Student Assembly

MINUTES
Cornell University Student Assembly
February 22, 2007
4:45–6:30 P.M.
Memorial Room, Willard Straight Hall

I. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 4:45 P.M.

II. Roll Call

Mazdak Asgary, Chris Basil, Sarah Boxer, Daniel Budish, Mark Coombs, David Crockett, Kate Duch, Maddie Ehrlich, Danielle Fernandes, Adam Gay, Roger Gousse, Elan Greenberg, Vincent Hartman, Grace Leonard, Neal Nisargand, Ahmed Salem, Rammy Salem, Sarah Santana, Calvin Selth, CJ Slicklen, Kwame Thomison, Gene Weinstein

Excused: Ryan Lavin, Remy Roizen

Unexcused: Shivaun Deena, Jos� Gonzales

III. Open Microphone

M. Coombs asked if any members of the community would like to speak.

No one came forward to speak.

IV. Approval of Minutes

R. Salem said that he was not at the January 25 meeting. The minutes had him listed as present.

There were no other corrections to the minutes. There was a call for acclimation; it was seconded. There was no dissent. The minutes from the SA meetings on 1/25/2007, 2/1/2007 and 2/8/2007 were accepted.

V. Announcements/Reports

Newsletter Update — C. Slicklen

C. Slicklen said that he had M. Coombs include the new newsletter in each representative’s packet of information for the meeting. He thanked V. Hartman for the help in putting the newsletter together and K. Thomison, E. Greenberg and M. Coombs for the content. He asked representatives to look over the newsletter and solicited suggestions about how to fill the open space. He said that if they had any suggestions they should please let him know.

K. Duch said that she could provide information about the Campus Code of Conduct. Since the code applies to everyone, it would be appropriate to place information about it on the newsletter.

R. 24 Update — M. Coombs

M. Coombs said that he is working with C. Slicklen on Resolution 24. It should be back next week.

Dining Committee Update — M. Coombs

M. Coombs said that the dining committee met Monday, February 12. They will be meeting Monday, February 26 as well. The Dining Committee meetings for the rest of the semester will be at 5:30 P.M. in Hughes Dining which is located in the law school. One of the main areas of discussion at the last meeting was a late night dining program. The committee felt overwhelmingly that its money, time and effort would be better spent elsewhere. The committee is considering doing a referendum to determine which issues related to dining the student body is concerned about. There had been discussion about placing such a question on the election ballot but the committee wishes to ask an open-ended question but technology does not yet permit this. The committee will continue the discussion regarding soliciting student opinions at the upcoming meeting. M. Coombs said that anyone who has any questions or concerns regarding dining should contact him.

SAFC Announcement — M. Ehrlich

M. Ehrlich said that the SAFC budget hearings went very well. The executive board has decided the new cuts and caps for this semester. In the past, middle level budgets have gotten cut a lot. The SAFC has enacted changes to prevent this from now on. This year the cap for single groups is $3000. If the budget is between $500 and $3000, there is a 10% cut. If the budget is less than $500, there is no cut. The cap for coorganized events is $3650. Below $3650, there is a cut of 105. The cap for club sports is $4650 and there are no cuts. This semester the majority of group were fully funded. Appeals are occurring Saturday, February 25 and as usual members of the SA are welcome to attend.

Slope Day Update — S. Boxer

S. Boxer said that she and K. Thomison recently met with the chair of Slope Day. They are working on creating a food program for Collegetown that the SA will hopefully help sponsor. In the residence halls and in the Greek Community, Cornell has done a good job of making sure that students have breakfast. A similar effort should occur in Collegetown. On March 1, the band line up will hopefully be announced at the SA meeting. The announcement is always made at the SA meeting. She said that anyone who has questions or concerns should contact her.

Spring Break Bus Program Update — V. Hartman

V. Hartman said that 187 tickets have been sold amounting to approximately $2400. There are 160 seats left to sell but the assembly only needs to sell about 20 to break even.

K. Thomison said that the assembly would further discuss the Spring Break Bus Program during business of the day.

Finance Update — S. Boxer

S. Boxer said that anyone who needs to submit a budget or who needs budgeting for their committees and did not apply last semester for it should get in touch with her. The assembly budgeted very well last semester and there are funds available for the committees to use.

