Student Assembly

Cornell University Student Assembly
September 13, 2007
4: 45 — 7:00 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

Present: Mazdak Asgary, Chris Basil, Daniel Budish, Mark Coombs, Adam Gay, Elan Greenberg, Vince Hartman, Ryan Lavin, Ian Lesyk, Steven Matthews, Arjun Natarajan, Lance Polivy, Austin Redmon, Ahmed Salem, Rammy Salem, Christopher Sarra, C.J. Slicklen, Sanjiv Tata

Excused: Ashley McGovern, Carly Miller

Others Present: Kate Duch, Ari Epstein

III. Open Microphone

C. Slicklen asked if any members of the audience wished to speak.

No one came forward.

IV. Oath of Office (for Representative Andrew Wang)

The Oath of Office for Representative A. Wang was postponed until the next meeting because a copy of the Oath of Office was not available.

E. Greenberg welcomed and introduced A. Wang as a new Student Assembly representative. He said that A. Wang would be filling the vacant Human Ecology seat. He was the runner up in the at-large election last semester.

M. Coombs asked if A. Wang would be allowed to vote at the meeting.

E. Greenberg said that A. Wang would be allowed to vote.

VI. Announcements/Reports

Election Committee Update — M. Coombs

M. Coombs said that there was an article about the SA Candidate Forum in that morning’s Daily Sun. The forum went very well and was the most populated forum that he has attended in his time at Cornell. He said that the elections challenge hearings will be Thursday, September 20, 2007 at 9:00 p.m. in Goldwyn Smith Hall.

Syracuse Bus Program Update — V. Hartman

V. Hartman said that he has been in charge of the Syracuse Bus Program. He has been extremely busy lately and will not be able to lead the program this year. He would like the program to transition well from one year to the next and asked if anyway was willing to take charge for the upcoming year. If no SA representative is willing to manage the program, Class Councils said that they would do so. He would like the bus program to run over Thanksgiving break which requires that someone take over it this week or next.

No one expressed interested in organizing the Syracuse Bus Program.

E. Greenberg said it was possible that a freshman or transfer representative would like to lead the program. These representatives will be joining the SA in late September. Since freshmen could potentially be on the SA for a number of years, they would be able to make sure the program transitions properly for a number of years.

V. Hartman said that the program should continue regardless of the results of the assembly election. The individual taking over the program need not be an SA representative.

A. Gay asked if V. Hartman would be willing to orient a freshman taking on the role and to work with them throughout the course of the semester.

V. Hartman said running the program might be daunting for a freshman representative but that he would be willing to orient any individual who takes his place.

E. Greenberg suggested giving representatives some time to think over whether or not they would be willing to manage the bus program. He asked interested representatives to email V. Hartman by the end of the week.

L. Polivy said that the Greek System has encountered similar situations related to maintaining programs. He suggested institutionalizing the program and assigning the duties of its management to an executive board member if possible. Creating a liaisonship is also a possibility if the program is extended beyond the SA.

E. Greenberg said that the suggestion was not unprecedented. He asked if V. Hartman would be amenable to this suggestion.

V. Hartman said yes. He would just like the program to continue successfully.

Communications Committee Report — A. Natarajan

A. Natarajan said that the Communications Committee met on September 5, 2007 and discussed goals for the semester. The committee will be focusing on distributing the newsletter as an insert in the Cornell Daily Sun, holding representatives responsible for the outreach events that they are required to conduct and holding at least one forum.

Additional Announcements/Reports

A. Gay said that he and E. Greenberg met with Robin Irwin of the Collegiate Readership Program last week. In the next couple of weeks, the SA will be looking for someone to take on the role of liaison to the readership program. He and E. Greenberg think that it may be good for a freshman representative to take on this role because they could be around for a few years enabling a more through and meaningful relationship to develop.

R. Salem provided a GPSA update. He said that Susan Murphy, VP of Student and Academic Service, attended the previous GPSA meeting and spoke about graduate community initiatives. One of the issues discussed was the small size of the Big Red Barn and how it is not scheduled to remain open over the summer. A representative from Athletics Administration said that 200 of the 6125 seats would be reserved for graduate students. The GPSA also had elections for one at large seat and one master’s degree seat.

