Senate did not meet because of the Holiday.
Noember 18, 2009
The 62nd Student Senate convened at 7:45pm at the House Chambers at the State Capitol
Senate Projects currently stands at $164,406
There was a motion made to unlock the calendar and hear Resolutions 3 and 4 as the first order of business.
Resolution 3- Sponsored by Senator Ermitus, subject: to commend Sean Pittman for his commitment to Florida State University.
Resolution 4- Sponsored by Senator Cuyler, subject: to allow the Black Female Development Circle to host an event off campus.
Consent Resolutions
Consent Resolution 6: RTAC allocations to National Association of Catering Executives, Caribbean Student Association, Azucar! Dance Company and Paradigm. Passed
Consent Resolution 7: PAC allocations to the Friends of Internationals, The Navigators and Alpha Kappa Psi. Passed
Bills Seconding Reading
Bill 1- Sponsored by Senators Chance and Mroczkowski, purpose: to revise the threshold for amending RTAC and PAC resolutions. Passed Yes-27 , No-21, Abstained- 1
Bill 2- Sponsored by Senator Williams, purpose: to allow the congress of Graduate Students to establish procedures for removal of officers from COGS and COGS administered organizations and to establish procedures for the freezing of funds or other sanctions for non-compliance. Passed without objection.
Meeting adjourned at 10:30pm.
November 10, 2009
The 62nd Student Senate convened at 7:38pm for a Special Session.
Senate Projects currently stands at $164,406
The senate passed Funding Distribution Committee Resolutions 2 and 3:
Resolution 4: RTAC allocations to Light the Night, Volunteer at FSU and Students Promoting Autism Awareness.
Resolution 5: PAC allocations to Light the Night and The Gospel Choir at FSU.
There were no bills on 2nd reading.
There were no Resolutions.
Meeting adjourned at 8:30pm.
November 4, 2009
The 62nd Student Senate convened for the first time at 7:32pm.
Senate Projects currently stands at $164,406
The Senate took a short recess to elect the chair and vice chairs of our 5 standing committees.
The senate passed Funding Distribution Committee Resolutions 2 and 3:
Resolution 2: RTAC allocations to Kauze4Unity, Peruvian Student Association, College Libertarians, and College Bowl at FSU, with amendments.
Resolution 3: PAC allocations to Progressive Black Men, The Black Female Development Circle and Haitian Cultural Club.
There were no bills on 2nd reading.
The Senate passed Resolutions 1 and 2
Resolution 1: Subject to allow the Pride Student Union to bring Dan Savage to FSU to speak on January 29, 2010.
Resolution 2: Subject Permission to allow the Pride Student Union, the Hispanic Latino Student Union and Women’s Center to have an event off campus that will feature Steph Taylor and the State Of, on November 15,2009.
September 16th, 2009
Vice President of Student Affairs Mary Coburn was present at last nights Senate meeting to help explain the overhead fee being placed upon Student Government for the next several years and how that will be effecting the student body. Along with a $250,000 allocation this year – Senate will be charged an overhead fee of $250,000 to make a grand total of $500,000. This half a million dollars will be used to sustain and improve the library system at the university – one of the pillars of academic life here at FSU. Along with the $250,000 overhead fee for year 2009-2010, SGA and President T.K. Wetherell agreed to a four year contract giving the university a flat rate overhead fee. The stipulations of that contract are as follows:
Fiscal year 2010 – 2011 – $250,000
Fiscal year 2011 – 2012 – $275,000
Fiscal year 2012 – 2013 – $300,000.
The SGA Senate may consider a resolution which recommends how these funds are to be allocated and the University Administration will include these recommendations as part of budget deliberations.
A Financial Allocation Resolution for the Resource and Travel Allocations Committee was objected to and debated on. There was a motion to fund Semionle Christian Life for an upcoming conference, which failed. There was also a motion to zero-fund Delta Sigma Pi for an upcoming leadership conference which also failed. The Senate confirmed 10 individuals for positions within Student Govnerment as well as a new associate Justice for the Supreme Court.
A bill was passed to spend $9,000 on 15,000 rally towels for the upcoming home football game against the University of South Florida. All students in attendance to the game will receive a towel, which is meant to promote school spirit and unity as well as pump up the team and crowd. Finally, a resolution was passed to support the allocation of $500,000 for the library system which outlined where all that money will be spent. The improvements made with the money will include, but is not limited to, renovations to the libary, new technology, tutoring services and an improved textbook reserve.
Student Senate meets every Wednesday at 7:30 in the Bob Brandewie Senate Chambers on the 3rd floor of the Union. All students are welcome to speak and observe. Please contact Senate President Bobby Seifter (sgaspres@admin.fsu.edu) for any information or questions about the Legislative Branch.
September 2nd, 2009
Amid a busy second week of classes, the Student Senate met Wednesday night for its first meeting of the fall semester. Many fall Senators returned from a long summer break and visitors packed the gallery to observe a surprisingly full docket.
Budget Chairman Howard announced that Budget Request Packets will be made available Friday, September 4th in the accounting office. All entities looking to be directly funded in Bill 2010 should pick these up and turn them in accordingly.
