Senate Meeting Minutes
Minutes
Sonoma State University
AS Senate Meeting
Associated Students
12:00pm- Monday, November 13, 2023
Bennett Valley Room – 2nd Floor Student Center
MINUTES
I. Call to Order & reading of the Land acknowledgement - The meeting was called to order at 12:01 pm;
II. Roll Call - everyone is present;
III. Public Comment – pursuant to California Education Code 89306, the AS Senate provides this time for any member of the public to address the AS Senate on any item affecting higher education. Pursuant to California Education Code 89306(b), each speaker will be allowed no more than three (3) minutes to address the AS Senate.
IV. Liaisons Reports
a. University President’s Designee- last week, celebrations for First Generation Students and Veterans; Gianna Bomarito is on her way to Missouri for Nationals; CAPS sending emails to let know if there is any work stoppage, will continue to serve them; AVP search has concluded; CARE cases: 47 open cases, 2 people on call;
b. Academic Senate Representative- no report;
V. Special Guest
a. Julie Vivas - Title IX Officer and Sr Director- Ms. Vivas has a presentation named Responsible Employees- OPHD/Title IX Update: Reasons for OPHD: for students to feel welcoming and comfortable on campus; prohibiting discrimination, harassment, etc; 6 positions currently; 2 couple vacant positions, responsibilities: looking what supportive measures are needed based on the person; they do not have to come to file in the cases in person to get help; Help with early and informal resolutions; patterning with referrals; working with other offices for referrals; Started a program with Peer Ambassadors and Trainers; Cozen Implementation Team- new update; provided 24 reports, for each campus and create a team to respond to the result of the systemwide report and SSU report; task at hand is creating plan Recommendation: coordination and oversight, infrastructure not sufficient enough, prevention, education, professional development, training and awareness, other conduct of concern, accountability; SSU Specific Recommendations: strengthen the internal OPHD processes, awareness and visibility of OPHD, prevention and education, good training but not efficiently or strategically; responding to other conduct of concern(behavior not falling within the discrimination policy); tips to strengthen processes and issue of high turnover; Audit Recommendations: Initial Assessment, Timelines of Investigation and Disciplines Process, Timeline of Investigation and Disciplines Procedures, Case File Documentation; Systemwide Data and Oversight, Letters of Recommendation; Progress- Separation of Supportive Measures, Creating Tracking Processes, Messaging via Supportive Measures, intakes with respondents, mapping processes with new regulations, documentation, timelines, multidisciplinary team planning, warm handoffs and referral
tracking Visibility Progresses- website review is underway, working on formalizing, staffing; new investigator onboarding in August, new Sr.Prevention, Education and Compliance Coordinator is posted; Communication Plan to Campus: Notice- Written Communication, Meetings with various departments and governance groups, campaigns; tabling/educational programs/passive programs, social media; Prevention and Education- Progress: 40 events, educational campaigns, peer trainers, and ambassadors, revised information for Clery, SMART; Conduct Progress- Reviewing Process of Handoffs, tracking of referrals, conflict resolutions, training for managers; Advice for Students: be an active/direct bystander, educate each other and yourselves, consider bias, encourage people to connect to support resources;
VI. Business
a. October Roster of Legislation (ACTION)
i. Discussion- Senator Fast and Senator Frickman are discussing of the second reading of the
October Roster of Legislation; they changed the learn more section about for the students; Senator Sanchez suggested to post on social media to get the students more aware of the legislation, but also print them out to put them around campus and also send it to Jeff Keating; President Garcia was suggesting to contact the Sonoma STAR; Senator Frickman suggested for the action plan, send it out to social media platforms and would always be sent out to our Marketing team; responsibilities for Senator Frickman and Fast would sent the legislation to Mr. Keating, social media awareness; The main focus for the students to be more awareness;
