Panhellenic Council Meeting Minutes
March 19, 2015
Informal Meeting
The regular meeting was called to order by President Brianna Werner at 5:35pm in CSU 238.
❖ Reciting of the Panhellenic Creed
❖ Reading of the Greek Mission Statement
➢ Read by: President Brianna Werner
The roll was called by Vice President of Council Management Nikki Kramer. A quorum was
present.
Roll Call:
❖ Alpha Sigma Alpha - Yes
❖ Alpha Chi Omega - Yes
❖ Gamma Phi Beta - Yes
❖ Sigma Sigma Sigma - Yes
Guests:
❖ Lexi Stauffacher - Alpha Sigma Alpha
❖ Michelle Fetter - Alpha Sigma Alpha
❖ Kiana Groves - Alpha Sigma Alpha
❖ Amanda Graves - Alpha Sigma Alpha
❖
❖
❖
❖
Correy Steffen - Alpha Sigma Alpha
Rachel Statx - Alpha Sigma Alpha
Kacey Slattery - Alpha Chi Omega
Courtney Igbo-Ogbonna - Alpha Chi Omega
❖
❖
❖
❖
Ingrid Karlsrud - Alpha Chi Omega
Anna Willems - Alpha Chi Omega
Gretchen Woessner - Alpha Chi Omega
Rosa Hayes - Alpha Chi Omega
❖ Ashley Sommer - Alpha Chi Omega
❖ Katie Lynn Brooks - Alpha Chi Omega
❖ Heather Antkowski - Alpha Chi Omega
❖ Hannah Stepanek - Alpha Chi Omega
❖ Tiffany Maunu - Gamma Phi Beta
❖ Katherine Sherman - Gamma Phi Beta
❖
❖
❖
❖
Jasmine Shipman - Gamma Phi Beta
Kellie Kastner - Gamma Phi Beta
Lily Olejar - Gamma Phi Beta
Haley Severson - Gamma Phi Beta
❖ Hailey Eide - Gamma Phi Beta
❖ Bridget Bregel - Gamma Phi Beta
❖ Kimberly Yang - Gamma Phi Beta
❖ Steven Clark - Gamma Phi Beta
❖
❖
❖
❖
Haylee Sieben - Sigma Sigma Sigma
Rachael Grooms - Sigma Sigma Sigma
Becky Wegscheid - Sigma Sigma Sigma
Steven Clark - Phi Delta Theta
Previous Minutes:
The minutes of the March 5th, 2015 meeting were approved as emailed.
Open Forum:
❖ President of Order of Omega: Nikki Kramer
➢ Order of Omega was founded at the University of Miami in 1959 by a group of
outstanding fraternity men, who felt that individuals in the Greek community
should be recognized for their service to the fraternity system and the university.
There are now over five hundred chapters in the United States and Canada with
approximately ten new chapters being chartered each year.
➢ The Theta Phi Chapter was founded on March 21, 1988 here at MSU.
➢ Order of Omega already sponsors and puts on the Greek Banquet every year,
chooses the Order of Omega Faculty member of the year, and puts on the
Faculty Appreciation Brunch during Greek Week.
➢ We want to continue to service the fraternity system and university so we are
going to put on at least one Greek Wide community service event each semester
to start doing this.
➢ This semester Order of Omega will be sponsoring the clothing drive for the
Salvation Army during Greek Week as well as putting on a Pop Tab Drive.
➢ There will be a container labeled in the Greek Office starting April 1st for chapter
members to bring in pop tabs. We will not be competing against each other but
collecting pop tabs as a community. April 24th will be the last day for the drive.
The pop tabs will then be brought to the Ronald McDonald House of Rochester.
The pop tabs will be weighed and a check will be sent to the Ronald McDonald
House. We will then let everyone know how much we raised as a community.
❖ President of Sigma Chi: Daniel Gries
➢ Sigma Chi’s First Flapjack Feast
➢ 10:00am-2:00pm at Crossroads Church
➢ Tickets are $5 in advance; $7 at door
➢ We will also be promoting our event at the Phi Kappa Psi Philanthropy Event:
The Great Gatsby Party on Saturday. $2 at the door. $1 coat check.
➢ Thank you ladies.
Executive Reports:
VP of Council Management- Nikki Kramer
❖ Contact Information
➢ Email: nikki.kramer@mnsu.edu
➢ Cell #: (320) 583-8515
❖ Office Hours
➢ Tuesday 3:00pm-4:00pm
➢ Thursday 3:00pm-4:00pm with Colby
❖ Fall 2015-Spring 2016 Budget will be proposed in new business.