Dr. Amy McKenzie from the Academic Honor Policy Committee spoke to Senate about the proposed revisions to the policy. The Senate will debate and decide on whether to forward the new policy to the Faculty Senate next week.
Committees broke out and forwarded their nominations for the Sweepings Committee, as well as set their meeting times for the Semester. The first Fund Distribution Committee Resolution was passed on consent calendar without objection.
Senate set the date for fall elections as Wednesday, October 14th, 2009. Senate also approved expenditures for two events proposed by the Black Student Union, Essence of Ebony and the 5th annual COBOL. A resolution proposing that Senate create a new appeals process for specific funding failed. The final resolution of the night passed overwhelmingly, supporting the DREAM Act that is currently going through Congress.
Committees will be meeting next week and Senate will convene again on Wednedsay. For more updates on the Student Senate, feel free to contact Senate President Bobby Seifter at sgaspres@admin.fsu.edu or Senate Program Assistant Mattie Durham at mdurham@admin.fsu.edu.
July 29th, 2009
The Student Senate met for the last time in the summer of 2009 this past Wednesday. Several financial allocations were made, including: Funding for the Interfraternity Council in order for them to provide buses for transportation during IFC Rush Week, funding to buy new on-campus recycling bins, and an allocation to the Latter Day Saints Student Association to bring Jenny Oaks Baker to speak at an upcoming event.
Senate also debated and failed a bill attempting to remove the Student Body Treasurer and Student Body Deputy Treasurer from their respective posts as chairs of the Programming Allocations Committee and Resource and Travel Allocations Committee.
A resolution sponsored by Senate President Seifter was passed honoring the life of late FSU alumni and State Senator Jim King, who passed away this last Sunday. The Senate’s resolution along with an honorary Presidential Resolution will be hung in the King Life Sciences Building on FSU’s campus.
The Senate will be in recess for the next several weeks and will adjourn again on September 2nd.
July 22, 2009
The 61st Student Senate met last night and confirmed Noemy Martinez as a member of the Funding Distribution Committees. The Senate also debated Bill 58 sponsored by Senator Waltz. The purpose of the Bill was to revise the Student Resource Center and make the SGA Webmaster responsible for maintaining the Student Resource Center Website, and it passed.
Bill 60 sponsored by Senators Dunnington and Scandling is an allocation of $2,300 from Senate Projects to the Inter Fraternity Council to provide safe and adequate transportation for students during IFC rush week. This bill was postponed until the next meeting which is July 29, 2009.
Resolution 57 sponsored by President Seifter, which the purpose is to approve changes to the Academic Honor Policy put forth by the Academic Honor Policy Committee, is still postponed until July 29,2009.
July 15th, 2009
The Student Senate met last night and was pleased to host Dr. Amy McKenzie who spoke on the subject of the revisions to the Academic Honor Policy. The Student and Faculty Senate are charged with approving proposed changes to the policy which were made by the Honor Policy Committee. Students are encouraged to read the policy and become familiar with the new changes once the resolution is passed. The resolution is up for debate on July 30th.
Due to lack of quorum in commitees this past week, Senate entered “Committee As The Whole” for the Budget Committee, the Finance Committee and the Internal Affairs Committee. In Budget, the Senate approved the allocations of $15,000 to the World Affairs Program and $10,000 to the Speech & Forensics Team. In Finance, the Senate approved three resolutions setting the guidelines for the new Fund Distribution Committees (these guidelines will be available online shortly on the SGA website, and the changes will be noted in the new Financial Manual). Finance also approved one bill sponsored by Budget Chairman Howard changing the amount of money Senate is required to keep in the Central Reserves account. In Internal Affairs, Mr. Vu Thai was approved as Director of the Asian American Student Union.
The Senate approved two bills deleting the now non-existent Starlight Center from Statutes, and making the SGA Webmaster the official general manager of the Student Broadcast Center.
In New Business, a motion was made and approved to transfer $143,000 from the Central Reserves account to the SGA Master account in order to cover financial shortfall that SGA faced in the previous fiscal year.
Senate President Bobby Seifter will be absent from the July 22nd Senate meeting and will be out of town until July 27th. Senate Pro Tempore Reggie Cuyler will chair the Senate on the 22nd.
July 8th, 2009
Senate met last night to debate one bill on second reading and also entertain a motion to overturn a veto by the Student Body Treasurer.
The bill was sponsored by Senate Budget Chairman Howard updating portions of the Finance Code. The most notable changes make it so that organizations receiving money from Student Government are not allowed to use that money on plated dinners for any events anymore. Events using A&S fees must be held on campus and be served buffet style unless special permission is given by Senate or one of the Fund Distribution Committees.
This past week the interim Student Body Treasurer Richard Benson vetoed a proposed expenditure by the Black Student Union to spend $118 on notebooks for their executive board. A motion was made by Senator Simmons to overturn the veto by 2/3 vote. The motion was debated and after a vote, the veto was overturned and the BSU granted permission to buy the notebooks.
There will be several bills coming through committee and being placed on second reading this upcoming week, please feel free to visit Senate to watch the debate on the third floor of the Student Union at 7:30 PM.