ii. Action- Senator Frickman moves to approve the October Roster of Legislation; Senator Frickman moves to amend the October Roster of Legislation Positions to now be titled as The October Roster of Legislative Positions ; Senator Fast seconded the motion; The motion passes unanimously; Senator Frickman moves to amend the October Roster of Legislative Positions to now include an action plan that states: 1) the content of the Roster of Legislative positions will be posted to the AS social media platforms; 2) that Senator of Government Affairs Taylor Frickman will be responsible to share with the AS Marketing team to the content of this roster of Legislative Positions to be sent to the SSU EVP of Government Relations and Strategic Communications Jeff Keating; This process will be the responsibility of Senator of Government Affairs Taylor Frickman; 3) A press release of this roster of Legislative Positions will be sent to the Sonoma Star by Senator of Government Affairs Taylor Frickman; Senator Fast seconded the motion; the motion passes unanimously; Senator Frickman moves to approve the October Roster of Legislative Positions as amended; EVP Lopez seconded the motion; the motion passes unanimously;
b. Reviewing Updated Bylaws and Code (ACTION)
i. Discussion- EVP Lopez is discussing the AS Bylaws and Codes; The Audit and Rules Committee wanted to update the Bylaws and Code in a way that is best in Audit and Rules’ opinion ; Firstly, we will be taking off the bottom section of the mission statement because it is too wordy; second, we are changing the pronouns to they/them to be more gender inclusive and fixing grammar and typos throughout the documents; Lastly and most importantly, is article 3, section 1 where ARC would like to recommend that we add another Executive to the Senate Board to next year’s Senate as Vice President of External Affairs where Taylor’s position would go from Senator to Executive; Also, we would like to add three more senators so it would be 4 executives and 5 senators; The senator positions would be Engagement, Diversity, Student Resources, Student Success and At Large; ARC recommends to go from Committees to Boards; President would be Chair of the Senate; we added duties for VP of External Affairs; it was once a Executive position but down to a Senator position; Senator Fast and Frickman had an concern of the timing because the amendments of the Bylaws were sent to them yesterday and it is labeled as an action item; However, President Garcia accidentally labeled it as a action item, so it is only the 1st reading and an discussion item; Senator Sanchez said she was not one of the people in ARC to approve the idea and felt as that she was not proven enough that this idea can be a good idea and that it will not be a good idea for the years to come with additions of new postions ; Last year, there was a struggle of getting people to run for the positions and most of them were ran uncontested; Also, the budget is not an issue but if the enrollment is not increasing like as estimated, AS and SSU could take a hit; Senator Sanchez is asking about the clarity of the position of the Senator at Large position; EVP Lopez explains the postion of At Large is there because if the Executives need to hold a meeting? Senator Fast is also asking is this being approved or having been already approved within the budget and does AS have the money to add the additional positions? VPF Trent thinks the idea would be fine, but we would have to find the money somewhere; Senator Frickman is also confused on the Senator At Large position and their job description and specific role and it would be a Student Gov position essentially and with low enrollment and struggle to get Board members, the position would not strive; Executive Director said none of them have job searches but some have very limited descriptions but need to be approved and find money to keep afloat; Bylaws are the highest document to look over and update; Senator Sanchez is also asking the purpose of the At Large position, along with imagining if she went into her position without direction, it would be overwhelming. Senator Sanchez also remembers being on Finance last semester and it was difficult because having a lot of budget cuts they had to do; Senator Sanchez is not all the way opposed to the picture of having more people, but have proven otherwise of it beneficial to a company, besides of having more people in the mix and having the positions of being more fluid; Other than that, it has not proven otherwise that it would beneficial; Senator Fast agrees that we need to talk more about budget and other topic to consider and having a conversation about Student Government and balancing with the Senators; EVP Lopez asked if you would be open for 4 execs and 4 senators; President Garcia added on with the beginning of Senator Fast’s discussion and having the balance of Student Government