NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
STUDENT ASSOCIATION SENATE
GENERAL MEETING MINUTES
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Clara Sperling Skyroom
6:00 p.m.
I.
Call to Order
A. Speaker Quick calls meeting to order at 6:17
II.
Roll Call
III.
Pledge of Allegiance
A. President Troutman asks Senator Orbach to lead pledge
IV.
Approval of Minutes
A. Speaker Quick makes a motion for approval of the minutes, Floor seconds. Vote passes
V.
Approval of Agenda
A. Speaker Quick motions to postpone G, H, I, floor seconds. Motion Carries
B. Speaker Quick motions to move Item A from new to old business, seconded. Motion Carries
VI.
Speaker’s Report
a. Good evening Senators,
I know that all of you serving in this body decided to run for various reasons. I know that
some of you have agendas and ideas that you feel need to be pursued and I know that
others of you are just here with a genuine desire to serve your fellow students. My job as
Speaker is to find a happy medium between all of you. I do not see my role as a top-down
leader - someone who pushes their own agenda or wishes. I feel that my role, as your
Speaker is to be here as an advocate for you. In the Senate Operating Manuals that you
have been given – you will find few changes in policy or procedure – rather more guidance
on how we can work in a more effective manner to grow the voice of the student
population here at NIU. In the manual, I have shaped guidance on how each of you can
begin working within your various districts – named Caucuses. I did not place any further
required tasks, but share some tips for getting more involved with groups and other
governing bodies of your districts.
One of the biggest changes you will find in the new operating manual is the section on
FLOW OF LEGISLATION. This has been written by Senator Mike Theodore in line with my
view on how legislation should move through this body. In the past, all legislation was
created and written by the Speaker and placed on the agenda. It is in my view that this is
not a good use of all of your talents and takes away from the power and responsibility
that each of you has been given with your election. Legislation should come from without
and from within, and when whenever it is possible should always be written and/or sponsored by a
sitting Senator. If I were to write all legislation it would be through my own eyes and my own
views on issues and that does not serve you well and it most certainly does not serve the student of
NIU.
I would like to now discuss with you what has been going on in the Senate and the Student
Association since the last senate adjourned last May. Over the summer, President Echols and I
have been working together to grow the influence and reach of both the SA and the students of this
University. Together, we have met with countless community and government entities.
Organizations such as ReNew DeKalb – a group whose mission is to revitalize and invigorate the
downtown area – making it a more student friendly destination for generations to come.
The Student Association has been a member of the DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce for
years – but has never been an active player in the organization. In our meetings with the Chamber,
we have expressed our desire to see more student oriented businesses and more direct marketing to
students by businesses already here.
We also met and have established relationships with the Mayors and City Managers of Sycamore
and DeKalb. Through our meeting with Mayor Povlesen, I have been appointed to the Economic
Development Committee- whose number one priority is growing this community and bringing in
better companies to service the residents (students and locals). At a recent meeting of the EDC – I
shared the desire of many students to see a Chik-Fi-Lay come to DeKalb near campus. This desire
to see more food options for our community is something that doesn’t take twenty years to come to
fruition – it is something that with the right amount of push and maneuvering can be accomplished
now.
President Peters has come out with his Vision 2020 Plan and I am in complete support of the work I
have seen. At the Student Association we have a belief that, while we support Vision 2020 – we
are working under the mindset of Vision 20NOW. Meaning that instead of lofty benchmarks that
will take over a decade to see results – there are things that we (all of us here in this chamber) can
accomplish and see a real change on our campus and throughout our community for this generation
of students. I am excited to see the dirt flying on the grounds of the new residence hall. These are
additions that our campus desperately needs but we must not forget about the other areas of our
campus that also need our attention. Our existing residence halls have been looked over for years
now and are in need of some cosmetic face lifts and the food options for our students needs to be
changed in a way that make the Dining halls a destination – not just a last resort. The building we
are in currently, the Holmes Student Center needs to become a student union. A place filled with
life and energy that is not only student centered but student friendly as well. This needs to be the
center of student life – a home away from home. Recently, the Board of Trustees approved
renovations to this building that will eliminate the computer lab on the main floor and replace it
with a coffee shop. This coffee shop will have “tablets” that students can check out to surf the web.
