The Undergraduate Student Senate met on Wednesday, November 3, 2004.
Club and Center Funding Requests ApprovedAt the recommendation of the Student Events and Organizations Committee, the Senate approved $6,922 in funding requests.
The Pre-Med Society received a total of $3,355, $375 to subsidize the registration fee for a Harvard Medical conference, and the remainder to approve a $149 subsidy for up to 20 students for an MCAT preparation course.
Casa Latina received $2,600 to offset costs for an upcoming Latino speaker series, the Center’s annual domino tournament, and a Latino multicultural festival.
The Women’s Center received $111 to fund an upcoming discussion about the myths surrounding the wearing of veils by Muslim women and $856 to fund a cultural event featuring Susan Hunter.
Associate Dean of Student Affairs Joyce Morgan Addresses SenateJoyce Morgan addressed the Senate during Open Forum, discussing her recent promotion from Director of Student Life to Associate Dean of Student Affairs. Associate Dean Morgan spoke of her career in college administration, and discussed her current duties, which focus on fostering student-administration relations at the university.
President’s ReportSenate President Adnan Usman announced that the Senate will now be holding Open Forum at the beginning of its meetings, rather than the end. President Usman also reported that he and Senator Tristan Lowe met with Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Charles Titus and Director of the Writing Proficiency Program Anthony Pettrouzi to discuss the Writing Proficiency Exam and community development goals, including use of the Campus Center by students. Finally, the president announced that the Constitution and Bylaws Committee will set and announce a meeting date shortly.
Budget and Finance CommitteeBudget and Finance Committee Chair Tristan Lowe announced the election of Senator Vanessa Sams as Vice Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee. B&F also received final budget numbers for the fall semester, and is moving forward with funding goals, including implementing new policies to benefit Student Life, centers, and clubs.
Campus and Community Affairs CommitteeCCA Chair Hatim Jean-Louis announced that the committee is conducting a review of the University’s academic and transfer policies, as well as the Writing Proficiency Requirement, and is investigating the possibility of increasing student involvement in the campus community by offering course credit for participation in student government and other activities.
CCA is also planning to put up senate bulletin boards around campus which will display Senate announcements, including the dates and locations of upcoming meetings. CCA is also planning to expand the website by compiling headshots and bios of senators and adding the ability for senators to post public messages.
Student Events and Organizations CommitteeIn addition to the $6,922 in funding requests which were approved at the meeting, SEOC Chair Matthew Landry announced a planned change to SEOC procedures to only accept funding from the presidents and treasurers of Recognized Student Organizations and Center Coordinators. Senator Landry also clarified that SEOC is only responsible for recommending funding requests; that a full Senate must approve them, and Student Life is responsible for all transfers of funds and processing of purchase requests.
The next full Senate meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 17.