K. Thomison said that he had three reports.

C. Slicklen announced the referenda that the assembly chose to place on the spring election ballot. He said they ran into problems on the website in that they could only offer yes, no, and maybe as responses to questions. Opt-in and opt-out were not options for student responses so the Kyoto Now! questions had to be rephrased. He said that there will be two questions about Kyoto Now!, one question about legal music downloading and one question about a community center in Collegetown. The question about the community center is to determine whether or not students would be in favor of having a Collegetown Community Center. He said that he will be working with the Daily Sun to advertise the referenda. N. Nisargand and M. Perkins, Kyoto Now!, will be writing a point-counterpoint article for the sun to discuss the benefits of passing what Kyoto Now! has proposed. C. Slicklen said that he has also found someone to write against Kyoto Now!’s proposal.

A. Salem asked how these referenda were selected. He said that there were a number of ideas for referenda suggested at the previous meeting and that he was under the impression that the assembly would be voting to select the best options. He also asked why there will be only three questions.

K. Thomison clarified that in total there will be four questions. Two questions pertain to Kyoto Now!�the first asking whether or not there should be a five dollar renewable energy fee and the second asking whether or not such a fee should be mandatory. K. Thomison said that he had the notes from the meeting during which referenda were discussed and that the assembly chose the questions that it felt no one would object to.

A. Salem said that he did not remember choosing these referenda.

K. Thomison said that a decision had to be made by Monday, February 19 at 3:30 P.M. He said he wanted to have the assembly vote on which referenda to place on the ballot but it was not possible.

A. Salem said that he feels that such an important issue�one that represents the assembly�should not be made without the consent of all the members.

K. Thomison suggested that A. Salem draft a charter change. There are currently no specific guidelines in the charter for referenda. He understands A. Salem’s concerns and hopes that such a situation will not occur next year.

D. Budish said that he attended the Faculty Senate meeting Wednesday, February 21. The meeting was focused around an update on the Campus Code of Conduct and the Faculty Senate’s position on the proposed changes. The senate is actually waiting for the UA’s response before taking a concrete position. The meeting ran very short because quorum was not met. He congratulated the SA for always meeting quorum. He also said that none of the Residential Life Committee updates and no information about the Collegetown Community Center were on the newsletter. Information about both could be added to fill in the blank space.

K. Thomison asked D. Budish to write up what he wishes to appear in the newsletter and to send it to C. Slicklen. He announced that Monday, February 26 President Skorton will hold the Presidential Student Forum in the Memorial Room of Willard Straight Hall at 4:30 P.M. He would like the SA to help publicize the forum. The publicity will occur at the beginning of the week. He said that he will e-mail representatives more information following the meeting. K. Thomison said that representatives had probably received an e-mail regarding the enrolled students survey. He has been contacted by the administrator of the survey who would like the assembly to help advertise it. He said that for every student who participates a dollar is donated to Students Helping Students, Loaves and Fishes, or The Learning Web. The Learning Web is an organization that assists teenagers with life skills. Since the survey was started, participation has declined from 48% to only 10% this year. The survey closes March 11 which means the assembly has approximately two weeks to get students involved. More information will be provided about how to get students involved in the near future and suggestions are welcome.

R. Salem clarified that after completing the survey, the student chooses which organization they would like the dollar to be donated to. A dollar is not donated to each organization for every survey completed.

VI. Business of the Day

K. Thomison said that he would like the assembly to further discuss the Spring Break Bus Program. He said that the resolution that the assembly passed requires them to vote on whether or not to follow through with the program. From the statistics that V. Hartman provided earlier in the meeting, the assembly has not yet broken even. The response, however, has been encouraging.

V. Hartman said that ticket sales began Thursday, February 15. This means that the assembly has been selling approximately thirty tickets per day. The program has only been operating for about four or five days. He said that the publicity has been pretty heavy. There was an article in the Daily Sun Wednesday, February 21 and two e-mails were sent out.

C. Selth said that he believes the bus program is an amazing initiative. He thanked V. Hartman for providing the update. He said that student transportation to the Syracuse Airport has long been a problem in Ithaca and the program does an excellent job of addressing it.