While I understand the desire to make changes that are current to the customs of today – the thing
that is missing in this plan is that while we will have a more relaxing location for students to hang
out in – the hundreds of students that rely on that lab for their educational needs will be left with
one less option.
There is no denying that our campus lacks school spirit and school pride. Part of the reasoning
behind this is because of the way this campus has been designed both physically and internally. I
am constantly having students complain to me about the service they receive from various
departments around campus. It is in my view that EVERY department – from building service and
grounds to the Bursars to the Presidents office works for us – the students. Every faculty member,
staff member and support staff is paid to provide a service to the students of this institution and it is
time for us to stand up together to ensure that students feel empowered to speak up when they are
treated badly or given the run around in one matter or another. While the employees of Northern
Illinois University have the privilege of institutional knowledge – it is the students who will
continue the legacy and help to transform NIU into the world class institution it is capable of
becoming and I look to each of you to step up to ensure that our University does not continue down
a path of mediocrity.
We have heard a great deal about the financial mess that our state is in and how it has affected the
University. I applaud President Peters and the leadership team of NIU for ensuring that our
students continue to receive a quality education during this troubling period. That said, the
University will have no choice but to begin to depend more on the fees and tuition of students to
keep the doors open rather than large sums of money from the state. This means that our students
will be making an even greater financial investment into their education here and we need to ensure
that they have the financial resources to succeed. Currently the General Assembly is discussing
cutting MAP Grant funds and eventually getting rid of the program altogether. This is a problem
considering a large portion of our student population depends on some level of financial support.
As student leaders we MUST speak out against this attack on higher education funding to our state
legislators!
Our state has been unfriendly to business for years and now at an alarming rate – many of the
companies that have called Illinois home for generations have chosen to move to more business
friendly states. To combat this problem our state lawmakers have chosen to place the burden on
you and I, the taxpayer. This year alone, they have raised Personal Income taxes by 66 PERCENT
and Business taxes by 46 PERCENT, Toll charges are to increase by 88 PERCENT and fees for
various services have been doubled.
At this point – you are probably asking yourself how this affects us as students of NIU? Well –
first off NIU has one of the highest retention rates for students to stay in Illinois after graduating
from college of other four year institutions. That means that while you are here barely scraping by
to make it through financially in college – you will be hit even harder once you try to find a job
after graduating. I believe that with our support and advocacy, we can make a positive impact and
put pressure on our lawmakers to change the current policies and make this a better state to live and
work. This is not a Democrat problem or a Republican one either- this is a citizen problem and it is
up to all of us sitting here to know that our voice does matter and when we speak up they will
listen.
Now I have spoken at length about some of the issues and challenges facing us as a Senate and a
University. I would like to share with you some of the positive changes that we have already
achieved and ones we will continue this year.
Over the summer, President Echols and I hosted four members of Congress from the Illinois
delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives. They each came to NIU to see firsthand how
much potential there is here and both Elliot and I spoke emphatically how financial aid at the
federal level is essential to the success of our students. It is my goal to continue to work with our
federal lawmakers to grow and expand the amount of financial aid that our students will have
access to.
At the city level, a lot of people have complained about the parking situation on Garden Road in
front of the business and engineering schools. At the end of the summer, I met with city officials
regarding student concerns that the city had unfairly targeted students on that road by having police
officers waiting to ticket cars parked before 9 AM. Now, I am happy to inform all of you that we
are almost done with a citizen review of the situation and that it appears that the student voice has
been heard and parking on that street will be changed from 9 AM to 7:30 AM – that way our
students can park and get to class without worrying about getting a ticket.
All of these are examples of how when we look outside of the box and in this room in particular –
there is limitless possibility of the positive changes we can make during our time at NIU.
