Senate discusses constitutional revisions, announces proposed 2012-13 activity fee budget

EDITOR’S NOTE: In The Eagle’s print edition, the amount Rhine requested from Senate was incorrectly listed as $100,000. The amount has been corrected in the online version.

Randy Rhine, Vice President of Enrollment Managaement and Student Services, spoke to Student Senate about re-surfacing the NPAC’s floor, Treasurer T.J. Thomson talked about amendments to Student Finance Committee’s constitution, and money was allocated to the PR Club for Battle of the bands at this week’s Student Senate meeting.

Rhine said that the administration is proposing re-surfacing the NPAC’s floor. The PAC’s current floor, according to Rhine, is approximately 12-15 years old and past its life span. The proposed renovations would keep the textured surface in one of the courts for pole-vaulting, while the other two courts will have smooth surfaces for basketball.

Rhine said the project’s total cost is $365,000. Rhine said he was asking Student Senate for $50,000 for the project.

“I’m looking for guidance and feedback,” Rhine said. He said that he hopes the Student Senate will support the project.

In other matters, Thomson said that Student Senate Finance Committee was looking to pass revisions to their constitution. The revisions would change the quantity of committee members based on affiliation to allow flexibility and to encourage applicants. Currently, the constitution calls for three from senate, three from CAB, and two at-large. Other proposed revisions are:

➢ The CAB Treasurer would be able to appoint individuals from CAB if no qualified members apply

➢ The voting quorum would be lowered from six to four members.

➢ Clubs would be required to submit their constitutions only if they have been revised within the past year.

➢ An itemized budget would be required for requests totaling more than $500 per event.

➢ Clubs would have to submit a budget packet, even if they are not requesting funds.

➢ The committee would be able to penalize clubs for late submission of budget packets.

➢ The number of CAB absences would be clarified. The revisions propose that three representative absences would result in club suspension.

➢ The time frame for a club sponsor to respond to a suspension notice would be increased from 10 calendar days to 10 buseinss days.

➢ Each faculty or staff sponsor associated with a club would be required to sign its budget packet, to encourage communication and participation.

Senate decided to vote on the revisions next week.

PR Club came to ask for money for Battle of the Bands. Vice President James Bahensky said the club was asking for $1,400. Faye Wefso said that she did a breakdown of the expected money that would come from t-shirt sales, and that after t-shirt sales, PR club should make the expected amount of money. Senate voted to allocate $700 to the PR Club.

In other matters, Bahensky said that he attended a meeting with Dining Services last week. Bahensky asked if the students thought that Dining Services had improved in quality. Most of the senators said yes. Bahensky also asked what everyone thought of a new dining service coming in that would provide Godfather’s and Runza.

Joe Reedy asked if debit cards would be accepted if the new service were to come in. Rhine said that it’s being looked at, and there are also plans to revise the Student ID system to include that function with smart card technology. He also said that using debit cards does require an entirely new technology system, but it is being considered.

Laure Sinn, coordinator of student activities, brought up the fact that our campus is trying to get on a healthy track, and both Godfather’s and Runza’s are fast food. She said it would be easier for students to just grab fast food, but that it wouldn’t necessarily be better for them.

Rhine said that they were asking what the students thought because the company is so different from the dining students already see. He said that they hope to change dining services in the interest of the students.

James said the next meeting would be April 4, so he would bring the feedback that the senators gave to that meeting.

Thomson announced the amount of money that was allocated to each club on campus. He said that the Student Finance Committee thinks it is important to let clubs know why they allocated the amount they did, so a letter will be written to each club explaining the committee’s rationale. He also said that the deadline for appeals is April 1.

Chief Justice Nisha Durand said that the elections for student senate would be April 18 and 19. Petitions are due April 6 before 5.

Tiffani Roelle said that currently the Time Capsule Committee is looking for things to put in the time capsule. She said that they would be buying lanyards and other things with various college insignia on them. Sinn said that there were several people writing letters to put in the time capsule. President Morgan Nelson said she encourages all students to consider submitting a letter of their own. Roelle also said there will be video staff to record student’s stories for the capsule tonight at Late Night at the Pit.

View the Senate Finance Committee’s proposed allocations here.