❖ Reminder that next week is Off-Week.
➢ It will be ran by Gamma Phi Beta and Sigma Sigma Sigma.
VP of Recruitment- Molly Polzin
❖ Contact Information
➢ Email: molly.polzin@mnsu.edu
➢ Cell phone: (507) 581-4344
❖ Office Hours
➢ Wednesday 12:00pm-1:00pm with Chris
➢ Wednesday 1:00pm-2:00pm
❖ Recruitment Weekend Sunday Times
➢ Start time is changing this year, it was our agreement to start an hour earlier to
keep the 5 mile radius for preference locations.
➢ This was an agreement that was decided at the Recruitment Roundtables.
➢ It previously started at 9am and so it will now be starting at 8am.
❖ Recruitment Packets
➢ Should be out to recruitment chairs next week.
➢ Will be due on Friday, July 31st in the Greek Office mailbox!
VP of Member Education and Development- Kammie Beyer
❖ Contact Information
➢ Email: kammie.beyer@mnsu.edu
➢ Cell phone: (320) 287-1622
❖ Office Hours
➢ Mondays 3:00pm-4:00pm with Akorede
➢ Wednesdays 12:30-1:30pm
❖ New Member Workshop on March 31st before All Greek at 8:00pm in AH209.
➢ Please make sure that your new members are there.
VP of Marketing and Public Relations – Ashley Brittain
❖ Contact Information
➢ Email: ashley.brittain@mnsu.edu
➢ Cell phone: (262) 391-6912
❖ Office Hours
➢ Monday 2:00-3:00pm with Steven
➢ Wednesday 2:30-3:30pm
❖ Steven and I are working on the marketing plan for fall. We will have examples of
marketing materials as soon as graphics are finished.
VP of Community Service and Philanthropy- Alex Simonieg
❖ Contact Info
➢ Email: alexandra.simonieg@mnsu.edu
➢ Cell phone: (701) 590-3404
❖ Office hours:
➢ Tuesday 2:00-4:00pm
❖ Encourage chapter members to think about being on the Dance Marathon committee.
➢ The applications will be out soon.
❖ Send pictures and a description of what your chapter has done for community service
and philanthropy this year to Karen Anderson by April 6. Pictures will be used for the
Community Engagement office to promote National Volunteer Week.
➢ Karen.Anderson@mnsu.edu
➢ She is the Director of Community Engagement
➢ I have already sent this email to your community service chairs as well.
VP of Risk Management- Hanna Peterson
❖ Contact Info
➢ Email: hanna.peterson@mnsu.edu
➢ Cell phone: (952) 913-7403
❖ My Office Hours:
➢ Mondays 12:00pm-1:00pm
➢ Tuesdays 11:00am-12:00pm with Connor
❖ To Help A Friend
➢ Many people are unsure of how to support a friend who has experienced sexual
violence. At this event you will have the opportunity to submit anonymous
questions regarding sexual violence that will be answered by an expert panel of
representatives from campus and the Mankato community.
➢ Tabling for this event will be Tuesday, March 24th and Thursday, March 26th
which is next week
■ Sign out sheets have been handed out to all of the delegates for their
chapter to sign up for their assigned tabling times.
■ Alpha Chi Omega and Sigma Sigma Sigma will be tabling on Tuesday,
March 24th from 11:00am - 1:00pm
■ Gamma Phi Beta and Alpha Sigma Alpha will be tabling on Thursday,
March 26th from 11:00am-1:00pm
➢ During tabling, Greek or Non-Greek students can write and submit anonymous
questions regarding sexual assault, what the campus or community could do to
help, etc, from which a few commonly asked questions will be selected and
answered during the All Greek Panel.
➢ This will be a production by PHC, The Women’s Center, and CADA.
❖ Sexual Assault Awareness Week (SAAW) will be April 6-10th
❖
❖
➢ Make sure this week is on your chapter’s calendar!
➢ Tabling Sign Up will be passed around next meeting!
Its On Us video
➢ Connor Donohue has contacted each chapter with the information.
➢ It will be March 27th starting at 9:00am, in the Memorial Library in 94A, your
chapter representative should wear letters (shirts, sweatshirt, hat?) and avoid
wearing white!
Spring is coming!