I look forward to working together with each and every one of you – I know that we will not always
agree on every issue but what is important for me is that we always keep it professional and more
importantly focused on what we are here to do: SERVE THE STUDENTS OF NORTHERN
ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY.
We have heard that some in this room feel that they were cheated out of choosing the leader of this
body. As I said last year when I was elected the first time, it is my hope that over time I win
support from all of you – especially those who are not fans of me. For those of you who served last
year- you can attest to the amount of team building that took place and I feel that after all that we
went through we truly were able to accomplish a great deal. I am not in this position for a title or
notoriety – but make no mistake - I will not sit back too afraid to stand up for you and the students
who attend this University.
As a Veteran of the military, I am often asked why I got involved in student government in the first
place – my answer has always been TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
It is my sincere desire that together we can make a difference so that when people look at our
accomplishments that they will see that we stood up ready to fight when others were too afraid.
Northern Illinois University is an amazing institution with a great deal to proud of and it is up to us
to show our fellow students that we all should be proud to call ourselves HUSKIES.
Thank you!
VII.
Guest Speakers
A. No speakers
VIII.
Committee Report(s)
A. Senator Shockey gives report for rules and procedures committee
i.
Discussed Senator leave request form
ii.
Vague concerns over the constitution from Senator Orbach
iii.
Operating manual changes gives more powers to the Senators
iv.
Discussed SAB43008, makes a motion to adopt the recommendation to commit SAB43008 through the
Rules and Procedures committee
v.
Senator Theodore, point of order, Asks if it is allowed to do such an action at this time
1. President Pro Tempore Troutman explains it is in order to adopt a committee’s report.
2.
Theodore Yields.
vi.
Senator Peritz Motions to postpone the motion to commit until the bill is heard in old business
vii.
Motion to commit by Senator Shockey, seconded.
viii.
Discussion/debate
1. Senator Vaughn asks the reasoning behind the recommendation. Yields
2. Senator Shockey explains that the R&P committee said the bill had many issues that it needed
to look over and explains those issues should be dealt with by the R&P committee. Yields
3. Senator Theodore explains that because of the possible ramifications and contradictions to the
bylaws it should be brought up before R&P committee. Yields
4. Senator Peritz Makes a motion to withdraw his motion to postpone
5. Senator Vaughn- Point of Question what would the postponement entail?
a. Senator Shockey the rules and procedures will give its official report and or
recommendations
b. Vaughn Yields
IX.
ix.
Motion to Commit SAB43008 to R&P committee. Motion carries.
x.
Speaker Quick talks of the new agenda and committee meeting times
Constitutional Officer Report(s)
A. No Report
X.
Cabinet Report(s)
A. No Report
XI.
Supreme Court Report(s)
A. No Report
XII.
Old Business
A. SAR43004-A RESOLUTION TO CONFIRM WINNIE OKAFOR ASSOCIATE JUSTICE
i.
Speaker Quick makes a motion to approve SAR43004, seconded.
a. Okafor speaks of qualifications, being involved on campus, Student association Senator, protempore feels due to her Qualifications she would be qualified to interpret the bylaws and
constitution of the SA
ii.
Discussion/debatea. Senator Henderson- Speaks of high regard for Winnie and gives voice of kudos for her.
iii.
Vote SAR43004. Motion Carries
.
B. SAR43007- A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE THE SENATE OPERATING MANUAL
i.
Speaker Quick motions to approve SAB43007, seconded.
ii.
Discussion/debate
a. Speaker Quick talks of some of the people that helped him write the Operating Manual
including President Pro Tempore Brian Troutman, Senate Clerk Bak, and the Senator Theodore
who wrote the flow of legislation.
b. Speaker Quick explains that legislation, nor community service changed
c. Speaker Quick explains the big change was that of Senator leave request form
d. Speaker Quick explains that Caucuses are purely a recommendation and the districts
e. Speaker Quick yields time to Senator Koegel said the Study abroad initiative is no longer
available
1. Quick explains that he is having the meeting to determine the status of the endowment
f.
Speaker Quick deleted the distinguished senator award, added a welcome
g.