and the Senators and have decided on cutting Student Government altogether; we would be just adding Student Government in the positions instead of having Student Government as a department/branch. Executive Director Dickson said the conversation is going good but dig in more; Senator Frickman thinks it is ideal to have more Execs and Senators and to cut Student Government; Senators have been more effective to do more rather than Student Government as of just tabling; Senator Frickman thinks the Senator at Large is not necessary; Senator Fast added that we have to vote on this soon since in order to look for the positions and have ready for elections next year, it needs to be certain that the new positions will be in the elections race or not; ED Dickson suggested we need it to be ready for the application process or delay the elections dates; Senator Fast agrees with the idea and cutting Student Government, but needing to see the finances of the budget of each department; Senator Sanchez feels as she is asking why the decision now, but no definite reason or answer; EVP Lopez was asking if how would everyone feel about the changing of the name of Senator at Large and adding more job description; VPF Trent is leaning more towards the favor of the idea and have more responsibilities with Student Government’s responsibilities; Senator Fast suggests to look more into the documents and discuss for next Senate meeting; EVP Lopez makes a motion to table this action item to next Senate meeting; Senator Fast seconded the motion; the motion passes unamoinously;
ii. Action
a. AS President
b. Executive Vice President
c. Vice President of Finance- reported last week President Advisory Meeting
Committee; discussed about self support auxiliary programs; most of them will be using their reserves; SFAC discussing summer fees and decided we will not collect Category fees and course fees will be approved by case-case basis;
d. Senator of Diversity
e. Senator of Student Resources- Senator Fast reported: had Open Forum on Nov 6th, 20 people attended and gave various information; scholarship info was asked, along with ASP events; concern with more EMS in the Children’s School and more lactation rooms; also concerns with housing and lighting safety; talks of family housing; went to SAC meeting, where Dr. Vivas were there and reviewed opposing resolution of academic reorganization; faculty discussion of how to discuss of the Gaza-Israel conflict;
f. Senator of Government Affairs
g. JUMP Representative- on Nov 3rd, went to the Rohnert Park Animal Shelter; 12 volunteers attended; next event is on the 16th, but site has been changed to the Petaluma Library; Volunteer Appreciation Day on Dec 6th; discussion of reorganization due to lack of student interest; 2⁄3 of the team is graduating so have been having discussions of what to do next and reorganize;
h. Basic Needs Representative
i. ASP Representative- reported: events hosted: 7th of Nov: Trivia Night- 70 people attended, feedback is being able to hear tv and monitors more clearly now; Cost for event was 504.97; Cost for Student: 7.21; Event 2: DJ Competition; 8th; 82 students attended; feedback: volume was low; students liked the setup because of it being dark, and the ballrooms were decked out and there were glow lights and colorful lighting; TC: 2,029.2; Cost for Student: 24.74$; Upcoming Events: Paint and Sip tomorrow in W&B with Panera; Spill the Tea with President Lee on Nov 15th in the Ballrooms; Night at the Theatre on the 16th at Petaluma Theatre;
j. Children's School Representative
k. Student Government Representative- reported: Student Government works with EVP of University Committees, work in progress and doing outreach with CASL; tabling and working with AS Senate; Open Forum passed last week and the last one is December 4th and that one is discussed on Diversity; Elections for 2024 will kick off with Election Info Sessions starting on 11/29;
l. Executive Director
XI. Items for the Good of the Order- next monday, no meeting and enjoy Thanksgiving break and read the bylaws; remind: 6-7:30 pm; Senator Sanchez host the student community gathering at the HUB for the Gaza-Israel conflict;
XII. Adjournment- The meeting was adjourned at: 1:55 pm;
Posted in accordance with the Gloria Romero Open Meeting Law of 2000 by: President Cassandra Garcia
The Associated Students of Sonoma State University acknowledges Indigenous Peoples as the traditional stewards of the land. Let it be acknowledged that the Associated Students and Sonoma State University is located within the traditional homelands of the indigenous peoples collectively known as Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo.