Top take
- Appropriations Committee (SAAC) Chair Nick Mavrelis announced that he had written his own draft constitution to be voted on in next week’s spring elections.
- Mavrelis announced that he was to submit as a referendum on the ballot for spring elections.
- The document came about after discussions with students. Mavrelis offered SA to discuss changes in the document. Noted it did not take long to write.
- Mavrelis hopes that even if it does not pass, the document will serve as a framework. He later admitted that it was unlikely that the document would pass.
- He claimed that “anyone can submit it, to my understanding.”
- Provisions included:
- Allowing students studying abroad to vote.
- Anyone as a member of SA (any student) can submit legislation in accordance with the SA Bylaws.
- Flexible president’s cabinet.
- Would give a semester’s time to rewrite the bylaws and write new regulations.
- Sophomore Senator Beatriz Gil and freshman Senator Leif Johansen encouraged members of SA to talk to Mavrelis to understand all changes made in the document.
- Senator Joseph Stephens noted that he liked Mavrelis’ ideas.
- Senator Pachter asked if the Constitution Task Force (CTF) would no longer exist. Mavrelis explained that the new document, if passed, would mean that the CTF would handle bylaws.
Other bits
- Speaker Selection bill
- Option 1 – executive session with a summary of the session written and published afterward.
- Option 2 – executive session w no summary—no change from current executive session.
- Each option received seven votes.
- Pachter suggested taking an official vote as opposed to approval voting.
- Ollarvez said that this is a situation that concerns the student body, and so it should be voted on by student body during elections.
- Stephens said that he does not believe that students are too concerned about the issue.
- Foti and Guerrero expressed concerns that the option to eliminate the executive session was taken off the table.
- James explained that it was interpreted that based on the support for that option from the last meeting, it was assumed to be doomed to fail, and so it could not pass.
- Guererro explained that there’s something to be said about the fact that CT publishes on elections, but there isn’t much accessible on Speaker selections.
- Matthews explained that he does not believe that bill will pass if postponed one more week.
- Pachter noted that executive session does not take any extra time.
- Rabenold expressed feelings that “entering votes into the public record” is in of itself a published summary.
- Senate held a vote to see if 2/3 of the table would support either option.
- Wrobel explained that if the bill was voted down, then a two-week approval process repeats.
- Rabenold moved to table bill.
- Bill tabled for one week.
- James said that she said ten times the previous week that people needed to approach her with concerns and changes.
- Only Stephens and Wrobel approached her.
- Offered to talk with senators over coming week.
- James held a straw poll to see opinion on removing provision that speaker selections are not to be held in executive session.
- Yes: 4
- No: 9
- Not Sure: 1
- Senator Johansen announced that he was looking to create a sustainability commission that would work on sustainability projects over coming year. He has additionally discussed this idea with Director of Dining Services Cam Schauf.
- Senator Awayda presented an Active Minds/SA survey regarding mental health on campus. It is related to Welliora.
- The Global Students’ Union was granted preliminary status.
- National Society of Leadership and Success decision was tabled. Laura Ballou will be taking the group to the administrators who approve new honor societies.
- UR United World was given preliminary status.
- ARC had meeting on Sunday regarding disciplinary measures
- Campus Services sent out a survey to ISO for multilingual maps project
- Elections are in full swing
- UR A Star continuing. Plaque logistics worked out and the plaque will be ordered this week.
- An event will be held on April 21 in Gowen Room to recognize UR staff members.
- SAAC is beginning to hear appeals this week. The deadline to submit appeals was 11:59 p.m. Wednesday
- Noted that SOAR and exceptions granted by ARC are taken into account with budgeting
- Cautioned that final budget is not guaranteed to be voted on by current senate
- President’s Report: 5K Challenge going well. Chief of Staff Linda Shackles bought out BJ’s in tampons. This is in part because over 1,000 tampons used in Wilson Commons in the first week of 5K Challenge implementation. There are reports of students grabbing handfuls of pads and tampons.
- Welliora starts on 17 April. Freshman Senator Kamel Awayda asked people to volunteer for the initiative.
- Presidential debate is Wednesday.
- The State of the SA is April 27. This is also when the next SA President will be sworn in.
- Senate approved sophomores Deisy Abarca Espiritu and Lucas Avelar and freshman Julie Woodward as associate justices to the All-Campus Judicial Council
- Deputy Speaker and freshman Marco Ramos was asked how long it takes for to be written up. Ramos said that it takes 3-4 hours. When Senator Johansen pointed out that most of the minutes from SA meetings this semester were not up on the website, Ramos said that they were ready to be approved.
- Minutes approved for the following SA meetings:
- Jan 23
- Feb. 6
- Feb. 23
- March 6
- April 3
- UR BlueCrew was derecognized.
- Freshman Genesis Galindo explained that over academic year, Blue Crew had only one meeting, and its president graduated after fall semester. She was a member of e-board. Explained that 2 other leadership members left as well, and at that point everybody else left.
- UR Sustainability Council will be coming in to present to new Senate—tentative for April 24. This is unrelated to Johansen’s project.
- Matthews noted that Dean Feldman is holding a lecture Thursday @ 7:30 in Hawkins-Carlson.
Next meeting
Monday, April 17 in the Gowen Room