I. Lesyk said that budget hearings just began. Everyone on the SA is welcome to attend and sit with commissioners throughout the process.

E. Greenberg said that the SAFC has expressed interest in having SA representatives attend the budget hearings. He asked representatives to take an hour or so out of their weekend to do so. Since the SA will be involved in the SAFC appeal process, it is beneficial to become involved in the process at the early stage.

L. Polivy announced that the Greek System has established its own readership program. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal are delivered to each house everyday. During the fall semester, they are hoping to bring in a columnist from the New York Times. Hopefully the SA and the Greek System can work together on sponsoring the event.

VI. Business of the Day

Approval of the 2007–2008 Student Assembly Budget — A. Gay

A. Gay said that a few numbers have changed slightly since last week. All representatives were sent a breakdown of the Communications Committee budget the night before by email. The revenue is composed of the 2006–2007 rollover and the Student Activities Fee Allocation. After conferring with the executive board, it was decided that requiring committee chairs to scramble to provide detailed budgets was not the most practical course of action. Pooling committee funds into one expenditure category provides committee chairs flexibility. The funding process will still be transparent and representatives will still be held accountable.

V. Hartman said that last year’s Syracuse Bus Program ended up generating some revenue. He asked where that revenue was represented in the budget and if it was possible to stipulate that the revenue from the bus program stay with the program.

A. Gay said he would have to speak with the Office of Assemblies. He said that the office just provided a rollover number and he was currently uncertain of the breakdown. He said that it would make sense to keep the bus program money with the bus program but he would have to get back to V. Hartman and the assembly about it.

M. Asgary asked what category Ivy Council expenditures fell under.

A. Gay said that Ivy Council expenditures would be fall under committee expenditures.

M. Asgary said that he feels that giving committees flexibility by pooling their funds is a good idea. He asked if there were any mechanisms in place to allocate the pooled fund.

A. Gay said that the Committee Expenditures pool will be allocated at the discretion of the SA.

M. Asgary asked how much the of the SAFC’s budget goes towards food. He said that he knows the SAFC’s purchase of food has been an issue in the past. It is not a big deal to him personally, but in terms of accountability, people might object to the fact that non-elected members are spending thousands of dollars on food.

A. Gay said that he was uncertain of the exact number at the moment. He said that the SAFC leadership this year is very responsible and will not be spending thousands of dollars on food.

E. Greenberg said that he attended the SAFC commissioner interviews. Although they do order food, they do it responsibly. Food is only ordered when SAFC commissioners have to be working on SAFC related activities all day. Normally only lunch is ordered.

There was a motion to move the previous question. It was seconded. There was dissent. There was a vote to vote. The assembly voted to move the previous question. By a roll call vote, the SA 2007–2008 budget was approved unanimously.

E. Greenberg said that the SA had some time before Welcome Weekend was scheduled to present its budget for byline funding. He said that the SA would therefore move on to unfinished business.

VII. Unfinished Business

Resolution 3 — Resolution Requesting the Implementation of Gender-Neutral Housing in Residence Halls