Senator Black, asks if Senators are allowed to work outside of districts
1. Quick answers with they are just suggestions and encourages all senators to get
involved as much as possible with., also the body should look at how they do elections
2. Senator Black asks to send out other times for different meetings
3. Quick says its possible to do that
h. Senator Herring asks Senator Black what committee she is on- Ruled out of Order
i.
Senator Grosz are we allowed to speak to them as well
1. Quick responds that they are purely recommendations and reminders to serve where we
live and encourages Senators to work with other Senators in different districts
j.
Senator Jones is glad the caucuses are placed in the manual
k. Senator Vaughn Likes the new Senate Manual, but expresses concern
1.
Sentence 2, Section 2, the Speaker is to push through the agenda, asks if that will
hinder the ability for Senators to put through legislation
-
Speaker Quick says that it is not a matter of him putting legislation through but
serves more as a guideline and process to create the agenda each week and
explains he will not hinder any legislation but it must go through flow of
legislation
2. Section 4 Rules and Procedures committee, sentence 2
-
Speaker Quick explains the problem is a typo
3. Asks why the power to determine an absence is on the Speaker
-
Quick responds by saying it is how its been done in the past and gives an
example of excused unexcused absences.
l.
Senator Vaughn makes a motion to insert “if the speaker denies the request, the senator may
appeal to the R&P committee”, floor seconds
1. Quick explains that while he is the Speaker he will agree to the decision of the rules
and procedures decisions
2.
Senator Black asks for clarification on the insertion
3.
Senator Vaughn clarifies that he feels there is a need for an alternate route of
circumstances
4.
Senator Black disagrees with the insertion
5.
Speaker Quick, Absences matter, and mention Senator at Large applications,
extenuating circumstances
6. Senator Keith makes a motion to call the question on amendment, seconded, passed
m. Vote on amendment, Amendment failed
n.
Senator Henderson applauds Speaker on new manual but asks where the qualifications of the
chairmen are and expresses only concern is lack of definitive language
-
Speaker Quick says his responsibility is to cultivate leaders as well as to
appoint people to get the body’s work done. Also asks Senators Keith, Fiegel,
and Theodore to stand and gives examples of their qualities on what he thought
they could do for NIU
-
Senator Henderson adds it was not a personal attack on the Speaker but he just
wanted to know why there was a lack of procedure and definitive language in
the manual.
-
Speaker Quick adds that the chairman are appointed by Speaker, but are
confirmed by the Senate
o.
Senator Theodore states that the operating manual is more of a guiding direction for the senate
and expresses the most important documents for the Senate are the bylaws and constitution
p.
iii.
Senator Shockey motions to call the question, seconded. Passed.
SAR43007 Vote. Motion Carries
C. SAB43001- A BILL TO RECOGNIZE THAAKAT FOUNDATION
i.
Speaker Quick motions to approve SAB43001, seconded.
a. THAAKAT promotes giving and service, foundation with global and local divisions
promote charitiy and giving. The organization has raised $18,000 for the Pakistan victims for the flood
locally many projects for Chicago. And the group has now spread to 13 chapters around the US. Helps
give back to the community.
ii.
Questionsa. Senator Maple- do you target any specific students,
-
The representative answers that the club is open to everyone but most current
projects are focused on dealings related to Southeast Asia
b. Senator Grosz- are you planning on doing projects in this area
-
Represenative answers they are open to ideas but right now most are based on
Southeast Asia
c. Senator Vaughn- how would anyone get in contact with you after this meeting,
-
iii.
They have a FB, and two brochures getting passed around
Discussion/debate
a. Senator Orbach asks if to the Speaker’s knowledge if the organization is looking for
funding
b.
Speaker Quick responds that under the new policy they are eligible
Senator Vaughn supports the group because any group that is looking to do charity
should be welcome on NIU’s campus.
iv.
SAB43001 Vote. Motion Carries
D. SAB43002- A BILL TO RECOGNIZE DYNAMIC DANCE COLLABORATIVE
i.
