Get a closer look at SGC! Here are the minutes from our meeting on Monday, February 27th!
Ithaca College Student Governance Council
Senate Meeting Agenda
Monday, February 27, 2017 7:30pm – Bus 114
I. Call to Order.
Motion: Isabella
Second: Gabby
II. Roll Call
III. Approval of the minutes
A. 2/20/17
Motion to approve last week’s minute: Charlie
Second: Emily
IV. Guest Speakers
A. David Harker, Ph.D. – Office of Civic Engagement
- Director of Center for Civic Engagement
- Moved to Ithaca last November
- Masters and Ph.D. from Boston College, originally from New Jersey
- Garden Level of PRW
- Name change, office-->center
- Space
- All encompassing
- Hub for the great work that is happening
- Build off a lot of the great work that has been happening
- Academic side of community based work
- Service learning
- Civic engagement is all encompassing at IC
- A lot of work happening at all of the different schools
- Another goal is connections between schools and within the community
- Making connections with community
- Setting students in projects where they are well prepared to do that
- What does it mean to responsibly enter and exit into a community?
- Different concentric circles of community
- When introducing ideas of civic engagement, it is important to focus on those different levels of communication
- Take advantage of great opportunities
- Challenge yourself to be a part of another community
- Thoughtfully interacting with people
- Mike: What have some of your highlights? Do you plan to have a relationship with the new president?
- David: It has been a lot of meeting with people and setting the agenda. It has been a lot of meeting with the deans, and reaching out to students. Starting to identify the needs, it has been a lot of collaborative work. A current example is Music is Medicine, working with senior care centers in the area - using music to tap into their memories. Supporting ongoing projects in ways that are helpful, putting together a faculty advising team, building relationships, figuring out a transportation plan.
- Marieme: With the relocation of the office, how has that affected the students interacting with the office and what is the office doing to get the community involved?
- David: It is a work in progress, having honors co-located has helped. The idea was to get more students into PRW. A lot of the little things, like going out and going to programs. Hoping to work with orientation next year to connect with the first years.Improving the website and social media.
- Darius: I would be interested in communicating more in the Music is Medicine.
- David: We are looking to expand that program more, also in terms of funding.
- Fatoumata: In terms of the center for civic engagement, are the internships only service-based, or are they broader?
- David: Right now, if it is for credit, a faculty member would have to be an advisor. I consider civic engagement really broad. You are engaging in the community. Figuring out how to connect it right now.
- Francesca: What are your thoughts in mandating something for all students to have some type of credit?
- David: I am for that if you can do it really well. We can only do that if we prepare the students well and have enough opportunities for them. It’s a great goal to build to, but we’re not quite there yet.
- Contact: cce@ithaca.edu or dharker@ithaca.edu
B. Parliamentary Procedure and Bill Process
- Senate Re-orientation
- Why do we use Robert's Rules of order?
- It keeps meetings efficient and orderly
- Allows for an environment that is respectful and fair
- Keeps the chair in check
- Enables healthy debate
- Protects:
- Rights of the majority to decide
- Right of the minority to be heard
- Rights of individual members
- All members are equal
- A quorum must be met to do business
- Majority rules
- Personal remarks are out of order
- Motions can be made by any voting member as long as they are in order
- Point of Order
- If the chair has made an incorrect ruling or has not followed procedure
- Point of information
- Obtain additional information from the the chair
- Limit debate (⅔)
- Limit individual speaking time
- Limit total speaking time
- Previous question (⅔)
- Cut off debate and move into voting
- Point of personal privilege
- Whenever someone is experiencing physical discomfort that prohibits their ability to participate
- Divide the question
- Parliamentary Inquiry
- Amendments
- An amendment must be in order
- May be changed or altered with an amendment to the amendment
- Friendly amendment
- Hostile amendment
- New procedures
- Instead of voting on time extensions and moving from Q&A to discussion
- You may withdraw a motion
- Adopting primary and secondary motions
- Meetings held once a week
- Special meetings may be called by the executive board of SGC
- Meetings shall be open to any interested student of the Ithaca College Community
- ⅔ is quorum
- President is allowed to vote in the event of a tie
- Constitution is on orgsync
- Bill writing process
- Constituent need
- Research
- Intent
- Writing
- Intent to present
- Presentation
- Voting
- Committee Formation
- Structure:
- Starts with the whereas clauses
- You can use “recognizing, or reaffirming”
- There is a list of other words besides whereas
- The whereas clauses provides the background of what the bill is and the research
- It is resolved clause, there will be one. It will be the preamble of what you want to change
- There can be as many sections as you want
- You can extend it into articles
V. New Business
A. Bill 1617-0011 : Menstrual Products Bill (Jallow)
- IC does not currently provide free menstrual products for those who menstruate periodically, but it does provide free condoms
- Mayor De Blasio has recently signed legislation making menstrual products free in schools, jails and shelters
- The cost of menstrual products are a burden to low income women, especially college students
- It is non-inclusive offering free condoms, but charging $0.25 for pads and tampons, and this reinforces period shaming where girls are not comfortable enough to carry around pads
- Other private colleges such as Brown has implemented free feminine products in all bathrooms regardless of gender - inclusive of all gender identities
- Menstrual products should not be treated as luxury items, and rather seen as a necessity
- Resolved that an initiative should be taken to enforce free menstruation products which will celebrate inclusivity and uplift womens’ rights while proving such menstrual products are necessities
- Meeting with facilities to make menstrual products accessible
- Committee made to assess the steps to implement this process
- 10 Minutes of Q&A
- Gabby: Where would the funding come from?
