Florida College System
Student Government Association
e
Presidents Assembly
MINUTES
Friday, April 12, 2013
Spring Conference
Opening/Call to Order
Meeting was called to order at 8:00 AM by Jared Ferreira, State President.
Roll Call/Attendance
Present: 46 Campuses: Brevard Community College – Palm Bay Campus, Brevard Community
College – Cocoa Campus, Brevard Community College – Titusville Campus, Broward College –
North Campus, Broward College – South Campus, College of Central Florida – Ocala Campus,
Daytona State College, Edison State College – Hendry Glades Campus, Edison State College –
Collier Campus, Edison State College – Charlotte Campus, Florida State College at Jacksonville
– South Campus, Florida State College at Jacksonville – Downtown Campus, Florida State
College at Jacksonville – Deerwood Campus, Florida State College at Jacksonville – Nassau
Campus, Florida State College at Jacksonville – North Campus, Florida State College at
Jacksonville – Kent Campus, Hillsborough Community College – Brandon Campus,
Hillsborough Community College – Dale Mabry Campus, Indian River State College – Main
Campus, Lake Sumter State College – South Lake Campus, Miami Dade College – Kendall
Campus, Miami Dade College – West Campus, Miami Dade College – Hialeah Campus, Miami
Dade College – Wolfson Campus, Miami Dade College – Homestead Campus, Miami Dade
College – North Campus, Miami Dade College – Medical Campus, Palm Beach State College –
Lake Worth Campus, Pasco Hernando Community College – West Campus, Pasco Hernando
Community College – North Campus, Pasco Hernando Community College – Spring Hill
Campus, Pensacola State College – Milton Campus, Polk State College – Winter Haven Campus,
Polk State College – Winter Haven Campus, Seminole State College – Altamonte Campus,
Seminole State College – Heathrow Campus, Seminole State College – Oviedo Campus, South
Florida State College – Highlands Campus, St. Petersburg College – Tarpon Springs Campus, St.
Petersburg College – Clearwater Campus, St. Petersburg College – Seminole Campus, St.
Petersburg College – Downtown Campus, St. Petersburg College – Gibbs Campus, Valencia
College – East Campus, Valencia College – Osceola Campus, Valencia College – West Campus,
Valencia College – Winter Park
Absent: 13 Campuses: Broward College – Central Campus, College of Central Florida – Citrus
Campus, Edison State College – Lee Campus, Hillsborough Community College – SouthShore
Campus, Miami Dade College – InterAmerican Campus, Northwest Florida State College –
Niceville Campus, Palm Beach State College – Belle Glade Campus, Pensacola State College –
Warrington Campus, Pensacola State College – Pensacola Campus, Seminole State College –
Sanford Campus, Seminole State College – Lake Mary Campus, Tallahassee Community
College – Main Campus, Valencia College – Lake Nona Campus
Quorum Present: Yes (49 college campuses in attendance at the conference, 32 college
campuses are needed to have a quorum)
Late: 4 Campuses: Hillsborough Community College – Plant City Campus, Lake Sumter State
College – South Lake Campus, Palm Beach State College – Eissey Campus, Santa Fe College
Approval of Agenda/Agenda Review
Michael Marsh from Indian River State College moved to approve the agenda with an
amendment to correct the date. It was seconded.
Vote: Unanimously approved, motion passed.
Approval of Agenda/Agenda Review
Matthew Watkins from Lake Sumter State College – Leesburg Campus moved to approve the
minutes. It was seconded.
Vote: Unanimously approved, motion passed.
Old/Unfinished Business
A. FCSSGA Day – Young Patriots Foundation
a. Discussed/reviewed the presentation given by Commissioner Adam Putnam and
Representative Seth McKeel
b. The mission of this organization is "to provide young people with leadership,
citizenship and development opportunities and to recognize outstanding young
Americans"
c. Members had an opportunity to discuss their thoughts/suggestions on partnering
with the organization
d. Working on following-up with them after the legislative session
e. Could have possible scholarships and internships
f. Recap of FCSSGA Day
i. Hit Every Office Campaign – message received well
New Business/Topics of Discussion/Open Floor
These items below are new action items in development/planning. Each item was discussed and
the SGA/SAB/CAB Presidents had an opportunity to ask questions. Each item was then voted
on at the end of discussion and questions.
B. FLIGHT Training
a. Have FLIGHT Training at no cost and make it available for all
b. Set curriculum: advocacy, legislation, leadership, campus activities, event
planning
c. 9 courses – obtainable in 3 or more conferences – in terms of educational sessions
d. Makes it easier to justify why we need to go on the trip
e. Those who already went through FLIGHT Training can go through it again
C. Legislative Issues Platform
a. Continually have legislative issues transfer year to year – it is more solid and
consistent
b. FCSSGA members will be up to date with the issues so they can start advocating
early – by September, we already know our platform
c. In November, the Legislative Issue Platform can be changed by a
bylaw/constitutional revision
D. National Washington DC Trip
a. This is meant to be our peak trip
b. It will move us towards the direction we want to go – we are very enthusiastic
about it – we can take on new issues (national legislative issues) – this is the next
step for our organization
c. We can have meetings with our national congressional leaders along with
arranged meetings and educational sessions
d. Looking at having the trip around January-February (we can stay 1 extra day for
the inauguration)
e. Miami Dade College spoke of their experience at the inauguration – it is a
historical moment
f. There is no limit on who can go
g. Issue: We will lose district retreats as a compromise for this trip – they are now
harder to justify
i. New State Executive Board can look into new ways to build camaraderie
and friendships
1. Have one of our district meetings be a district
leadership/teambuilding day – APCA does a drive-in ways
2. Turn one of the late nights into a game night
3. Combine district retreats – for example: District 1 and District 2
can join together one semester and then flip flop
4. Have the trip only during the inaugural year (every 4 years) –
students may lose experience and focus though
ii. Mark Ross from College of Central Florida: “let’s enhance it, let’s not
take away from what we have, let’s advocate for the district retreats, let’s
build upon what we are already doing”
iii. Michael Marsh from Indian River State College: “We need addition, not
subtraction. The leadership experience is there in the district retreats.
District retreats can be justified.”
h. It was brought up that colleges may not be able to afford it
i. We are looking at a 2-5 year projection – we are starting slow – it is not going to
start right now
E. Voting
a. Christina Berdeaux from Edison State College called the question (to vote on
our stance on these action items)
i. FLIGHT Training: Unanimously passed, action item approved
ii. Legislative Issue Platform: Unanimously passed, action item approved
iii. National Washington DC Trip: 28:15, action item approved
Closing/Adjournment
Victoria Antoniades from St. Petersburg College – Tarpon Springs Campus moved to adjourn the
meeting at 8:30 AM.
Vote: Unanimously passed.