Penn State University, Berks Campus
Student Government Association
Minutes September 16, 2015
Call to Order
1:13pm
President/VP Address
Jess- We hired Andy as Chief of staff. Tackle issue brought up last time with parking.
The first month of so of school the parking is not good. This is the highest year or
students. They are trying to help traffic since there are a lot more people.
SGA is having a community service helping the elderly.
Emilio – Updating the way we take roll and have senators and proxy senators. Each
club has one senator that represents the club all year that goes to every meeting.
Every club needs a proxy senator that can attend meetings. The proxy senator must
get permission before the meeting to vote. A majority vote can allow a proxy to vote
if the request was denied
Chamber choir – What would be a reason for the proxy not to be accepted.
Emilio – That is up to the president. Should the president say no, SGA assembly can
overturn by 2/3 vote. There is a list for the senators and proxy senators and they
need to be put on the list.
CAB- If we do not have any members available to come to club. Should no one be
sent and can anyone else vote?
Emilio – There needs to be a definite proxy and senator. Another person could get
voting rights
SOTA- Voted to allow in
Andy – We want to make sure whoever is voting on the contents know what we
have discussed and have information about what we are voting on. We have had
problems with people who have not been to SGA come and vote not knowing
information.
ASME – Should we give voting information to the proxy?
Andy – Yes. They are the rep for the club and what is discussed in SGA should be
reported back to the club. The club can discuss and the rep can come back and be
the voice for the club. Any topics they want to be talked about can be brought to the
assembly.
Honors – Not sure why power rests within the president to approve senators.
Andy - a couple of year back we had concerns with people coming in to the meetings
and voting for clubs. We don’t know if they are a part of the club. This way we have
two people that are a part of the club. We would not know if it is in best interest of
the club.
BSCC – Is there a deadline for when proxy is appointed.
Emilio – October it is in affect
HRS – Do we just come to the meeting and write down the proxy.
Jess - yes
Approval of the Minutes
Accounting club – I so move
Ag club – I so 2nd
No opposed or abstentions
Approval of the Agenda
Accounting club – I so move
Agriculture club – I so 2nd.
No discussion on movement no opposed or abstentions
Old Business
None
New Business
Unity Day
Jess – I sent email out and many clubs including SGA are participating
CCSG – Homecoming weekend. All the SGA from campuses meet up and discuss
issues.
Topics: Veteran affairs, Green initiatives, mental health, student services
Veteran coalition- I have a whole list of things. If we can meet later we can go over it
Lindsey – Wants everyone to know that if they have any issue relating to academic
affairs they can come to her
ASME – apart of environmental issues on campus. Can comment on those
Accounting club – Are the topics right now or in general.
Jess – these are the topics for this meeting.
CAB – I think it would be important to talk about the services because we have great
staff they take on as much as they can. She doesn’t want them to take on too much.
Jess – I sent everyone an email about the constitution. Andy will bring it up.
Veteran coalition – Article 2 sect 3 sect I. Officers are allowed 2 absences but regular
senators are only allowed 2. Sub sect 2 says only 2 for senators
Andy – Probably is a typo. In the past it has been two.
Emilio – The senators have 2 absences and proxy have 1 which could equal to 3. Is
that it?
Andy – no
Jess – Motion to change to two throughout constitution
Aikido – I so move
Cab – I so 2nd
No opposed or abstentions
CAB – When referring to the senators is that they ones elected or student senators.
Jess – That is the club reps since we do not have senators right now. It counts
everyone when we do have them.
CAB – Was not here last week. The proxy was. Any student organization proxy has
to be approved. Is this every time?
Andy – that is when you register to be a club. If the club joins at the middle of the
semester it is treated as a new club and they follow this procedure.
Ice hockey – What constitutes as an excused absence. There have been major
meetings during academics.
Jess – SGA will not be working during academics. A group came last time needing to
not be at club to work on a major project. They were excused.
Aikido – Will unity day count as an excused absence?
Jess – SGA is canceled for unity day
Selena – Are the 2 absence allowance per semester or year
Andy – per semester
ASME – are this list of excused absences the same as excused absences for classes.
The student handbook has an official rules for what is excused and not is this being
used for SGA.
Jess – yes
BSCC – Does this first week count having different proxy
Jess – 1st week is excused
Question – Senators required to be on a community
Andy- it was started last year and it is up to the administration if the committees
will be kept up. The committees would be the topics discussed at CGSG. We would
have a shorter meeting and then breakout into committees. Each club would be in
one.
Veteran Coalition – There are 10 standing committees. Are these active or thrown
together as needed.
Jess – As needed
Aero – rules about leaving early during meeting
Jess – Leaving early is an absence
Emilio – Talk to president beginning of meeting if it is an emergency
Outdoors club – If the meeting goes over to class time will it be counted if I left.