V. Hartman said that he updated the resolution since it was last discussed at the previous meeting. The first resolved clause states that the suites (apartment style living units) in Carl Becker, Alice Cook, and Hans Bethe House along with the future suites planned at Cornell be considered gender-neutral beginning in the fall of 2008 with certain stipulations. The first stipulation states that all participating students are non-freshmen and are over the age of 18. The second states that students who block with members of the same gender but do not have enough students in their group to fill all the rooms in the suite, or students who choose to live in suites individually will be prompted the question: “Would you prefer to live with members of the same gender as you, or do you have no preference?” If a student answers “same gender,” then the suite will be designated as either male or female depending on the student’s gender on the Cornell database. Thus, future students who choose to live in these suites must be the same gender as the other students. The third stipulation states that when two students of the opposite gender have chosen the same suite, the suite will be designated as “coed.” The fourth states that residence halls may aim to keep a certain quota of men and women for the building as a whole and for individual halls, but the lottery system should be constructed to prevent signifying suites as “male” or “female” as much as possible. The second resolved clause states non-single rooms on west campus beginning in the fall of 2008 will be designated as gender neutral if non-freshman students over the age of 18 indicate a mutual agreement to live with each other. He said that he has called fifteen universities that currently have gender neutral housing and was able to speak with housing representatives from five of them. He is currently trying get in contact with more universities. He said that Dartmouth College has a gender neutral floor. He said that he met with Joe Burke, Director of Residential Programs and individuals from West Campus. The general consensus was unfavorable towards segregated floors. At Dartmouth, there are fifty open suites that are gender-neutral. After implementing gender-neutral housing policies, Dartmouth has had almost no problems and has received positive feedback. The only complaints are from parents. The university encourages students to work with their parents emphasizing that students are adults capable of making their own decisions. At Dartmouth, there were no issues of increased sexual assault or rape. At Cal Tech males and females do not share the same rooms but can live in shared apartments on campus. Once again students provided positive feedback and the biggest issue has been parent concerns. When he asked the Housing Director from Cal Tech about the increased incidence of sexual assault, the director said that there was no difference. Males and females already live across the hall from one another on college campuses throughout the country and that putting them in apartments together did not raise any new issues. The University of Southern Maine had the most liberal gender-neutral housing policy of the schools he spoke with. The university asks students to sign a contract that requires them to find a replacement individual if they choose to move out of a gender-neutral living arrangement.

A. Gay applauded V. Hartman for the amount of time he has dedicated to developing the resolution. He said that he remains concerned that there is not enough data available to support the assertion that this policy will increase the well being of students on campus. A major concern of his is the increased incidence of sexual assault and rape that could result from implementing the policy. He asked if any of the colleges that V. Hartman spoke with had any information regarding this issue.

V. Hartman said there were no increases of sexual assault and rape at colleges that have implemented gender-neutral housing. In fact, research has shown that housing all males together is more likely to result in increased incidences of sexual assault.

A. Gay asked if V. Hartman had any statistical evidence to back up his claims.

V. Hartman said that all of the residence hall directors that he spoke with said that there was no increase in sexual assault and rape after implementing gender-neutral housing.

A. Gay asked if V. Hartman was aware as to how many colleges have recently implemented the policy of gender-neutral housing.

V. Hartman said that according to the 2007 GENIUS Index (Gender Equality National Index for Universities and Schools), there are approximately thirty schools with some sort of gender-neutral housing policies. Of the top 25 schools, Cal Tech, Dartmouth, UPenn, Brown, and Carnegie Mellon all have gender-neutral policies.

A. Gay still thinks that more data is needed on the outcomes of gender-neutral housing policies. He pointed out that the resolution contains a lot of inappropriate whereas clauses. At this point, he does not think that it is appropriate for the SA to pass the resolution but said that it is a good start.

S. Tata commended V. Hartman for speaking with J. Burke but expressed his disappointment that he had not spoken with the RHA. As the liaison from the RHA, he asked that in the future representatives communicate with the organization about housing issues. He asked if the possible opposition of parents may be a hurdle in implementing the resolution.

V. Hartman said that the only problems that other universities have faced in implementing gender-neutral housing derive from parent concerns.

S. Tata said that he understands V. Hartman’s proposal and suggested a trail period in a single house. He asked V. Hartman to elaborate on his conversation with J. Burke.

V. Hartman said that J. Burke is waiting to see how the SA responds to the resolution but as a whole is very amendable to responding to student sentiment. As long as the SA makes their decision in the next two to three weeks, implementation would be likely.

M. Coombs said that he supports the aims of the resolution in so far as believing the option should exist being neither encouraged nor discouraged. If the university is trying to prepare people for the real world it makes sense that students have the choice to live with members of the opposite sex. He believes that individuals could read this resolution as encouraging individuals to live with members of the opposite sex due to certain inappropriate, superfluous whereas clauses. He said that he is not comfortable with a number of assertions that the whereas clauses make.

