assembly calls upon the Rutgers
Administration to provide more ethnically diverse mascots,
Be it further resolved, that the Rutgers University Student Assembly urges the Administration
to include the Athletic Affairs Committee, the Multicultural councils and any other
organizations that express interest or represent a unique voice, in the process of providing
more ethnically diverse mascots,
Be it further resolved, that the Rutgers University Student Assembly urges the Administration
to also explore the prospect of non-male Scarlet Knights.