- Fatoumata: I would believe that is something I would have to find out. I’ve never seen the machines being used. It is only 25 cents so I don’t think they would lose much money.
- Emily: Do you happen to know how much it costs at Brown?
- Fatoumata: No.
- Emily: Where would these be? I know these machines aren't in every bathroom.
- Fatoumata: This could be something the committee could do.
- Lucas: What was the reason for having it in all bathrooms?
- Fatoumata: If there is a person who identifies with a non-binary, they dont put themselves in either gender, I don’t want to discourage a person. People who have feminine parts are forced to be put in uncomfortable positions.
- Lucas: What is the reason for having it in the men’s room?
- Fatoumata: Some people identify as a male but have women’s parts.
- Jula: Could this bill diversify the options of products?
- Marieme: That could be something the committee works on.
Motion to move into discussion: Tyler
Second: Emily
· Cat: Are we also considering res hall bathrooms?
· Fatoumata: I am included all bathrooms.
· Conor: Would you look upon amending 1.2 to “an ad hoc committee will be made” Instead of bullet points, they should be “A,B,C.” I think aside from the bathrooms, we should also put them in the Health Center.
Motion:Conor
Second:Isabella
· Jordyn: Would you plan to have tampons and pads?
· Fatoumata: Both.
· Charlie: I have a small concern with where they are placed in the bathroom, I saw them in the middle. I am concerned with people making a transition, having them in the center. Maybe they can be put in the stalls.
· Tyler: I have never seen a dispenser like this. If there are people who identify as the other gender, but if there are gender neutral bathroom, I don’t see the need to put it in the men’s bathroom.
· Fatoumata: Not all buildings have gender neutral bathrooms.
Motion to move to voting: Isabella
Second: Julia
In Favor: 15
Opposed: 1
Abstaining: 3
VI. Continuing Business
A. Alternative Coffee Bill (Morris, Yohannan)
- Meeting with Jeff this week.
B. Sanctuary Bill (Hau)
- Reaching out to some Cornell students who are interested in making their campus a sanctuary campus.
C. Bill Structure Reform Bill (Friend)
- Any questions, let me know.
D. Allocations Committee Reform Bill (Friend)
E. International Student Support (Grullón, Friend)
- Bonnie sent an email, she is meeting with administration March 17th.
F. Allocations Committee Reform II (Friend)
VII. Officer Reports.
A. President – Marieme Foote
- We have a new president!
- ORCS Committee is meeting
- We wrote a letter welcoming the president as an eboard.
B. Vice President of Communications – Catherine Proulx
- Photos are continuing tonight
- I am chairing elections committee, need 5 senators on it
C. Vice President of Campus Affairs – Anna Gardner
D. Vice President of Academic Affairs – Michele Hau
- Scholarships are out
- If you aren't on the scholarship committee, apply for the scholarship
- Our new president is very passionate about the student experience
E. Vice President of Business and Finance – Ezeka Allen
- Allocations from last week
- We still have money left.
- Editing allocations handbook.
F. Senate Chair – Carlie McClinsey
- Meeting about tabling, we are on our way to get tabling going. We will be tabling in Campus Center, so you can speak to your constituents. If we can have at least an hour of each of your time
- We need to do community service as a group, I am chairing and outreach committee, “Love Does.” April 22nd.
- Making a Facebook Group.
G. Student Trustee – Elijah Greene
- Board of Trustees is here this week
- Board decided to create a committee for inclusivity, if you have opinions or concerns, I am very open to hearing about those things.
H. Residence Hall Association – Nick Simpson
- March 30th-April 22nd RHA will be doing the Energy challenge
I. Student Liaison to the Alumni Board – Lima Hossain
VIII. Open Agenda.
- Emily: IC Feminists united is having an event at Planned Parenthood, Monday March 6th
- Fatoumata: I want to collect the names and emails of the people who want to be a part of the committee for my bill.
- Mike: Does anyone have any information about the lights?
- Kevin: It is a fire hazard.
- Charlie: The bill that I was going to present is different.
- Darius: March 26th, I will be performing.
- Marieme: Public Safety working group, we address lighting on campus, we asked them to do a study of lighting to make sure that all of the lights work and they put more lighting around boothroyd.
- Marieme: Laptop policy. There was a lot of people in the meetings really distracted with their laptops. If I feel it is an issue with the eboard I will address that. If you need it for notes, that makes sense.
- Marieme: Environmental Betterment Committee.
- Francesca: If anyone knows any juniors or seniors who were not approved for off-campus housing, let me know.
- Ezeka: Food Committee, if you have any concerns related food, I am trying to get more dairy alternatives in the dining hall.
- Carlie: Creating this Facebook group, but will be upset if I see it during the meetings.
Motion to close the meeting: Francesca
IX. Adjournment.
Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Alexa Pichiarallo at apichiarallo@ithaca.edu. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.