V. Hartman clarified terminology in the resolution. Coeducational housing refers to males and females living in the same building but not necessarily the same room.

M. Coombs suggested that V. Hartman reexamine some of the whereas clauses and make the resolution more neutral regarding its opinion of the policy.

C. Slicklen said that he agrees with A. Gay and M. Coombs. He said that he could not imagine going to the administration and saying that the most common put-down phrase in high school is “that’s so gay” as is indicated in the 17th whereas clause.

V. Hartman said that the information in the 17th whereas clause came from the research he has conducted.

C. Slicklen said that the resolution frequently refers to discrimination but is itself inherently discriminatory in that it only applies to upperclassmen. He asked what fundamental change occurs between freshman and sophomore year preparing individuals to live with members of the opposite sex.

V. Hartman said that the majority of individuals make the transformation into legal adulthood during the transition from freshman to sophomore year. The application to the University of Southern Main contained a checkbox asking students to indicate if they would prefer to live with an individual of the same gender. If students check no, they are contacted by the university.

There was a motion to table Resolution 3. It was seconded. There was no dissent. Resolution 3 was tabled.

VI. Business of the Day Continued

The Student Assembly’s Allocation of the 2008–2010 Student Activity Fee — Welcome Weekend

L. Zhang introduced herself as the Welcome Weekend Chair. She said that the organization coordinates all Welcome Week Programs aimed at welcoming all students back to Cornell University in August, immediately following the conclusion of New Student Orientation. Since 2003, over 500 people have attended Welcome Weekend events each year. The event line up begins the evening before the first day of classes. Major events during the first week of classes include CU on the Slope, Street Fair, Casino Night, a picnic on the quad and Club Fest.

P. Singh, VP of Finance, said that Welcome Weekend attempts to co-sponsor a lot of events so that the events will be better and cater to an even greater portion of the student body. She said that the majority of the organization’s funding comes from byline funding. In the past they have received money from Bartels cosponsorships and Vice Provost cosponsorships.

Another representative from Welcome Weekend said that attendance at Welcome Weekend events has significantly increased over the past couple of years. She said that CU on the Slope and the picnic on the quad have seen particularly substantial increases. Despite a rainstorm, turnout at Casino Night was outstanding. Street Fair resembles an old-fashioned carnival with games, clowns, jugglers, dj’s and karaoke. Funnel cakes, pretzels, popcorn and food are available from local restaurants and vendors. Club Fest is an opportunity for over 300 organizations to recruit new members at the beginning of the school year. They have not had a spring event in the past but the new executive board may choose to do so in the future.

L. Zhang said that Welcome Weekend plans to recruit new officers, increase the organization’s visibility on campus and purchase a new laptop in the upcoming year. The organization’s current computer no longer functions. Welcome Weekend is also looking into attracting more volunteers. Volunteering is a great experience for students and up to 100 volunteers are needed per event. She repeated that Welcome Weekend is considering a spring event.

A. Gay said that the Appropriations Committee voted unanimously to fund Welcome Weekend at their requested amount of $3.00 per student. The committee was very impressed by the organization’s budgeting, leadership and event attendance.

R. Salem asked how much how much the group expected to spend on a new computer.

L. Zhang said that they had budgeted $1000 to $1200 for the purchase of a new computer. She said that it is really vital for the group to have a laptop since they must keep extensive marketing materials accessible and organized. She said that they would also like to look into purchasing some programs that will enhance their marketing materials.

R. Salem said that he did not understand the necessity of having a computer since most students already have laptops. He asked why Welcome Weekend could not just purchase the marketing programs they need and download them on a member’s computer.

A representative from Welcome Weekend said that students graduate and may only serve on the executive board of the organization for a year. It is extremely valuable for the group to have all their materials on a central hard drive.

M. Asgary commended the hard work of the group and praised the events that they put on. He said that he feels that providing funding for a group computer makes senses. Welcome Weekend needs something portable that contains all the information relevant to the group. He said that between the 2004–2005 and 2005–2006 academic years the groups expenditure on marketing materials really increased. He asked the reasoning behind this increase.

