Skip to main content

Senate Meeting Minutes 04/14/23

Minutes

Associated Students
Sonoma State University
AS Senate Meeting
1:00pm- Friday, April 14, 2023

Erin Fisher Room- Associated Students 2nd Floor Student Center

*Note: This meeting will be recorded*

MINUTES

  1. Call to Order & reading of the Land acknowledgement- The meeting was called to order at 1:06 pm
  2. Roll Call- Bryan Burton, Madelyn Elena Williams, Victoria Lopez, Vanessa Sanchez, Nataly Hernandez, Clayton Trent, Dirk Tolson, Erik Dickson, Salvador Garcia Vigil, Britney Glor, Salvador Ochoa Zavalza(virtually), was absent and it was unexcused.
  3. 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.
  4. Liaison Report to the Senate (Discussion)
    • ​Academic Senate Designee- Burton reported: introducing New Faculty Chair, Libraiain for Arts and Humanities, previous experience as chair; concern is may enforcing with a curfew in Rohnert Park, seeing if AS had any feedback towards the ordinance passing of the curfew; concern of discrimination and also a safety issue towards the juveniles, but could not be in the exact age range; will not be enforced at SSU, but totally a different concern outside the University;
    • University President’s Designee- reported: CAPS has no waitlist, but busy still; Mental Health Fair Next Week, on April 19th; Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Take Back the Night, Denim Day on April 26th; Registeration starts on next Monday, peak advising still going and have been going in the past few weeks; New Student Transfers, deposited by April 1st, and invited last Friday to SSU; Housing Application Season is open, 1700 applications, 1300 of them are returning students; CARE team is over 80 transports; take care of yourselves and your neighbors;
  5. Guests
    • Karen Schneider- Dean of the Library- Report: Library back to 7 days of service of operation, 24/7 FInals, May 7th- May 19th, where the library is open and there will be snacks, therapy and open 24/7; Study Pods on the 3rd floor;
  6. Reports (Discussion)
    • ​AS President- reported: for the future, if plan to be absent, tell President Hernandez in advance and all AS Students can participate in the POP reception; they want us there at 2:30 pm;
    • Vice President of Finance- Budget Discussion;
    • Senator of Diversity- Campus Climate Survey, to make sure to fill out that survey, working with DI office and Tremaine; the duration of the survey is 20 minutes, just wanting to make ensuring students to share their experiences; very significant for the HUB and DI, so students can be heard; tabling event coming soon at Seawolf Plaza on a Wednesday possibly; opportunity to get 75 wolfbucks;
    • Senator of Student Resources- reported: no report;
    • Senator of Government Affairs- reported: going to council meeting to report and collab with Erik; meeting with Mayor to discuss issues and concerns of how students are feeling outside campus of Rohnert Park; CSSA meeting this week;
    • JUMP Representative- 3 service events: Humane Society, Garden, Beach Clean Up; Special Olympics and Disability Awareness week this week, Movie Screening : 20 students attended and Basketball Clinic tomorrow; Programming wrapping up and going into reflection to improve for next semester;
    • Basic Needs Representative- Calfresh, focusing on financial literacy, Calfresh Info Session, great turnout, 13 official volunteers, Fashion Swap this past week; 112 and 110; 1035 in total for the semester; Upcoming Events; Food Drive on May 8th;
    • ASP Representative- Few events; Barnyard Bash, 159 students attended; $8 for each student; Fashion Swap, 138 students, collab with BNI; Tuesday Night Trivia, 85 students attended; Grad Pics at GMC at 3, yesterday at the same time; Flower Power Hour next week;
    • Children's School Representative- reported: nothing new, hours for summer, prepping for the end of the school, little closed period for cleaning, active hiring for teachers;
    • Student Government Representative - reported: AS website revamp, looking over 22 CSUs, working on a mock design for the new website, including finding each description of the committee; talking to CSU East Bay and another CSU;
    • Executive Director- reported: this week, events of AS has been happening; Nationally, US Congress Budget amendment to reduce SNAPS access, keep an eye on that because it affects program of Calfresh and the students overall; cleanup and transition for the new Board coming; Seawolf Decision Day next Saturday; Pack The Stands this Saturday;
  7. Business
    • Student Bill of Rights Resolution (DISCUSSION)
      • Discussion- President Hernandez discussed about the resolution of Bill of Rights, suggesting more feedback since it will be an action item next Senate meeting next Friday;
    •  23/24 Budget (DISCUSSION)
      • Discussion- VPF Trent is discussing the recommendation for the AS Budget, along with Personal Committee; going over the Budget more into next meeting  and to look in the Budget Book, and have a decision by May 1st;
    • Augmenting diversity programs and events on campus (DISCUSSION)
      • Discussion- Senator Ochoa discussing about more programs and events; Increasing Belonging Resolution;
  8. Items for the Good of the Order: Sawyer Scholarship open and be sure to tell students to apply; Deadline for Scholarship is April 30th; High Activity Grants applications are open;
  9. Adjournment- The meeting was adjourned at 2:13 pm;​

Posted in accordance with the Gloria Romero Open Meeting Law of 2000 by: Nataly Hernandez

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.