➢ Though it doesn’t feel like it quite yet, spring is on the horizon and when spring
comes, people start to come out of hibernation- otherwise known as “Spring
Fever.”
➢ With Spring Fever, comes parties, formals, bonfires and people usually get a little
crazy this time of year!
➢ Please remember to be safe and register all parties and socials!
VP of Conduct Review- Briona Thomson
❖ Contact Information
➢ Email: briona.thomson@mnsu.edu
➢ Cell phone: (507) 381-8718
❖ Office Hours
➢ Thursday 2:00-4:00pm
❖ Bylaw of the Week
➢ It’s Spring and last year we had four incidents within two weeks so just remember
to fill out social planning forms and do it correctly and safely.
➢ Make sure you have a guest list and designate who is 21 or not.
❖ Chapter of the Month will be announced at All Greek
➢ They will get an ice cream sundae party at their next meeting.
❖ Bylaws are finished and just need to be made pretty.
President- Brianna Werner
❖ Contact Information
➢ Email: brianna.werner@mnsu.edu
➢ Cell phone: (763) 647-8046
❖ Tentative All Greek Schedule
➢ Social half-hour 9:00pm
➢ All Greek 9:30pm
➢ March 31st in Ostrander (YAY!!!!)
➢ April 21st in Trafton C121 will start at 8:30pm due to Basket Auctions
■ Remind your donations chair to start getting donations for your basket.
❖ NPC Update: This month is Advisor Appreciation month. During this time we encourage
sorority women to thank all people who support sorority life and sorority members.
➢ This is a time to reflect on the advisors who inspire us in our sorority lives. Did
your "big sister" teach you the importance of being a leader in your chapter?
Thank her. Did your chapter advisor show you the meaning of lifelong
membership? Thank her. Did your fraternity/sorority advisor show you the big
Panhellenic picture? Thank him or her. Whoever has made an impact on your
sorority life, take time this April to say thanks.
❖ A speech was given to address the issues and incidents in the news as of March 2015.
The speech will also be given at All Greek.
Asst. Director of Student Activities for Greek Life- John Bulcock
❖ 2015 UIFI Funding Application now available in “Forms” Section of Maverick Greeks Org
Sync Portal. Members of ASA, Delta Chi, Lambda Chi, Phi Psi, Phi Kapp, Tri-Sigma,
and TKE will need to apply for their headquarters/foundation scholarship in order to be
considered for ours. Pay attention to deadlines! Our application is due March 31.
❖ Reminder that Hoodie Allen Concert will take place the evening of April 22.
➢ Student tickets are $15.00.
❖ Composite photo shoots are this week.
➢ Your composite rep should have the schedule and it is also on the door.
➢ The assigned group takes priority.
❖ We will talk about the new composite rep options for the next two year contract.
❖ MSSA elections are coming up if you are interested in running for any of those spots.
❖ Make sure your chapter has submitted your chapter rep and alumni rep for the Greek
Housing discussion to Marla Bock who is Dr. David Jones secretary.
❖ There is a plan that has been put out called Charting the Future in the MnSCU system
and there are some pretty serious implications down the road. The university will be
holding a Gallery Walk on March 20th from 1pm-3pm in the Hearth Lounge. They are
really looking for feedback from the students and right now the disagreements between
faculty and MnSCU stopped the governor from allocating any funds to universities for the
next two years.
Greek Life Graduate Advisor- Sarah Schliesmann
❖ No report.
Unfinished Business:
❖ Social Media Policy
➢ President (Brianna Werner): I would entertain a motion to open the floor for
discussion on the Panhellenic/Interfraternity Social Media Policy.
■ Gamma Phi Beta Delegate (Tiffany Maunu): So moved. Second by Sigma
Sigma Sigma Delegate (Haylee Sieben).
➢ Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations (Ashley Brittain): To shed some
light on the social media policy it was put together two years ago and passed
then. It is necessary to pass it annually in order to enforce it. This will be what the
panhellenic recruitment counselors will need to uphold when disaffiliated from
their chapters. I do not think there was anything that needed to be changed from
two years ago so we would just need to pass it if the chapters are all okay with it.
➢ No discussion.
➢ Gamma Phi Beta Delegate (Tiffany Maunu): I move to vote on the Social Media
Policy by hand vote. Second by Alpha Chi Omega Delegate (Kacey Slattery).
■
Motion passes with a 4-0 vote.