L. Zhang said that the group substantially increased their marketing campaign on campus in the past few years. Welcome Weekend needed to expand its publicity efforts to distinguish itself from the Orientation Steering Committee. The group has been employing more professional print techniques and started advertising in the Daily Sun.

M. Asgary asked why the organization was predicting a $14,000 surplus.

L. Zhang said that $14,000 was not the predicted surplus but rather the surplus from last year to this year. The surplus existed because the organization was very cost efficient and did not hold a spring event. The surplus will also be used to pay Cornell Dining some of what Welcome Weekend owes them.

M. Asgary asked if Welcome Weekend was expecting to have a similar surplus this upcoming year.

L. Zhang said that Welcome Weekend was very fortunate in their funding activities last semester raising nearly $20,000. Such an amount is not typical and given the costs they are expected to incur this year, a surplus is not a realistic expectation. The organization also ran a surplus because the number of cosponsorship events held during the past cycle.

M. Asgary asked how the Welcome weekend was going to use the surplus money and if they were planning on holding many cosponsorship events again in the upcoming cycle.

L. Zhang said that a lot of the surplus will be goings towards paying back Cornell dining. Also the organization did not seek as many cosponsorships in the upcoming cycle. Additionally, the events that Welcome Weekend puts on have gotten a lot more expensive.

There was a motion to move the previous question. It was seconded. There was no dissent. A representative from Welcome Weekend thanked the SA for giving them the opportunity to discuss what their organization strives to accomplish. She said that Welcome Weekend is a deserving organization and should be fully funded.

The SA unanimously voted to fully fund Welcome Weekend at their requested amount of $3.00 per student.

VIII. New Business

Resolution 2 —Resolution Regarding Change to the Charter — C. Slicklen and A. Redmon

A. Redmon said that the version of the Standing Rules that the SA passed earlier in the year was in conflict with the Charter. Section 2, Rule 9 of the Standing Rules states that the Office of the Assemblies must post the agenda to the Student Assembly website no later than noon on the day of the meeting. The charter states that the agenda must be made public at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting. Since the 2007–2008 Standing Rules contains a more reasonable deadline for publicizing the agenda, the resolution amends the Charter to agree with the Standing Rules.

C. Basil said that his only concern is that, per the article in the Daily Sun about SA elections and public interest in what the SA is working on, this resolution delays communication even further. By delaying the posting of the agenda, the assembly is in a way excluding the student body further. At the same time he said that he realizes the practical reasoning behind the resolution.

A. Redmon said that the Charter is being amended due to practicality issues. At this point, it is unreasonable to expect the agenda to be complied 24 hours in advance of the meeting.

There was a motion to table the resolution. It was seconded. There was no dissent. The resolution was tabled until the next meeting. The resolution could not be voted on because it is amending the charter.

VII. Unfinished Business Continued

There was a motion to remove R.3 from the table. It was seconded. Seeing no dissent, R.3 was removed from the table.

Resolution 3 — Resolution Requesting the Implementation of Gender-Neutral Housing in Residence Halls

A. Salem asked why V. Hartman included certain superfluous whereas clauses in the resolution that do not seem to advance the idea of gender-neutral housing or take a stance on policy. If the assembly votes to pass the resolution, they are being forced to support the numerous whereas clauses.

V. Hartman said that he added so many whereas clauses because he wanted to give representatives sufficient information regarding the policy. All the information included in the whereas clauses comes from the research he has conducted. He said that he would not have a problem if the assembly wanted to strike all the whereas clauses from the resolution.

M. Asgary said that V. Hartman’s resolution is a good way to start the process of exploring a gender-neutral housing policy. Although some of the current whereas clauses may make the resolution difficult to vote on, he does not feel that the resolution should be voted down because it embodies a policy that the student body has expressed interest in. He moved to amend the final be it therefore resolved clause to read “Be it finally resolved that the aforementioned implementation of gender-neutral housing will be further studied by a committee on gender-neutral housing at Cornell, will update the Student Assembly bimonthly and will submit a final report two weeks before the end of the semester.” Additionally he moved to strike the 7th, 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th whereas clauses from the amendment. Basically he moved to strike any of the whereas clauses that included unsupported information. By asking a committee on gender-neutral housing to create a report, the SA will have something tangible to bring to the administration if they choose to pass a resolution supporting gender-neutral housing.

