Student Senate Meeting

Student Senate Meeting January 27, 2016 – 8:00 pm, Kyle Morrow Room

I. Call to Order II. Roll Call III. Approval of Minutes IV. Voting on Amendments 6&7 ● Rice in a box - getting rid of the responsibilities - passes by majority no against ● 7 - duncan senator one vote oppose - passes by majority V. Blanket Tax Presentation ● blanket tax organization process - apply to be a subsidiary organization and gain money ○ 6 application ■ Splash ■ Standard ■ Catalyst ■ Rally Club ■ QRC ■ RES ○ Rally Club, RES, Splash, QRC ■ Rally Club is the only one being recommended by the blanket tax organization ● ask senate vote them in for the general election. ● 1920’s and then disbanded in the 2000’s. It was brought back with the focus to promote Rice athletic events to encourage more attendance. ● Rally Club sponsors tailgates and they work really closely with Rally Club. ● The new app came out with attendance points. ○ want to increase prizes with blanket tax money ○ making better tailgates ■ RES - Michael Donatti came to speak ● RES meant to be the coordination platform for all the sustainability clubs on campus and they are able to communicate and collaborate ● help to increase branding for joint events ● Sustainability opportunities fair and other events are things they hold ● try to use money for more funding for environmentally friendly projects and improvements ● They do have funding from the SA ● Blanket Tax recommendation: ○ RES does contribute and benefit the entire community, but the main concern and finding is that RES is structured as a committee that reviews applications from individuals and enviornmental clubs for funding ○ Blanket Tax was concerned with the accountability factor between the money and where it is ultimately being spent. ○ biggest issue is organizational structure. ○ Blanket tax felt RES wasnt doing enough to find outside funding. ○ blanket tax doesn’t want it approval ● Michael’s appeal ○ Michael doesnt think they should be on the ballot this year → doesnt want a hurt image if they arent voted on. ○ Hope to show that RES is benefiting campus - projects ■ subsidized hoots recycling stuff ■ bought ■ environmental justice poetry event ■ coffee house environmental issues ■ sid lightbulb commons approval! ○ Denied some projects too - showing they arent just letting anyone take and use th emoney ○ H&D is a big partner and funding ○ says fluctations in a demand for funding is not a reason to get rid of blanket tax and subsidiary - blanket tax is there to check it ever year. ● QRC - Nick Hanson-Holtry ○ Blanket Tax organization denied recommendation ○ Nick says that QRC will reapply in future years ■ they applied to get feedback on the application and will reapply in the next years - they have things they will be working on ● Splash - no one came to present ○ very specific volunteer organization ○ blanket tax recommends to not approve them because Splash doesnt help the internal student body and campus. ○ We will all be voting on the blanket tax subsidiary organizations on the general election next week. ○ all the recommendations and files will be recommended. ○ Next week Sai will be presenting on Rice Cataylst and Standard VI. RUPD Advisory Board Legislation ● Justin spoke with Chief Whitehead ● Wants to get an advisory board of undergraduate students ● Who appoints them? ○ EVP ● Elizabeth - can there be graduate students too and other groups on campus? ○ wants to recommend that other groups come in ● Overlap with Student Life? ○ Chief Whitehead wants input from a lot of people? VII. Academic Advisory Boards Legislation ● last week was an introduction ● today is a formal introduction of the legislation ● not a lot of changes ● Justin will be taking questions ○ Griffin - where can we find the legislation - Annabelle - it will be emailed out and put on the website ○ Lauren - have you met with CS speaks? - Justin - not yet. ○ Nick (part of CS speaks) - says CS Speaks doesnt want to be included - they want the computer science listing to be removed. Justin - they will talk afterwards ■ Justin says CS Speaks does not fit in the vision. ■ Nick - i thought we were working with the SA to make CS Speaks - so why? ■ Lauren - Academics CC is picking people and so that goes against CS Speaks - thats why they want to be removed. ■ Justin - trying to get this forward in the future - they dont want the CS department to have this completely different in the future ■ Elizabeth - what about Econ? ● Justin - Econ was passed by the SA ○ says CS Speaks wasn’t a SA legislation group ■ Griffin - i appreciate it , but it doesnt make sense for the SA to overstep. Not comfortable voting on the legislation because doesnt want to take over CS Speaks ■ Duncan President - what gives the academics committee chairs the knowledge to choose everyone in each department? ● Justin - it should be the students to choose their own representatives ■ Elizabeth - worried that it will come across poorly if it steps over the CS Speaks initaitive. ■ Peter - its doesnt hurt to push it back and talk to other people more especially if they are working for more things in the future ■ Annabelle - legislation belongs to the Senate and anyone is free to make changes ■ Lauren - motion to cut CS department from the legislation ● Favor: 11 ● Against: 4 ● Abstention: the rest ● it is now cut off ■ Maurice - has anyone reached out to the CS department? ● Nick - wants it to the be CS kids and not the SA VIII. Announcements A. petitions are due next monday B. Duncan Sensation!!!! C. Jazz request - C.1. motion to allow jazz to late because of LPAP IX. Adjournment