New Business:
❖ Due Increase/Fall 2015-Spring 2016 Budget
➢ Alpha Chi Omega Delegate (Kacey Slattery): I move to open the floor for
discussion on due increases and the budget. Second by Gamma Phi Beta
Delegate (Tiffany Maunu).
➢ Vice President of Council Management (Nikki Kramer): Colby and I spent over
ten hours putting together a new budget for Fall 2015-Spring 2016 that hopefully
includes everything that the councils already do, new ideas the council would like
to implement to help continue to make us better leaders and give more
opportunities to members, and costs that make sense. With this new budget and
the projected revenue, we will have a deficit. This past year with how successful
recruitment was we managed to make up the projected deficit but we cannot
bank on that occurring. We have not raised dues in two years and our community
is continuing to grow. In order for us to continue to do everything that we do and
implement new opportunities for members to experience to make us better
leaders and individuals we need to increase our revenue. The best option for this
is to raise our individual dues. We have two options on how we can do this.
Option number 1 is that we can raise the individual dues for everyone from
$10.50 to a number that the chapters agree on. Option number 2 is we can
implement what the IFC council currently does and base it on individual semester
GPAs. We would choose three ranges of GPAs and three costs to go with those
ranges. On the handouts you have been given there are some examples of both
options 1 and 2 and how much of an increase of revenue they would gain us. I
also calculated the average women’s undergraduate GPA from the last 5
semesters and found that it was 3.12 and the average all undergraduate GPA
from the last 5 semesters and found that it was 2.98. Those are some examples
we could use as categories for Option 2.
➢ Sigma Sigma Sigma Delegate (Haylee Sieben): I am just wondering what you
would recommend as Council Management for the chapters to implement?
■ Vice President of Council Management (Nikki Kramer): It would be
beneficial for both councils to be implementing the same type of dues
process. The grade option also gives some incentive for members to do
better so they do not have to pay as much for dues. Either way would
work as long as we raise the amount.
➢ President (Brianna Werner): I just want to make everyone aware that we do also
have a Greek Life budget where some of our money comes from and this was
proposed to the Student Allocations Committee (SAC). However, the SAC funds
may be cut almost 5% so it is important for us to be able to make up some of this
money if the Greek Life budget gets cut.
➢ Graduate Assistant (Sarah Schliesmann): The university is experiencing a deficit
due to retention rates. The hope is that since student activities are helpful in
➢
➢
➢
➢
keeping retention that our budgets will not be cut as much. However, budgets do
need to be cut and what has been discussed has been about 5%.
■ Alpha Chi Omega Delegate (Kacey Slattery): When would we know if it
was going to be cut?
■ Vice President of Council Management (Nikki Kramer): We would not
know until the end of April and we need to have our budget passed by
then.
Sigma Sigma Sigma Delegate (Haylee Sieben): I yield to Becky.
■ Becky Wegscheid: I am on senate so maybe I can give a little more
insight on this topic. SAC will bring all of the budgets to senate who will
then pass those as well. Senate is required not to have more than a 3%
increase in funds being dispersed out. The senate’s goal is between a
1.5%-2% increase in funds. If a department needs money for a project
than that is part of the increase and another budget may need to be cut
so we can stay under that percent increase of funds. I hope that helps a
little. I yield back to Haylee.
■ Sigma Sigma Sigma Delegate (Haylee Sieben): I yield.
Alpha Chi Omega Delegate (Kacey Slattery): I yield to Courtney.
■ Courtney Igbo-Ogbonna: We have pretty good grades between our
members and so I am just wondering if all of our members were in
category A for the GPA option then how that would necessarily help
increase our revenue more than just increasing the cost as a whole?
● Vice President of Council Management (Nikki Kramer): You may
have many members that will fit in that category, but not all of
them will. We would still receive an increase in revenue from
members, it may not be an excessive amount, but it will be an
increase.
■ Courtney Igbo-Ogbonna: Ok that makes sense. Thank you. I yield back to
Kacey.
■ Alpha Chi Omega Delegate (Kacey Slattery): Obviously it is necessary
that we will need to increase our dues in some way.
Gamma Phi Beta Delegate (Tiffany Maunu): I yield to Jasmine.
■ Jasmine Shipman: Gamma Phi Beta cannot do the grade point average
option because that would be seen as fining our members which is
something that we are not allowed to do. We are currently in the process
of raising our dues so we can raise our dues more if PHC dues are
increased but we can only do a set amount for everyone. I yield back to
Tiffany.