V. Hartman said that he is personally fine with striking all of the whereas clauses. He said that he is concerned with the idea of a committee because West Campus will be doing internal housing lotteries in October and November. Additionally, students enter into off campus leases very early in the semester. If the committee does not present their report until the end of the semester, a gender-neutral housing policy would be impossible to implement for the fall of 2008. If the SA would like to see gender-neutral housing implemented in the next year, they need to determine their course of action in the next few weeks.

R. Lavin said that he feels that most SA members are in agreement that the current form of the resolution will not be passed. He said that if the SA was to establish a committee on gender-neutral housing it would be the third committee pertaining to campus housing which would be neither productive nor efficient. He suggested working with the committees that the SA already has staffed. He said that the SA does not need a resolution to mandate discussion in a committee. Representatives could simply go to the next Residential Life Committee meeting and discuss gender-neutral housing. He tabled to motion the amendment indefinitely.

M. Asgary withdrew his amendment.

M. Coombs motioned to strike the 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16the, 17th and 18th, whereas clauses. He also motioned to strike the second part of the 10th whereas clause (everything past opposite gender).

E. Greenberg suggested that it might be more efficient if V. Hartman pulled the resolution off the table and amended it in accordance with the opinions just expressed by representatives. He encouraged representatives who had issues with certain aspects of the resolution to discuss them with V. Hartman outside of the meeting. A cleaned up version of the resolution could be presented next week.

V. Hartman said he was fine with the suggestions made by the representatives to strike certain whereas clauses. As a point of parliamentary procedure, he said that he could not pull the resolution from the table since the entire assembly brought it to the table. A representative would need to motion to table the resolution.

C. Sarra said that assembly should focus more on the outcome of the resolution. He said that he has spoken with a lot of individuals who feel uneasy about the affects implementing gender-neutral housing. In his opinion, if people want to live with members of the opposite sex they can opt to live in an off-campus apartment. In a way it is the job of assembly members to uphold Cornell Tradition. He does not see why implementing gender-neutral housing is necessary to the enhancement of the university. It only applies to a small portion of students such as married couples.

V. Hartman said that residence halls create a communal and supportive environment that is not available off-campus. The university shouldn’t be pushing students off-campus. If a student wants to live with a member of the opposite sex, they should not be required to live off campus.

C. Sarra said that he agrees that the university should not push people off campus. He said that V. Hartman suggested that students are adults and can make the decision to live with the opposite gender. If they are adults, why do they need residence hall advisors to be checking up on them?

There was a motion for a five minute recess seeing that the next group had arrived to present their budget for byline funding.

VI. Business of the Day Continued

The Student Assembly’s Allocation of the 2008–2010 Student Activity Fee — Minds Matter

A representative from Cornell Minds Matter said that the mission of the organization is to (1) help Cornell students decrease stress and use the challenges they face as opportunities for growth and success, (2) decease the stigma associated with mental illness and seeking the mental health resources so all students may find the opportunities they need to be successful, (3) promote understanding of the value of caring for one’s own mental health and others by bringing speakers to campus, holding discussion sessions, and educating through workshops, training sessions, publications and (4) serve as a liaison between students, staff, faculty and the administration to guide policy and resources so the undergraduate population of Cornell is best served.

A. Gay said that the Appropriations Committee voted 13 to 1 to fully fund Minds Matter at their requested amount of $1.00 per student. The committee was impressed with the dedication and resolve of the group in relation to the funding process, the group’s function and mission on campus and the services that they provide. Many Appropriations Committee members feel that Minds Matters fills a niche that is not satisfied in regards to the mental health services currently provided. The committee concluded that the group could really expand their services if they receive byline funding.