K. Thomison clarified that the assembly will be discussing whether or not to charter the bus at today’s meeting.

S. Boxer said that the assembly should charter it. She was the most skeptical because of the financial issues but feels that V. Hartman has done a great job.

There was a motion for a call for acclimation. It was seconded. There was no dissent. The motion passed.

VII. Unfinished Business

There was no unfinished business.

VIII. New Business

R. 28 resolution Regarding Ex-Com Duties — M. Asgary, M. Coombs, R. Salem

R. Salem said he wrote this resolution because he has not had the opportunity to connect with many members of the assembly. He feels that it is embarrassing because the numerous students that voted him feel that he plays an essential role on the assembly. He said that he does not feel that this resolution is a monumental change. He is asking the executive committee to meet with new student representatives for an hour a month. The meeting need not be formal and discussions would be centered on the questions that the representatives come up with.

M. Coombs said that R. Salem had approached him after one meeting and asked him to explain how to write a resolution. This impressed M. Coombs. He said that he feels like he can identify with this resolution on a personal basis. When he asked the representative who held his position last year to sit down and discuss the position with him, she was not very helpful. This resolution codifies a process which will allow new student representatives who are unfamiliar with the machinery of the student assembly to gain a better understanding. He compared it to a stereotypical mentor program and thinks that it is a fantastic idea.

M. Asgary said that the italicized statement at the bottom of the resolution should read new student representative instead of freshman representative so that transfer students are included in the resolution. He said that the retreat the assembly sponsors at the beginning of the semester is not sufficient in that it only provides a general overview. He sees this resolution as the next step.

K. Thomison suggested that the sponsors change the phrase “the executive shall meet” because it is ambiguous. He understand what the sponsors are trying to accomplish but would elaborate this statement to clarify the specific goals.

S. Boxer asked if meeting with new student representatives could fall under the duty of one vice president. She feels that this would make more sense. This resolution seems to be saying that five individuals need to be making hour meetings every month with each new student representative which could be viewed as excessive and become an impossibility due to schedules and time constraints. She likes the idea but feels it might be more effective to assign the responsibilities to a single vice president. She said that she would be happy to talk to R. Salem about anything student assembly related but feels that it would be more appropriate for new student representatives to talk to the executive vice president or the individual in charge of internal operations to really gain an understanding of the machinery of the assembly.

C, Selth said that he believes that it is important for the new student representatives to be properly acclimated into the assembly. He asked however what the difference is between a new student representative and a newly elected student representative. He said that he does not want to stop this resolution from happening but feels that there is often no difference in the amount of information newly elected and new student representatives have about the assembly. He asked why freshman were chosen as the subjects of the resolution.

R. Salem said that he has the understanding that a number of representatives can to the assembly together and have already adjusted to college life. He chose freshman because he feels that in addition to being unfamiliar with the assembly itself they are also adjusting to being in college and do not know other Cornellians as well as the older newly elected representatives.

M. Coombs said that new student representatives were chosen because they unlike newly elected representatives have not had the opportunity to come see how the assembly functions. The resolution is also limited to new students because of the time constraints of the executive board. The sponsors of the resolution wanted to ensure that the new student representatives took priority because they often have the least amount of knowledge.

C. Selth said that the newly elected representatives are able to participate in the retreat whereas the new student representatives are not. He feels that this resolution is a great idea.

C. Slicklen said that he believes this resolution is a good idea as well. He is not sure if it would be feasible for the new student representatives elected in the spring semester to meet with the executive committee because members of the executive committee are often newly elected. He however does not foresee this as being a problem and feels that the assembly can deal with it in the future. He commended the sponsors for creating this resolution.

D. Fernandes also believes that this is a great idea. She suggested that it might be a good idea to have the new student representatives meet with the members of the executive committee once a month for the first half of the semester as opposed to the entire semester. By halfway through the semester students will have most likely developed a solid understanding of the assembly and should feel comfortable enough to ask members of the executive committee for help when they need it.

