Sonoma State University

Senate Meeting Minutes: 11/18/22

Minutes

Associated Students
Sonoma State University
AS Senate Meeting
1:00 pm -Friday, November 18, 2022

Erin Fisher Room- Associated Students 2nd Floor Student Center

Minutes

I. Call to Order & reading of the Land acknowledgement- The meeting was called to order at: 1:00 pm

II. Roll Call- Erik Dickson, Maia Madrigal, Mariah Atkins, Taylor Rozek, Yasmin Esquivel, Celine Rubalcava, Nataly Hernandez, Bryan Burton, Gerald Jones, Victoria Lopez, Brenda Guzman Hernandez , Salvador Ochoa Zavalza

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. Guest Speaker

  • Nader Oweis -Chief of Police- Guest Speaker Oweis had a couple announcements: 14 ambassadors and student interns(semester and year wide), clothing and blanket drive at GMC, Police Department on Dec 9th, old or almost new clothing you don't want anymore, you can donate in the drive, so individuals in need; Toy Drive, any new toys (Dec 11th), families in need of toys and any new leftover toys will be given out to the other families; any age for the toys and clothes; big blue donation bins around the university as well;
    • Announcement 2: Lighting; Climate Survey was out in 2021; number one concern was lighting where it is dark, there is not enough lighting; they realized the lights were old, not working and landscaping fixed; 90% of lighting have been changed to LED, and Facilities Services also cleaned up 70% of the areas were most overgrown and continue to clean up by December of this year; Chief of Police went on a walk to see how the progress and hopefully it will be done by the end of December;
    •  Emergency; entrances of our campuses (knock box), where the fire department can have emergency keys when they have only have an access ; police department have already changed to the keys; Stevenson Hall opening next month, 20 cameras installed, around the exits, gives an idea for the future of the CCTV’s; Campus Map Project launched on the website, addressing parts of the campus so it can be clearer; 10th speaker for next semester, one will be an alum
      and discussing of her experience and transition from Sonoma State; District attorney discussed of raceblind prosecution, looking at the elements, not based on the race, majority of deciding without bias of race;
    • If any topic that needs to be addressed, let the Sonoma State Police Department know; contact email is police@sonoma.edu/ 707-664-444; new website for Police should be up the 1st of December or for the Spring semester when everyone comes back; meeting on Monday for the Blue Box assessment and clarification;
  • Neil Markley - AVP for Administration & Finance- Guest Speaker Markley discussed about the Equitable Access Program, where the concept of equitable access for learning material with the cost of the material and the shipment being on time as well; Students will be assessed a fee of 18.50$ in your tuition instead going into the bookstore, where some majors’s materials are more expensive rather than other classes and majors; You can opt of the fee, or pay the fee as well;
    • learning materials including books, software, codes and get the costs lower via the publisher, the discounts may vary within the major and course;
    • 2nd change is to implement for Spring 2023, but postponed so the communication is clear and the transition goes to smoothly and implement to Fall 2023 (aka The Seawolf Bundle);

V. Liaison Report to the Senate (Discussion)

  • Academic Senate Designee- Designee Burton discussed:
    • Academic Master Plan;
    • Concern of advisors and Executive VP Hernandez brought up the concern that students are feeling discouraged to go to their advisors because they felt it was not helpful as picking their class or deciding what class to pick;
    • From the faculty’s viewpoint, students are highly stressed out in the current semester;
  • University President’s Designee -Designee Jones discussed:
    • Quick Update on Survey: Student Satisfaction was supposed to be Nov 11, but extended for the next couple of weeks; The number of participants are low;
    • Mental health of students are also an issue on campus; however, CAPS are still open;
    • SB24 Bill January 2023,
    • Next Friday, ribbon cutting for Stevenson, Transfer Orientation
    • Educator Pathways, SSU and College of Marin, 25-30 people next week (Dec 2)
    • 406 Peak Advising
    • Vietnam Veterans Memorial Event Yesterday;

VI. Reports (Discussion)

  • AS President- President Esquivel discussed: Student Government Rep will be on the table for the next meeting;
  • Vice President of Finance- VP of Finance Rozek discussed: business office, checks ramping up, lots of invoices and reimbursements as well;
  • Senator of Diversity - Senator Rubalcava discussed: check in with Tremaine and Dr. Griffin; working on adjusting with faculty and staff; watching the language so it will be inclusive; Dec 6 5pm ERF, AS Open Forum;
  • Senator of Student Resources- Senator Ochoa discussed:
    • Connected with GMC, high satisfaction, collaboration
    • Student feedback of concerns from grades of another institution affecting the current GPA
    • Concern of data service overall campus with discussion with IT; cell tower issue along with that;
  • JUMP Representative- last day of H&H week, various of events along with the week;
  • Basic Needs Representative- working to promote LOBOS pantry, collab with GMC to get Oliver’s Market to supply the pantry, received fresh produce this week;
  • ASP Representative- 2 events, Black Panther Movie Night (105 students came out of the 111 free tickets that ASP bought); Open Mic Night (60 students, 8-10 participated, average cost for students was $7)
  • Children's School Representative- no report;
  • Executive Director-
    • Interview of Student Government Coordinator on Tuesday;
    • need more resolutions;

VII. Business

  • AS-CR 012.22.23 Appoint Vanessa Sanchez as the AS Senator of Diversity effective Dec 17,2022
    • Discussion- Executive VP Hernandez and the AR Committee looked at all the candidates and decided Vanessa Sanchez was the best candidate and fit for the position starting in December at the end of the semester;
    • Action- Executive VP Hernandez moved to appoint Vanessa Sanchez as the AS Senator of Diversity effective Dec 17, 2022; Senator Rubalcava seconded the motion;
  • AS-CR 013.22.23 Appoint Dirk Tolson as the AS Senator of Government Affairs effective Dec 17,2022
    • Discussion- The AR Committee looked at all the applications and candidates and decided Dirk Tolson III as the perfect candidate for the position;
    • Action- EVP Hernandez moved to appoint Dirk Tolson as AS Senator of Government Affairs effective Dec 17,2022 ; Senator Ochoa seconded the motion; motion passed unanimously;
  • AS-CR 014.22.23 Approve the AS pay increase proposal in response to the CSU recent pay increases as recommended by the AS Personnel Committee.
    • Discussion- President Esquivel discussed about the AS Prostaff Proposal, since CSU systemwide is doing this change with the pay increase as well, so it is needed to match the same percent;
      • Staff submitted two proposals; they picked the Alternative AS Prostaff Proposal, so no change of the pay increase, but have 11-12 employees; if approved, discussion of policy, would be different for each department, not identical;

VIII. Items for the Good of the Order- Lip Jam in the Spring and there is two spots left for any organization at SSU to sign up so if interested , reach out to Maia Madrigal and fill out a Google Form; Sports teams Volleyball and Soccer Playoffs; World Cup;

IX. Adjournment - The meeting was adjourned at: 2:40 pm

Posted in accordance with the Gloria Romero Open Meeting Law of 2000 by: President Yasmin Esquivel
Yasmin Esquivel (Nov 30, 2022 13:55 PST) Nataly Hernandez (Dec 3, 2022 01:53 PST)

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.