Senate Meeting Minutes
Minutes
Sonoma State University
AS Senate Meeting
Associated Students
12:00pm- Monday, November 27, 2023
Sonoma Valley Room – 2nd Floor Student Center
AGENDA
I. Call to Order & reading of the Land acknowledgement- The meeting was called to order at: 12:01 pm
II. Roll Call - everyone 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- Dr Jones reported: 2 weeks ago, finished Athletic review and Baskerfield visited; 3 day review; need to address and improve and except the full report before Spring Semester; Black Student Success Report focused: K-12 pipelines, black student success across campuses and retention of black students and faculty; each CSU campuses had to report; SSU did pretty well but things are also needed to address and improve; request: 125,000 for the K-12 pipeline, 120,00; 50,00 for black faculty; 50,000 for internship and assistantships; 50,00 for professional development and support graduate school for students; one time funding will open the doors; Dr. Jeralina, Dr. Jones will be on the Black Student Success Report Committee; Gianna Bomarito finished 19th at Nationals and first student of All American since 1985;
b. Academic Senate Representative= reported second reasoning for academic reorganization; sending it back to EPC and needed more work and splitting into 2 policies; passed some revision to Senate Bylaws and language to be more inclusive and reflecting active procedures; this week, second reading; first reading for program disbandment policy; special report from Provost; expecting a special report from Mr. Keating;
V. Business
a. First Reading of Government Resolution Meeting the California Faculty Alliance contract demands (DISCUSSION)
i. Discussion- President Garcia are discussing the Gov’t Resolution; Senator Frickman thinks it is good to discuss because the framing of it since AS is for students and interesting to look; Senator thinks there should be some wording and sentences to be changed; President Garcia is discussing to see if AS will be involved in the stance and since AS was not necessarily in the discussion, what stance do we need to do? EVP thought CFA is for students and faculty, but AS is primarily for students; Senator Fast is also unsure of the resolution and may be fix up an alternate resolution due to the auxiliary money movement; President Garcia knows that faculty needs to be paid more but felt like it should be more focused on SSU; Senator Sanchez also agrees that the wording and lack of student viewpoint needs to improve and seeing of the ripple effect it will have for SSU; she feels that the focus needs to be primarily focused on the students; Senator Sanchez does it mind if we continue this into next semester, set up a Committee to look over and revise it; President Garcia agreed it would be a good idea and assign it to Audit and Rules and Finance if the chair of Finance is okay with that as well; Senator Sanchez thinks it should go to Finance, and then Audit & Rules;
b. Approving amendments to the AS Bylaws as recommended by the AS Audit & Rules committee (ACTION)
i. Discussion- The EVP/ Chair of Audit and Rules made a presentation to go over in the Senate; The Bylaws have not been updated since 21-22 term; EVP and the Board is going over the updates of the Bylaws including the new Executive and Senator positions; Senator Frickman and Fast went over the proposal and recommendations for the new positions but also think it is important to go over into detail for the new positions, for example, Vice President of External Affairs, the wording is a little confusing, because most of the time it would be Legislative Affairs. They also wanted to talk about the Senator positions and thinks the terms is vague and lack a bit of direction, for example, Senator At Large does not have enough description of what they will be doing in that position; Most CSUs has Academic and Student Affairs senators, and the Senators think that would be a better name and fit for the positions; Senator Fast ask the reason of four executive positions and five senator positions; EVP Lopez said it would be more evened out and you can make amendments; Senator Frickman feels like the naming of the Senators with Academic and Students affairs will be more focused and more directed with their independent committees and gives it some organization for those new Senator positions; EVP Lopez said that the Academic Affairs naming would not be beneficial because EVP is in other Academic Committees already; Senator Frickman think it would not be contradictory because it would be a partnership; EVP thinks not from ARC recommendation but from her opinion, a suggestion would be a Senator of Athletics; Senator Sanchez thinks the names sound great, but still thinks the idea is not beneficial; She agrees with the points being made, but thinks the cons are outweighing the positives; The concern is budget along with underenrollment and also, last