Minutes from Oct. 12, 2011

  1. Call to Order
  2. Roll Call/Prayer
  3. Approval of Minutes Brandon Habron motioned to approve the minutes, Joel Choi seconded. Passed unanimously.
  4. Announcements
    1. Board Luncheon- Nov.  11 @ 12
      1. Nels informed the SGA that everyone is invited to the Board meeting.
    2. Encouragement Table
      1. Sam Kauffman added an encouragement table outside the Post Office and encouraged people to use it.
  5. Committee Reporting
    1. Institutional Review Board- Hannah Schrock
      1.  Said that it went well (she cannot say anything else since it is confidential).
    2. Bookstore Committee- Hannah Patterson
      1. The bookstore is always open to ideas from students, but there is a fine balance between what they can and cannot supply (though they want to be as helpful to students as possible and offer as much as they can).
    3. Undergraduate Council- James
      1. Budget is a bit short. Discussed how to improve retention rates for all students (and specifically for athletes and making sure they attend all classes). Talked about using cross-cultural program to draw students in (and how the fact that the lack of languages offered may hinder students from coming to EMU).
  6. Old Business
    1. Spirit Week feedback
    2. Positive feedback about photos on SGA page on Facebook—increasing awareness about the SGA page. People have enjoyed the events in addition to the themes. Katie Landis needs volunteers to clean up windows advertising Spirit Week and Jacob Mack-Boll, Dan Sigmans and Sam Kauffman volunteered.
    3. Idea Drive- Brandon’s report
      1.  Brandon is still working on organizing all of the ideas he received so he asked the discussion to be tabled until next week.
  7. New Business
    1. Intramural concern
      1.  A-league teams have been playing B-league teams (or A league teams are also forming B league teams) and destroying them so Katie Landis suggests setting up parameters to separate the two better. The rest of this discussion will be tabled until next week.
  8. Open Floor
    1. There is concern about the yearbook not accurately representing the year it is designed for. For example, James Souder said that there were pictures of his older sister in last year’s yearbook even though she graduated several years ago. Additionally, there were photos on the theater page of a play that happened two years ago (though the page said that it happened last spring). Others said they had photos taken, yet they did not show up in the yearbook. Kat suggested having a yearbook class and Justin suggested talking to those in leadership and making some suggestions. Hannah Patterson suggested having photos for the yearbook in the caf lobby instead of in the Campus Center to be more visible. Brandon motioned to have an SGA committee for the betterment of the Shen and to add oversight and Joel Choi seconded. He added that if they do not improve their quality SGA should not continue to fund them. Motion passed unanimously.
      1.  The committee will consist of Brandon Habron, James Souder and Brittney Wenger.
    2. There will be a United Way Campaign happening at EMU this fall (starting right before fall break and going for two weeks). This will be like Coin War—pennies/dimes/nickels add points and quarters take away points—and there will be a collecting jar of some sort outside each residence hall (the winning hall gets a pizza party). They are asking for support from SGA (ideas/feedback about how to structure the campaign and also advertising) and are concerned about people stealing money so they are asking for SGA ideas about how to avoid this. Hannah Schrock suggested just labeling the jars so that people know where the money going and hopefully will be discouraged from stealing and also using a container with a small opening.
    3. Ken gave an update about Mariah Elliot: he shared that he filled her in on last week’s meeting and gave her options about potential reinstatement should she choose to seek it (she could petition the SGA to be reinstated if she wanted to and there would be another vote). At this point she has chosen to not seek reinstatement so she can focus on other priorities.
    4. Nels shared that the Strategic Planning Committee is meeting next week on Wednesday, October 19, from 1:30-4 and he needs another person to sit in on the meeting with him (and in future meetings for the rest of the semester). Brandon Habron will join him.
    5. Hannah Patterson said that she has met with Eric Codding about finding a room for the thrift room on campus and it is possible that one of the storage rooms in the basement of Maplewood can be used.
  9. Adjournment Sam Kauffman motioned to adjourn. Hannah Schrock seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

 

Next Meeting: 19 October 2011 at 9 pm in UC 211/212