■ Gamma Phi Beta Delegate (Tiffany Maunu): I yield.
Vice President of Recruitment (Molly Polzin): Is there anyway that we can make
that gaps between the GPA categories more of an even jump. They are kind of
uneven jumps in some options.
■
Vice President of Council Management (Nikki Kramer): The categories
can be set-up anyway the chapters would like. I was just giving some
options as examples and as idea starters.
➢ Graduate Assistant (Sarah Schliesmann): Just in case everyone was not aware
the increases in the budget are highlighted in blue on your handout.
■ Vice President of Council Management (Nikki Kramer): Some of the
increases are new ideas that the council would like to implement but
some of the increases are items that the council has been doing and
spending money on but has not been in the budget. I have put now put
everything in the budget that I believe the council spends the money on
and that we as a community do.
● VP of Council Management: Off-Week Increase: So chapters do
not need to spend their money on supplies and we would use the
PHC budget instead.
● VP of Recruitment: All Greek Cookout, Recruitment Supplies,
Scholarship, and Presidential Scholar Letter Increases: All items
that the community has been implementing but that there has
been no budget for. The Pi Rho Chi Name Tag Increase: The
delegates voted on putting this in the budget a few weeks ago.
● VP of Member Development and Education: Greek Graduation
Increase: An item that the community has been implementing but
that there has been no budget for. FVS Initiation Fee: The
delegates voted on paying for this a few weeks ago. Alumni Event,
Etiquette Dinner, AFLV and UIFI Scholarships: Items that the
council would like to implement.
● VP of Marketing and PR: Bookmark increase: An item that the
community has been implementing but that there has been no
budget for.
● VP of Community Service and Philanthropy: Circle of Sisterhood
increase: The delegates voted on this becoming our Panhellenic
Philanthropy so this money would help implement this.
● Greek Week: Increase to allow lip sync to potentially be held in
Bresnan Arena.
➢ Alpha Chi Omega Delegate (Kacey Slattery):I do not think within the budget that
off-week money is necessary because within our chapter we have a budget built
in for that.
➢ Graduate Assistant (Sarah Schliesmann): What happens for instance with the
AFLV scholarships if a chapter does not have someone from their chapter
attend?
■ President (Brianna Werner): When the council was discussing this new
opportunity we decided that if a chapter does not have anyone attend
then that money will not be spent and will go into the cushion in order to
be giving all four chapters the same amount of money and opportunities.
➢ Gamma Phi Beta Delegate (Tiffany Maunu): I move to table until the next
meeting. Second by Sigma Sigma Sigma Delegate (Haylee Sieben).
■ Motion passes with a 4-0 vote.
Chapter Reports:
❖ Alpha Sigma Alpha
➢ We had an exchange on Tuesday and played flour tag with the Sigma Chi
Fraternity.
➢ We also had a sisterhood on Tuesday.
➢ We have yarning tonight for our four new members.
❖ Alpha Chi Omega
➢ Tonight we have our big/lil reveal for six of our new members.
➢ For our other two new members they will have their big/lil reveal in two weeks.
❖ Gamma Phi Beta
➢ We’re happy everyone had a fun and safe Spring Break.
➢ We had fun socials with Sigma Nu and Delta Chi.
➢ Next weekend we will send our president Jasmine to Dallas for Presidents
Academy.
❖ Sigma Sigma Sigma
➢ We’re excited for our exchange with Delta Chi tonight.
➢ We have family olympics tomorrow night.
➢ We have our first local philanthropy event on Saturday with the girl scouts. We
are doing an around the world theme.
➢ Our RPM philanthropy event is next weekend on March 28th from 11am-2pm at
the College Town Clubhouse. Tickets are $5 ahead of time and $7 at the door.
We will be tabling this week and next week.
➢ We are excited to have our Regional Consultant Cammie here this week with us.
Announcements:
The following announcements were made:
❖ Order of Omega Applications have been extended and are now due March 27th by
11:45pm. They are on the Order of Omega OrgSync Portal.
➢ https://orgsync.com/65878/forms/132114
❖ Senate Applications are open. They are due April 7th. President and Vice President
applications are due March 31st. Campaigning started Monday.
The next meeting will be Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 5:30pm in CSU238.
Meeting Adjournment:
The meeting adjourned at 6:20pm.
Nikki Kramer, Vice President of Council Management