C. Slicklen said that he was originally opposed to funding Minds Matter. After attending the Appropriations Committee meeting, he completely changed his mind due in a large part to listening to the comments of the group’s advisor. He said that he was asking questions to see if Minds Matter could be combined with another group but that is truly not the case. Minds Matter has a great mission and the events and services the organization provides are phenomenal for the Cornell campus. He could not support this group more for funding.

M. Asgary said that he agrees with C. Slicklen in that he feels that Minds Matter has a great mission and provides valuable events and services to the Cornell Community. He however does not feel that they should be byline funded. Every organization fills a niche on campus and adds value to the community as a whole. Minds Matter’s budget does not exceed more than three or four thousand dollars each year and has thus not demonstrated the need for the approximately thirteen thousand dollars they are requesting. The group appears to have functioned well with SAFC funding in the past. If the SA funds Minds Matter, they are in a way undermining the SAFC. He asked why not byline fund every organization on campus if they choose to fund Minds Matter.

A. Gay said that the SAFC funding only covered two thousand dollars in the last funding cycle. He said that it was more appropriate for the group to respond to M. Asgary’s comments.

A representative from Minds Matter said that although the group has received SAFC funding and has functioned effectively in the past, they have not had sufficient outreach. With increases in funding the group will be able to increase the size and density of their events. The requirements for SAFC funding are very specific and have limited what the group can apply for and thus the events they can hold. Additionally the SAFC funding lacks consistency and predictability. SAFC funding does not permit Minds Matter to effectively and efficiently satisfy the needs of the Cornell Community.

R. Lavin said that he attended the Appropriations Committee meeting at which Minds Matters presented their budget and believes that the group has not been fine with SAFC funding. He feels that the group is currently only reaching a fraction of the community and has a lot of potential to expand. The entire Cornell Community deserves access to the services that minds Matter provides. Mental health issues have been recently illuminated across college campuses and the administration has begun taking steps to examine the issue. He believes that it is appropriate for the student body to do the same.

V. Hartman said he believes that all representatives support the mission of Minds Matter. The SA should be discussing the organization’s financial merits. He said that is concerned by the 2008–2009 budget that the group presented. He noted that the organization wants to spend $2000 sending ten individuals to a conference and start a publication. He said that there are many publications on campus that the SA does not byline fund and that publications typically go through the SAFC. He asked the group to elaborate on the significant amount of money allocated to posters and Daily Sun ads.

The treasurer of Minds Matter said that the numbers may be a little misleading. The funding for posters is going towards advertising for approximately thirty events. The publication is only one of the many things that Minds Matter is considering pursuing.

V. Hartman asked what events Minds Matter is considering putting on.

A representative from Minds Matter said that the organization will be putting on two large presentations and small programs focusing on Asian/American issues, healthy relationships, winter blues, parental expectations, life after Cornell, getting into grad school, roommate issues, and minorities and mental health issues.

A. Salem said that he has worked with Minds Matter and that the organization provides a great service to the university. He however urged assembly members to reconsider the decision of the Appropriations Committee. He does not see the need to fund the organization if SAFC funding has been adequate in the past. One could make the argument that every single organization on campus satisfies a niche and should thus be funded. If the SA chooses to byline fund Minds Matter, he suggested doing so at the level of $0.50 per student and then reviewing the organization again in the next byline funding cycle. Funding he organization at $1 per student is not fair to other groups and is not consistent with the presented budget.

M. Coombs asked how sending members to the Active Minds Conference benefits the entire Cornell Community.

A representative from Minds Matter said that the conference is mainly training and development for members of Minds Matter. At the conference, members are able to collaborate with other groups, gain an understanding of what is occurring in the extended mental health community and listen to speakers. At the last conference, members of the group were able to network with two speakers who came and did presentations at Cornell. Attending the conference helps Minds Matter members to develop the skills to make a larger and stronger impact at Cornell.

M. Coombs asked if the information exchange that occurs at conference could be accomplished via email or phone.

A representative from Minds Matter said that there is nothing like a conference. Skill building cannot truly be accomplished through an email or phone conversation. Attendance at the conference is really necessary.