Jess – We will regulate that so that the meetings do not go over
Veteran coalition – Article 10 sect 1 sub sect B. It is a little unclear since there is
more than one edition of the Roberts rules in the new addition. It is expired so it
leaves the constitution up to interpretation. I would like to see a specific edition of
what we are using. I would like to see it.
Joey – I would like to motion that we use the one UP uses so it is the same. We do
not know what edition is being used but we can find out
Veteran coalition – would like to table until next meeting till it is updated.
Honors – we do not need to know the edition. We are just saying we are using what
they are. If we say in the constitution we do not need to update it every time when
they change it.
CAB- specify it somewhere accessible to everyone so it doesn’t always have to be
updated.
Joey – the UP page says the rules used are Robert’s rules of order most recent
edition. It does not specify. We could bring it up to UP
Aero – We should say the exact same thing since that is what we need to use.
Joey – the newest edition is the 11th
Jess – Can we make a motion to use the most recent edition of Robert’s rules?
Cab – I so move
Aikido – I so 2nd
ASME – Just specifying that the current is the 11th
Veteran – Is there a way we can get it updated on a website so everyone is aware of
it since some people do not know the rules.
Jess- it can be put on the angel page
One abstention
Jess – is there a motion to approve the revised const.
Joey – I so move
Account club – I so 2nd
CAB – So we are not going to be tabling? Is anything being tabled?
Jess – We tabled it last week.
Emilio – now that we made the clarification we do not need to table
Andy – we need a 2/3 vote to have it approved
Jess – 2/3 is 30 people
There are a few people that did not get the constitution
PRSSA – I was late being a senator. Not listed on angel
Andy – If you have not looked at the constitution. You can bring things up at any
time for change. We have no document right now and need to approve one. The
assembly has the right to bring it up
Andy – The new dates will be added to the constitution since last year it was
changed
Voting on constitution approval – 2/3 is 30 voters
Jess and Emilio counted 36
One abstention
Chair Reports
None
Open Forum
Lindsey – Question about printing. Certain people have to print a lot of stuff every
week for other people and clubs. What are you as an SGA doing to make Perkins the
student center and not the library?
Jess – we should collaborate as a group and take action to bring ideas to help the
student center.
They are not yet charging people to be extending printing limit. SGA will make sure
it is not.
IT desk – They are only counting after you reach 300 pages it will be updated. This
semester it is not charged
Aikido – Suggest that people who need higher printing have that. Since this is being
put in place to not have people waste paper.
LUC – Apart of the help desk. This is in as a trial. They are trying to limit wasted
paper. Trying to make a club amount.
Kelly – Clubs can be assigned a copy code number so the club is charged not the
persons quota.
Andy – would it be beneficial to bring the head of IT in to discuss this? We could
bring her in for questions.
Veterans – The student center is more of an admin building. Talked to the chancellor
about space. After Luerssen they do the gym. After that they may do above Perkins.
Tully’s is talking of having a convenience store. This isn’t invested into the campus.
Andy – last year there were talks with administration about making Perkins a better
place for students. As a student body we looked into the renovations. There was a
lot of discussion. We will have more on it.
Veteran – IT would be good to have that area separate from housing and food. The
library has been remodeled and no one can really study.
Selena – Suggestion for housing and food to use the Lion’s den rather than renovate
Perkins. Whereas the renovation could be used for study.
Andy – Perkins is a long term deal. For the short term, Gaige has when the room is in
use. Would you want that to be for classrooms to have place to study?
ASME – suggested this 2 years ago and nothing was done. Maybe a better voice
needs to be heard.
Aikido -2nd that. Maybe convince students to use the tables outside since its nice out.
Jess – Can we move on and continue this discussion next meeting.
Club Events
club – 100 free passports are being given to students. You verify you are a student
and get an appointment time. There will also be a day for getting a passport photo.
Jess – This is important and passports are usually over 100 dollars
THON – Having a car wash. Selling shirts saying got cannoning. Clubs can now can
for thon for community service
Berks Cares – tomorrow they are having a van for country meadows.
CAB – Has to leave early. Cab is having Bingo this week.
Ink - Need more people to hold flags on unity day. Contact president of INK
Zumba – car wash coming up
Campus Life Reports
Kelly – there are a few more clubs that need to register. There is a float building part
next Friday for homecoming. A great way to bond with club members. Everything is
free. You have to register for the picnic. If you and your family attend register so
they know how much food to prepare. They are having a bonfire, outdoor bowling,
petting zoo, etc. Floats are in parade Saturday by 11 am. Parade starts at 12. Is
about half an hour. Next week you can vote for homecoming king and queen.
Tonight there is a lecture event about mental health in humans and animals.
Adjournment
Accounting – I so move
Aikido – I so 2nd
No opposed of abstentions
2:12 pm