1. I. Call to Order Michael (9:06)
2. II. Roll Call/Prayer Michael prayed

Present: Michael Spory, Karissa Sauder, Sarah Beck, Brent Beachy, Giles Eanes, Alli Eanes, Hans Weaver, Heidi Bauman, Katie Landis, Darian Harnish, Peyton Erb, Sara Derstine, James Souder, Gabe Brunk, Brook Mussleman, Amy Springer, Vi Dutcher, Ken L. Nafziger

Absent: Brendon Derstine, Brandon Habron

1. III. Approval of Minutes

Motion 31032010-1 to approve the minutes: Giles

Second: Heidi

Motion passed unanimously

1. IV. Announcements

a. Thank you to those who helped with SGA Exec elections yesterday!

Everything went very smoothly!

1. V. Old Business
   1. a. April 14 – dinner at Loren’s: We will meet at Loren’s house at around 5:30 for dinner and the SGA meeting will follow the dinner.  Get excited!
   2. b. Late Night Breakfast – April 27: This breakfast will probably take place from 10-12 p.m. so next week we will have a sign-up for times for senators to work.  This is something the SGA does every semester and it’s usually a big success!
2. VI. New Business
   1. a. Budget proposal: Brent shared the proposed budget that the executive committee has been working on for the 2010-11 school year.  The budget was passed out and reviewed by the senators.  Clubs not requesting money are either currently inactive or not yet eligible for funding from SGA.  Specifically, we talked about the CAC budget request because they had asked for 3 different allocations based on 3 different scenarios.  They requested anywhere from $26,000-48,000 depending on whether or not we think EMU should host a concert on campus.  Varying amount depends on what type of concert we would like to see on campus.  Senators discussed various possibilities and there was general agreement that we should go with the middle range allocation ($40,000) which should be enough to cover a smaller concert featuring a band that tours the college circuit.  We as an SGA feel that this is a smart idea for the first year, just to get a feel for what student attendance and interest is and in future years, more of the budget may be allocated for larger concerts.  Hans did mention that he feels that it would be better to get one large, fairly well-known band rather than six small lesser-known bands that not many people show up to.  It was also discussed that we could just wait until next year and if they need more, CAC can come to us with a funding request.  We could also not allocate the money for a concert until they have a solid idea about what they want to do and then they can come to us with a budget request.  This would ensure that the money would actually be used for a concert.  There was also discussion about the Shen’s budget.  Currently, the Shen has about a $10,000 rollover from last year and are requesting $14,000.  The past discussion about the potential opt-out model mostly took place because in the fall semester, SGA was looking to cut cost because of the additional funding we’re giving to Common Grounds.  Now that we have increased student fees, we have the budget to support the Shen in the same way we have in the past, so there is no need to pursue new models.  The senators agreed that this seems much easier for everyone and it is the best idea for everyone involved.  The senate discussed various other clubs and clarifications were made on other smaller items in the budget. 

Motion 31032010-2 to approve the 2010-2011 budget as it is written: Gabe

Second: Giles

Motion passed unanimously

1. b. Options for take-out trays in the Den: We decided to table this due to the fact that many ideas are going to be presented in open floor and this is not a pressing issue at the time.
2. VII. Open Floor

a. Darian shared that he believes Article III Section 1 E. 1 b. is an unnecessary part of our SGA constitution.  This policy states that those running for SGA executive positions cannot run unopposed.  In the cases where a student runs unopposed, another candidate must be nominated so that there is a contest.  Darian shared that this creates unnecessary headaches, as in the case of the elections yesterday.  The situation was that every position had only one candidate running so people were nominated late at night the night before the elections.   When this happens, the candidate who actually wants (and possibly is actually qualified for) the position may not get it and the person who doesn’t really want the position (and may not be qualified) may get it.  Most senators felt this policy was not needed.  One suggestion was to advertise executive positions before the election for the whole campus, such as e-mails (which is currently done), a booth outside the cafeteria or in the Campus Center, etc.  Another suggestion was to utilize the WeatherVane so as to generate more publicity to get more interest in students running for SGA.  The senators generally agreed that we really only need one person to run for each position, and “forcing” people to run.

Motion 31032010-3 to change the wording of be changed to say “The Senate will ensure the nomination of at least one candidate for each executive office by nominating one or more names if necessary.”: Darian

Second: Hans

Motion passed unanimously

The next step in this process is to have the proposed changes to the Constitution be voted on by the entire SGA (the student body) after having 2 weeks posted notice.

b. For the record, next year’s executive officers are:

Co-Presidents: Michael Spory & Benjamin Bergey

Vice-President: Janelle Freed

Treasurer: William Morris

Secretary: Sarah Beck

1. VIII. Adjournment

Motion 31032010-4 to adjourn: Giles

Second: Sara

Motion passed unanimously

Meeting adjourned (10:12)

smb 03/31/10

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