GSA Assembly Meeting 9/4/2015
Vice President Kat Slye called the meeting to order at 6:10 pm.
1. The floor was empty for elections.
a. Caitlin Janiszewski was elected Assembly Speaker.
b. Nominations for Judicial Board Members: Jeff Turner, Scott Wolcott Lauren
Hammond (English Department), Liss Truby (English Department), and Eli
(History Department).
i. Voting occurred for the two people from the English Department, Lauren
Hammond, Jeff Turner, Scott Wolcott, and Eli were elected.
c. Angel Thompson was elected Assembly Secretary.
2. The agenda was approved for the September 2015 meeting.
3. Brief overview of Robert’s Rules: When we have a motion and once the motion is made,
we can have several people speak for a motion in a row. It’s a privilege to motion a topic
being spoke on. If one has a question about the process, you could do one of the
following: speak for or against the topic or use point of inquiry. Amending motions can
only occur twice, if there needs to be a changed to that motion. Otherwise it will be
called out of order and not recognized.
4. The minutes from the May 2015 meeting was approved.
5. Diana speaks before the officer reports. RGSO wants to start a writing group, but this
group is designed for international students, to help them write better documents in
English. We will be bringing together not only students but other staff and professors as
well.
Officer Reports
a. President’s Report skipped. Had nothing to add.
b. Vice President Report: Please tell your RSGO President and Treasurer your schedule,
because you need to be trained before the end of next week.
c. Treasurer Report: If you would like to be apart of the Financial committee please email
her.
i. Motion was made to approve the Treasurer’s report.
d. Equity & Inclusion Report: We would like to get your equity reports before hosting
events, please email it to gsainclusion@albany.edu.
e. Programming Report: They are looking for people to join their committee, if your
interested please email the committee. They held the GSA orientation and it had a great
turnout. On October 25th a representative from each RGSO needs to be present for a
three-hour program session, food will be provided. November 18th is Congress Day.
i. Question: That’s a lot of information, why didn’t her information or report not
make it to the website? - There was miscommunication.
f. Grants Reports: Email the committee if you wish to be apart of the grant committee.
i. President Rob makes a motion; Amendment is made to wait until after Officer
Reports to handout information during a 5-minute recess.
g. University Council Report: Nothing to add, first meeting will be in the conference room,
please email them.
h. NAGPS Report: Single leadership was the theme on the uptown and downtown campus
program. Only half of the attendees were from UAlbany, it had a major outcome and
they look forward to future events. This report did not make it online.
i. UAS Board had nothing to add. Cassidy is the new representative.
New Business
Was a recess for five minutes, meeting was called back to order at 6:50 pm.
a. Money has been allocated for students to attend events. Last year the grant chair went.
i. Motion:
ii. For the NAGPS fall legislative action days and national conference that the Eboard be given the authority to select the attendees based on the following criteria
(submitted electronically):
iii. Reason that they want to attend (if for nationals include presentation proposal)
iv. Past involvement in the NAGPS
v. Involvement with the GSA
AND
vi. If an E-Board member applies for an NAGPS conference they should recuse
themselves during the vote of whether they should attend that event. If more than
50% of the E-Board applies for an NAGPS conference, then the Speaker will
appoint an ad hoc committee to make final decisions.
AND
vii. Selection for further events will be through a process determined by the Assembly
before December.
viii.
Point of Privilege: Increase the size of the sentence.
ix. Clarification: The E-board makes the final decision on who attends the
conferences.
x. Kevin Stacy seconded the motion.
xi. Kat Slye encourages people to join the committee.
xii. No objections to the amendment to amendment. See none.
xiii.
No objections to the original motion. Motion passed.
b. Motion to approve President’s nominees for University Senate: Tiffany Charles, Henry
Curtis, and Nakissa Jahanbani. Motion was approved. No debate on senator
appointments. Hearing no debate. Motion passed, the senators are approved.
c. Motion to amend annual budget. Was a motion to add a new line to the budget. Motion
seconded. President Robert Clarification: The vast majority of the matter. No objections
passing the motion. Motion passed.
d. Motion to amend the bylaws for Assembly Secretary. Motion seconded. Debate on the
motion: Re-created the job description for the Assembly Secretary. Voting occurred.
Motion passed. The bylaws have been amended.
e. Motion to amend the bylaws for the Assembly Speaker. Motion seconded. No debate on
the matter. Voting occurred. Motion passed.
f. Motion to amend the bylaws for stipend for the Judicial Board. Motion was seconded.
i. Point of information: It’s only fair that the J-Board receive a stipend, but few
council representatives are not getting paid. This is not fair.
ii. Point of information: Is their money in the budget for council representatives to
receive a stipend? - Yes there is.
iii. Point of Inquiry: Not going to bring this up until February, we revisit the stipends
every two years in the meeting held in February. Council representatives are not
paid currently.
iv. No more debate. Voting occurred. Motion passed. Bylaws have been amended.
g. Motion to amend annual budget. (No longer relevant)
h. Motion to approve 2015-2016 Strategic Plan. Motion seconded.
i. Point of information: This plane needs to be revised.
ii. Motion to table the strategic plan pending revisions due by the E-board on
September 25th AND that the following people be included in the revision
process: lead senator and the university council rep AND that these revisions be
made public on the website on the 25th.
iii. Objection to the date of September 18, Kat cannot work on it, like to amend it for
September 25, which will still allow it to be posted to the website before the next
meeting. Motion was seconded. No debate to change from the 18th to the 25th.
There were no objections. It was amended.
iv. Point of information: This is not really a plan, it’s too vague. No real statements
or plans to achieve a specific goal. Make the language more specific.
v. Motion: 100% in favor of the motion. The lead senators, members of the
Assembly, University Council, all GSA members have the right to say anything.
Motion was seconded.
1.
Point of Injury: What process just occurred?
vi. Vote on amendment President Bob made. Amendment has been denied.
vii. Motion of table on the original motion. Comment: Hear what the people don’t
agree with, a strategic plan is not specific, we have specific version of this plan,
but it was not given to you.
viii.
For Table: Explain what it means within the document, at least enough to
be understandable.
ix. Comment: Regarding suggestion, can they be emailed?
x. For motion: Opt. the table, GSA members should be able to know if officers are
being successful in their roles.
xi. Comment: Any member of the GSA can comment or ask questions.
xii. Strategic Plan has been motion with additional changes.
i. Motion to create a steering committee. Seconded to the motion.
i. Point of information: Is this a different plan?
ii. Motion to amend language: (open to suggestions) GSA Five Year Master Plan.
Motion seconded.
iii. Motion to amend has passed.
iv. Amend to state “This committee should be made up of at least one new GSA
member, member of at least 4 different RGSOs”
v. Motion seconded. No more debate on the amendment. No objections. No debate
on the original motion. Vote carried. Motion passed.
Open Forum
Motion to amend the bylaws of Article 4, Section 11, the bylaws officer’s stipends, to say that
council representatives receive $500 stipend to be disperse the same language as senators.
Second to the motion.
Amend it to say: Council representatives who are not Senators shall receive a $500 stipend to be
disbursed.
Motion passed.
Adjournment
Motion to adjourn the meeting. Second for the motion. Motion passed. Meeting adjourned at
8:01 pm.