Elections term, it was a struggle to get more people to run for the positions, why are we pushing this idea for this term and not waiting for the next following Terms? EVP Lopez said that for the budget discussion, we can not talk about the budget discussion right now and table it for another meeting; President Garcia sees Senator Sanchez’s viewpoint, but from her perspective, the past Senate Board has been rushing to get things voted on, and just not coming back to it the following term and feels like the new positions would be make the following term more smoothly; Senator Frickman feels as the position of Senator of Government Affairs should be an Executive because going to the significant meetings, traveling out of SSU to attend the other meetings such as CSSA, LobbyCorps, etc; Senator Frickman brought up of Article 3, Section 8d, where it shall be one year, but does not specify an academic year and suggests the language should be consistent with everything with other sections;
ii.Action- Senator Frickman move to amend the bylaws for Article 3, Section 4, to change the senators names to have 5 senators; Senator of Engagement, Senator of Diversity, Senator of Student Affairs, Senator of Academic Affairs and Senator of Student Success; Senator Fast seconded the motion; The motion passes 5-1; Senator Frickman moves to amend the bylaws reflect the amendment that was proposed to now include of the whole document that will state Senator positions as being of Senator of Engagement, Senator of Student Affairs, Senator of Academic Affairs, Senator of Student Success and Senator of Diversity; Senator Fast seconded the motion; The motion passed unanimously; Senator Fast moves to amend Article 1, Section 6 to read principle in both places; VPF Trent seconded the motion; The motion passed unanimously; Senator Fast moved to approve all pronouns reflect the style guide within our bylaws; EVP Lopez seconded the motion; The motion passed 5-1 unanimously; Senator Fast moved to amend Article 2, Section 1A to state native language, and citizenship; EVP Lopez seconded the motion; The motion passed unanimously; Senator Fast moved to amend the bylaws principle and changing back to principal; VPF Trent seconded the motion; The motion passed unanimously; Senator Sanchez moved to amend the copy of the bylaws and proposed amendments as stated on the screen currently: memberships shall commend on the first day of the semester, which the member was admitted and enrolled as a matriculating student by the University and shall end immediately prior to the first day of the next academic semester, unless renewed by continuing admission and enrollment if the matriculating student at the University is terminated during an academic semester, membership in AS is immediately terminated; The motion passes unanimously; Senator Frickman move to table the business item of the Bylaws to be changed to next week; EVP Lopez seconded the motion; The motion passes unanimously;
VI. Reports
a. AS President- President Garcia reported: last 3 weeks, attended AMP Committee of in person classes, online classes; Execs and Senator attended Board of Trustees; SSU got a Latinx award for ; filmed with Vanessa and Anna for Q&A; this weeks, attending another Trustees meeting;
b. Executive Vice President- reported: registration for classes, some changes to CASL appointments due to scheduling;
c. Vice President of Finance
d. Senator of Diversity- content filming with Anna; Board of trustees meeting; attended Spill the Tea with President Lee, gave a speech of AS, Open Forums; Campus Safety Walks, did a walk in places that do not have a lot of lightning;
e. Senator of Student Resources
f. Senator of Government Affairs - Alumni Association meeting; Giving Day and Commencement; discussed with Dr. Mills for enrollment; City of Rohnert Park Council meeting tomorrow; Finance and Personnel this week;
g. JUMP Representative
h. Basic Needs Representative- Reminder: pantry will be closed in finals week 11-12:15, can make an appointment; Dec 18th- Jan 5th will be closed, from Jan. 8; Nov 30th for Financial Planning Workshop with Jason, and lunch will be provided; scheduling is being planned for the Spring; China and Michaela has been created a stats on which students are on the meal plans and which do not have access or meal plans; finding a way of balancing the budget and helping the students that are in need;
i. ASP Representative
j. Children's School Representative-
k. Student Government Representative
L. Executive Director- outreach programs with 2 high schools on Friday visiting SSU; creating a panel; introducing a new person since Ellie left ASP; so Michaela will be joining; send me your schedules today and/or soon!
XI. Items for the Good of the Order - Thank you China for all your hard work and it is her last meeting, we will miss you!;
XII. Adjournment- The meeting was adjourned at : 2:00 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.