Speaker Quick moves to postpone SAB43002, seconded.
ii.
Discussion/debate
a. None
iii.
Vote to Pospone. Vote passes
E. SAB43003- A BILL TO RECOGNIZE SAUDI STUDENTS CLUB
i.
Speaker Quick motions to approve SAB43003, seconded
a. President Speaks, major objective is to present culture and get involve and also to help
Saudi Students experience American Culture
b. Speaker Quick asks are there any special requirements to be a part of the group
-
Must have a special scholarship, full time students
c. Senator Herring asks how many members outside E board-
23 members
d. Senator Peritz asks about the scholarship requirement
-
open scholarship from Saudi students club
e. Senator Grosz about community service
f.
Involving community cultural days
Speaker Quick asks about the president Requirement
-
There was no issue
g. Senator Herring asks if you cant be an officer without the scholarship?
-
The representative answers most students here are beneficiaries of the
scholarship, but anyone can be a member
h. Senator Belbis asks about community service
i.
Senator Fiegel asks if they would you change the bylaw
-
ii.
The representative says just culture days
The representative said it would be a possibility
Speaker Quick makes a motion to postpone bill over bylaw, seconded
a.
Senator Theodore asks if the VP of SA can go back and look over governance
b. Speaker Quick responds with they have temporary recognition and the postponement
c. Senator Peritz makes a motion to commit to the R&P committee, VOTE, Passes
F. SAB43004- A BILL TO RECOGNIZE RED RIOT
i.
Speaker Quick motions to approve SAB43004, seconded
a. Red riot is the Student fan group so they can connect the campus
b. They have over $8,000 dollars in the bank
c. Jockyl explains the relationships that they have built good relationships around campus
ii.
Discussion/debate
a. Senator Herring commends red riot
b.
Senator Grosz makes membership affordable for $5, and meeting with coaches and
players, and preferable seating approves of red riot
7. VOTE on SAB43004, PASSES
A. SAR 43009-A RESOLUTION TO CONFIRM KYLE PLATE AS DEPUTY TREASURER
i.
Speaker Quick motions to approve SAB43009, seconded
ii.
Kyle Plate speaks of his qualifications , meetings with current treasurer
iii.
Questions
1. none
iv.
Discussion/debate
1. Speaker Quick speaks of support for him.
2. Senator Maple asks if the position is paid.
a. Speaker Quick says it is paid. yields time to Jeremy Sanchez who answers that
he believes that they are paid at directors. Yields.
v.
Vote on SAR43009, Motion Carries.
G. SAB43005- A BILL TO AMEND BYLAWS
i.
Postponed
H. SAB43006- A BILL TO AMEND BYLAWS
i.
I.
Postponed
SAB43007- A BILL TO AMEND BYLAWS
i.
Postponed
J. SAB43008- A BILL TO AMEND BYLAWS
i.
XIII.
Committed to the Rules and Procedures committee
New Business
B. SAB43009-A BILL TO RECOGNIZE RCCG CAMPUS FELLOWSHIP
C. SAB43010-A BILL TO RECOGNIZE BACK STEP DANCE GROUP (BSDG)
D. SAB43011-A BILL TO RECOGNIZE HUSKIE BASS (NIU)
XIV.
Public Comments
i.
XV.
Senator Okesanjo- vote for Alandis Phillips for homecoming king
Announcements
Speaker Quick reminds everyone that the dress is business casual
Senator Theodore- University services meeting will be meeting this week and come out with issues
Senator Fiegel Campus life meeting right after senate
Senator Keith- speaks of public affairs
Senator Maple asks for District 3 Senators to meet after
Treasurer Sanchez asks for any Senators on finance committee to see him after
XVI.
Adjournment
SENATOR AT LARGE- Nicholas Bender
RULES AND PROCEDURES
Kelsey Shockey, Vice Chairman
Meets after Senate-CLB 180
- Senate Leave Request Forms
-Concerns over Constitution
-Changes to Operating Manual Discussed
-SAB43008 officially recommended to go through R&P