C. Basil said that he frequently heard freshman discuss issues during their campaigns that have already been examined by the assembly. Knowledge of what the assembly has discussed only comes after being elected. He feels that there is always going to be an adjustment period and this resolution will help ease that period. He felt that M. Asgary’s introduction to the procedural rules was useful but more information about what the assembly has accomplished would be useful.

M. Asgary said that there is a balance between those individuals recently elected to the assembly and those already on the assembly. Newly elected individuals should take some responsibility in going online and reading the minutes from past meetings and gathering information about the SA. He thinks that it would be beneficial to have new student representatives meet with all the members of the executive board to gain an understanding of their diverse roles and experiences on the assembly.

S. Boxer said that she feels at this point, the freshman representatives probably know as much about finance as anyone else on the assembly. She feels that in terms of getting this resolution done individuals will face time constraints She feels that the sponsors really need to examine the likelihood of the resolution actually occurring. She thinks that a mentoring program could be a potentially good idea.

K. Thomison ended debate. There was no dissent.

R. 29 Resolution Regarding Free HIV Testing — S. Boxer, A. Gay, C. Selth

There was a motion to move this resolution to business of the day and to suspend the standing rule so that the resolution could be voted on today.

M. Coombs made a point of order saying that only a majority vote would be needed to move the resolution to business of the day.

The motion passed unanimously. The assembly would vote on Resolution 29 at today’s meeting.

C. Selth thanked the assembly for moving the resolution to business of the day. The idea for this resolution was presented to C. Selth this week in the form of an e-mail sent by a concerned student. Gannett previously offered free HIV testing but no longer does due to cuts in funding. Gannett now charges $25 for the lowest-cost HIV test. The intent of this resolution is to determine the opinion of the assembly regarding free HIV testing. Not all of the Ivies offer free HIV testing some charging fees between $10 and $25. There is a stigma associated with HIV testing and students are concerned that charges for HIV testing will appear on their bursar bills. These are just a few of the reasons why this test should be accessible. He said that a good question that people may have is why HIV testing should be free as opposed to other STD testing. C. Selth said that although HIV is a sexually transmitted disease, it is also on a whole other level because it is a world health concern. There are countries in which over 40% of the population is HIV+ and it is easy to lose context of this in the United States. He said that this resolution is being presented at the beginning of a process and that his intention is to go to the other assemblies to see if they also support free HIV testing. If there is support, a conversation can be started with the administration as to how the tests can be funded.

S. Boxer said that the Student Assembly would not be putting any money towards this initiative. She feels that there are a number of groups who fall under byline funding that would be interested in pursuing funding free HIV testing.

C. Selth clarified that the sponsors of the resolution are not proposing a specific funding plan. Gannett has said that it would cost approximately $18,000 per year for free HIV testing. This comes down to about a dollar per person. He would not like to see the fee become a part of the student activities fee. He thought about the possibility of raising the cost of student health insurance by a minimal amount to cover the cost of free HIV testing. If this is done, students who have financial aid will still get the fees covered. Twenty-five dollars may not seem like a lot but it is likely that it will deter a number of students from getting tested.

S. Santana asked if this resolution would extend beyond the student body to employees of Cornell as well.

C. Selth said that this resolution is centered on providing free HIV testing at Gannett. All individuals covered under University Health Services will be able to utilize the service. The service will not be only for undergraduates and the aim of the sponsors is to, with support, restore the service to Gannett.

M. Asgary said that he thinks free HIV testing is a wonderful idea. As an RA on North Campus, he can no longer tell the freshman students they can go to Gannett for free testing. He must tell them that they have to make a trip downtown Ithaca to get free testing which can be a significant deterrent.

C. Selth agrees with what M. Asgary said. It is possible to get a free HIV test in Ithaca but you must go all the way downtown and find a clinic. There can also be issues in qualifying for a free test in that some clinics require individuals to not have health insurance. This requirement ensures that those who really need the free testing services are able to get tested. Getting an HIV test is a scary process and the more obstacles that are associated with getting tested the less likely students are to get tested.

There was a motion for unanimous consent. It was seconded. There was no dissent. The resolution passed unanimously.

IX. Adjournment

There was a motion to adjourn. It was seconded. There was no dissent. The meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Liz Patrun
SA Clerk