Minutes 4.14.09

Agenda

Tuesday April 14^th, 2009

6:30 p.m. Mills Library

I. Call to Order

II. Special Business

• Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drug Committee Member
  • Dean Wiltgen: Need a committee member to serve as a student representative to that body. Come to meetings once a month to share information. Average drinking age of County is 12 years and a couple of months. Volunteer position and opportunity, see the Dean if you want to apply.
• College Budget information
  • 20% of College’s operating budget comes from Endowment. Because of the economic status, we lost some of the interest we gain from the Endowment which serves as some of the money we use.  If any positions have become vacant over the academic year, we have decided to not fill the position.  Endowment lost about 25-30% in this economic slide.  Had to still cut some other places in budget to accommodate for the slide.  College has lowered the amount given to each faculty/staff in retirement funds.  Also had to let some people (staff) go in certain areas of the college.  Will not be any additional changes to the budget.
  • Will Green: What can we do to be compassionate to those who have been let go?  The registrar’s office is really busy right now, and because one person was let go from the office, the load of work is immense for just two people. Was there a reason behind the timing?  Because it has put the office in a bind.
  • There were no cuts to financial aid, or any Odyssey funding.
  • Main Points:  Fewer than 10 positions were eliminated. There were more in total including retirements and professors leaving.
  • Where do we get our Budget? Sources of revenue:  Tuition and Fees, Investments, Endowment, Grants, Federal Funding, and Auxiliary.  Tuition is the largest number, about 50%.  Alumni giving is 25%. Remaining 25% is from the remaining sources. A trustee committee decides what to do with the Endowment.  The village is an investment of the endowment.
  • Expenses: Maintaining of facilities, Student Services, Salaries, Financial Aid.  Number 1 expense is Financial Aid.
  • Can we do anything about the losses we incurred from the stock market crash with respect to the Committee?  Not really, because the economic crisis was unknown and a surprise. Some investments have actually done better than most other institutions.

III. Announcements and Constituent Concerns                     

            Why are the lights on in the SLTC all night?   Safety issues, to make sure people don’t sneak in.

            Why is the website going down so much? Is Res Net the reason?

            Why was the library closed on Easter weekend? People still had work to do and projects to complete.

            Why don’t we get off for Easter weekend; Good Friday or Easter Monday?

Any student can take off a Religious holiday if they let their Profs know ahead of time. It will be considered an excused absence.

            Why can we print a million pages in the computer lab, but have to pay for the copy machine?

            Why don’t we get the catalog before we sign up for our classes?  Some people might not know what the class is about.

            Toga:  Where are we getting the money to put on the party? Supposedly CRL account is empty, as well as discretionary.   Senate has a backup fund that can be used for discretionary. SoCo: Jake said they would be happy to co-sponsor the event; they have extra money in their working budget.

IV. Departmental Liaison Reports

• Selection of Liaisons  
  • WAC Liaison: Taylor Kidd
  • Library Liaison:  LaRonda Mitchell
  • Dining Services Liaison: Ruairi Fox
  • IT Liaison: Jacob Kauffman
  • Public Safety Liaison: Ken Yang
  • Conway City Council: Amanda Kiefer

V. Committee Reports

• Environmental Concerns Committee with Wendell Cathcart and Katherine Roehm
  • They need a space for all of their supplies.
  • Also, possible ask senate to adopt a policy that would encourage/require clubs to use the ECC’s kitchenware.
  • Possibly use the place where the Miller center is now?
  • Anyway to re-use the paper in the computer lab?
  • Double siding the paper printing

• Shirttails Serenade Committee with Ken Yang
  • Tomorrow they will be filming the dances of the dorms.

• Media Committee with Fraser Holmes

• Multicultural Development Committee with Ronni Laizure

• Social Committee with Jake Eddington
  • Free Movie Night is going on Currently.
  • SoCo Loco on the 25^th.  Between the soccer and baseball fields.
  • Relaxation day on Reading Day
  • Partnering with ResLife for Walk-in Movie after SoCo Loco. 

• Volunteer Action Committee with Larnie Campbell
  • Earthday 2009, April 22^nd. 3:30-6:30
  • April 27^th, at 5:00, dinner for volunteers! RSVP to J.J. Witney

• Committee on Residence Life with Mac Barnes
  • This Friday is Veasey Hall Lau. (the 17^th)
  • Next Friday is Martin Hall Toga. (the 24)

• Campus Kitty with Alex Graddy-Reed     
  • Raised $60,600.00 dollars for Charity!
  • Only spent $6,000.00 for expenses. Was $15,000 over goal.

• Academic Policy with BJ Fogleman
  • Meeting this week, talking about education department. Also be asking about the library stuff.
  • More places to study.
  • Maybe increase hours permanently to 1:00 am, not just during Finals

• Student and Academic Concerns Committee with Mac Barnes and BJ Fogleman

• Financial Committee with John Christie

• Communications Committee with Kristi Vo
  • Meeting at 7pm at the Senate Wall
  • Email Kristi with any questions
  • Everyone email Kristi with pictures for the Senate Website.

• Committee on Committees with Ken Yang

• • Committee Appointments: Media Chair- Taylor Adams, SoCo Chair- Jake Eddington, Campus Kitty- Kaelen O’Sullivan, MDC Chair- Molly Miller.  It PASSES!
  • Jake Eddington nominates Becky Flynn as secretary/treasurer for SoCo.  It PASSES!                                      
  • Executive session has been a problem in the pass.  Executive session is supposed to be secretive.  We will be moving to a secret ballot system that will allow the decisions to be known at the time of the appointments, no earlier.
  • It is very important that we keep executive sessions known to only the people within it.
  •  
• Executive Committee with Chance McDermott

VI. Unfinished Business

VII. New Business

VIII. Adjournment until April 21^st, 2009                                 

Clean up:  Couch, Martin, Hardin