Get a closer look at SGC! Here are the minutes from our meeting on Monday, February 5th!
Ithaca College Student Governance Council
Senate Meeting Agenda
Monday, February 5, 2017 7:30pm – Taughnnock Falls Meeting Room
I. Call to Order.
Motion to start: Mara
Second: Isabella
II. Roll Call
III. Approval of the minutes
Motion to approve minutes: Taulant
Second: Emily
A. 1/30/17
IV. New Business
A. International Student Support Bill (Grullón, Friend)
§ Recommend to the school that students who reside in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, or Iran be able to stay here for the summer so they don’t have to deal with any uncertainty.
§ They will be given housing during the summer
§ There is a lot of risk and uncertainty for international students
§ There should be summer housing for international students
Q&A
§ Emily: Do you know how many students this will affect?
§ Isabella: Off the top of my head, it is not the biggest number of students but it is still a good number.
§ Jonathan: Do you know how much it would cost per student?
§ Connor: Sub committee
§ Seandre: Will the money come out of the budget?
§ Isabella: That is up to the committee, and that wouldn’t be the whole cost, they would subsidize it.
§ Tyler: If the travel restriction doesn’t continue, will this still stand.
§ Isabella: If this is repealed, students can stay here until they know when to come home.
§ Mike: What would life look like on campus?
§ Isabella: The pub and campus center is open, the bus runs more, so I don’t see an issue. It is much less inconvenient than not being able to come back to the country.
§ Marieme: Did you get the chance to speak with the interim VP of Business and Finance?
§ Connor: That would be the job of the sub committee. I do know that the school is looking into providing housing for international students.
Motion to move to discussion: Jonathan
Second: Mike
Discussion
§ Fatoumata: Are you willing to be a part of the sub-committees first hand? If funding doesn’t go right, are you open to fundraising?
§ Connor: I am a part of the allocations committee. I am open to fundraising as well.
§ Ezeka: My issue is, section 2 of the allocations sub committee. The student activities fund is for the academic year not for the summer. The college would have to fund this.
§ Taulant: Is this only for students enrolled in the college?
§ Connor: I think as it stands it would be for students.
§ Isabella: I understand where you are coming from because I know there are students here who graduate and want to work in this country so that is something we can look into.
§ Anna: Who would you bring this recommendation to and a timeline?
§ Connor: I think it would go straight to administration. Office of international programs.
Motion to extend discussion by 7 minutes: Seandre
Second: Jonathan
§ Seandre: Have you had a chance to go to financial aid to see if they could work with you on this bill?
§ Connor: That is what I would like the subcommittee to do, to work with administration. The idea of the sub-committee would be to look for ways to fund it, not that SGC would have to fund it. This is finding ways to fund it.
§ Marieme: It is just saying we are going to create a sub-committee. I support this bill; I think it is a good step in the right direction.
§ Emily: Making an unfriendly amendment to strike allocations committee from the bill and it would just say subcommittee.
Second: Jackie
In favor: 6
Opposed: 6
Abstaining: 4
Marieme breaks the tie. In favor. Going with Emily’s Amendment.
Motion to move to voting:
Second: Jonathan
In favor: 14
Opposed: 0
Abstaining: 2
Bill passes.
B. New Members of allocations committee
§ Peter
o Currently Ezeka’s assistant
o Freshman Finance major
o Meet on Monday’s to go over allocations
o Attend allocation meetings
§ Darien
o Second year exploratory student
o Strong advocate for student’s having voices in the Ithaca community
Q&A
§ Mike: Are these two people going for one position?
§ Ezeka: They are both trying to join the allocations committee. It is not one position. They are both on the committee.
§ Taulant: Why are they not here?
§ Ezeka: SGC meetings doesn’t fit into their schedules so they wanted to be a part of the committee.
Motion to move to voting: Connor
Second: Emily
In favor of voting Peter: 15
Opposed: 0
Abstaining: 1
In favor of voting Darien: 16
Opposed: 0
Abstaining: 0
Both voted into committee.
C. Voting in new senator
§ Julia: Class of 2017
§ Graduating December of 2017
§ Started college at the age of 15
Q&A
§ Charlie: In your experience, what has been the most negative aspect.
§ Julia: The housing issue.
§ Gabby: Here at SGC, senators create bills, what are some ideas?
§ Julia: My hosing situation is my biggest issue here. There is nothing off the top of my head but I know the gender bathroom bill was one of my concerns so I am glad a bill was passed for it.
§ Taulant: How do you know what students would want, are these concerns those of which you have heard from students?
§ Julia: I came from an early college program, I think it is important to have an impact that our lives us and can help other people.
§ Fatoumata: What do you say to people who argue against your position? What are other concerns, because housing isn’t really an issue for graduating students?
§ Julia: I know there was a big issue that addressed AP credits, in my experience I came in as a junior. I would say that the early college population has been overlooked but I think numbers are small enough where it wouldn’t really make a difference. This is my first experience working with SGC on this campus. I have worked with Student Government in the passed. I have a lot of experience with fundraising and event planning.
Motion to move to discussion: Connor
Second: Jonathan
Motion to move to voting: Connor
Second: Jessica
In favor: 13
Opposed: 1
Abstaining: 2
Julia has been voted in as Class of 2017 Senator.
V. Continuing Business
A. Alternative Coffee Bill (Waxman)
§ No update.
B. Sanctuary Bill (Hau)
§ Community group.
§ Help connect student groups across campus.
C. Bill Structure Reform Bill (Friend)
§ If you have questions about structuring bills, let me know.
D. Allocations Committee Reform Bill (Friend)
VI. Officer Reports.
A. President – Marieme Foote
§ If you need a committee to sit on, let me know.
§ We are supposed to volunteer as a group once a year, if you know a place let me know.
§ Elections are coming up
§ Campus climate survey meeting is soon
B. Vice President of Communications – Catherine Proulx
§ We do not have some senators, I have made a poster and will be putting it on SGC official page.
§ Headshots are next week
C. Vice President of Campus Affairs – Anna Gardner
§ You should like SGC page on Facebook.
§ Campus Affairs Committee
§ Reach out to me
D. Vice President of Academic Affairs – Michele Hau
§ Faculty council meeting tomorrow
§ Tri-Council meeting on the 20th of February 1, 2017
§ Need 6 senators for the scholarship committee
E. Vice President of Business and Finance – Ezeka Allen
§ We allocated about $20K
§ Our budget is looking at around $55K for what we have left for this semester
F. Senate Chair – Carlie McClinsey
§ Get on slack
§ Tabling
§ People should know you are a senator
G. Student Trustee – Elijah Greene
H. Residence Hall Association – Nick Simpson
§ First General Body meeting
§ Event for rising juniors and seniors
I. Student Liaison to the Alumni Board – Lima Hossain
§ I love IC week is happening next week, there are various different events
§ First ever IC volunteer symposium is happening this summer
§ IC unity committee is going to get formalized with leadership
VII. Open Agenda.
§ Signed us up for “Kick back to give back.”
§ Club that was recently confirmed was called the future’s club, idea that we will come together during meetings, take time to learn and study talking about issues. Exchanging ideas. Tuesday’s 9:00 Friends 201.
§ Isabella: Event for Jewish national community at IC and Cornell.
§ Marieme: Office hours, Wednesday at 1pm.
Motion to adjourn: Seandre
Second: Isabella
VIII. Adjournment.
End Time: 9:02
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https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20170219110435194