A. Gay said that he believes that the group has shown that SAFC funding is not adequate. He agrees that a lot of groups fill a void on campus. However, Minds Matter is fulfilling a vital niche that is not currently being addressed. It is important for the assembly to support the mental health of the community. Additionally, he emphasized that the budget is consistent with the funds that the organization is applying for. He said that part of the group’s mission is making the public aware of mental health issues and the resources available to students suffering from mental health issues. This goal makes the publicity budget justified. Outreach to the Cornell Community requires that the group be able to communicate with the Cornell Community.

C. Basil said that the he attended the Appropriations Committee meeting and was doubtful that the group deserved funding. He however reversed his opinion and pointed out that the administration is fully behind Minds Matter. The organization fulfills a sore need in the Cornel community and that other organizations focusing on counseling do not address. Instead of focusing on specific student’s mental problems, Minds Matter focuses on promoting mental well being of all students at all times. In a way Minds Matter is similar to CUEMS in that the services of the organization are available to all students if there comes a time when they are needed. If the group were to be funded at the minimum of $0.50 per student, the organization would receive funding comparable to that which they have received in the past and would thus not be able to expand services. He believes that the group should expand their services and that funding the organization at is requested amount is justified.

C. Sarra asked about the Bartels Grant.

A representative from Minds Matter said that the organization requested the grant this year and were denied.

C. Sarra said that he thinks sending members to a conference would be beneficial to the Cornell Community. Funding the group at the requested amount of $1.00 per student is fair. Allowing the group the ability to expand will benefit undergraduates in a lot of great ways.

C. Slicklen said the Minds Matter is one of the first organizations truly trying to appeal to all students that the SA has seen. The advertising budget evidences their outreach efforts. He said to fund Minds Matter at $0.50 per student is not fair. The SA cannot argue that funding Minds Matter is unfair to other groups since other groups are not lining up to apply for by-line funding. Additionally Minds Matter has a great plan for spending the money for the funding cycle. The plan truly benefits all students.

There was a call to question. It was seconded. There was dissent.

V. Hartman urged assembly members to closely examine the budget that the organization presented. He feels that too much money is allocated towards publicity and not enough for events. If Minds Matter is successful in their advertising he wonders about the quality of events since a limited amount of money is actually going towards events.

M. Asgary asked more about the specificities of the groups budget.

Representatives from Minds Matter reiterated that SAFC funding is insufficient because of requirements and inconsistencies.

Dean Hubbell said that Minds Matter has done an incredible job over the past three years. As the assembly realizes, supporting the mental health is students is gaining momentum on university campuses across the country. He said that big universities, such as Cornell, inevitably tend to move more slowly due to administrative processes. Minds Matter has accomplished what the Cornell administration could not have accomplished in five years. The group to him is awe inspiring. He said that the Bartels grant is not available for repeat funding. He pointed out that nationally 20% of undergraduate students have a diagnosable psychiatric issue.

The advisor of Minds Matter reiterated that the SAFC funding is insufficient and inconsistent. The SAFC is a great source of funding for smaller organizations but not for Minds Matter. The members of the organization are working to promote the mental health of every student at Cornell. It may not be possible to know how many students are affected by a mental health concern but every individual has likely been touched in someway by mental health issues.

M. Coombs asked SA representatives to move beyond the skepticism for the initial funding cycle and give Minds Matter a chance. The publicity budget for Minds Matter may be high but they are a new group attempting to establish a presence on campus.

C. Sarra echoed M. Coombs. Minds Matter deserves to be funded. The types of events that the organization is holding do not advertise themselves. Mental health issues are not similar to say casino Night which students make students may be naturally drawn to. A higher publicity budget is necessary to ensure the proper outreach of the organization.

A. Wang said that the organization does great work but that he feels the publicity budget is excessive. He feels that if Minds Matter attempted to restructure their budget to cut publicity costs, the group would receive a better tone from certain members of the SA.

A member of the audience, 2009, introduced herself as a second year RA in Balch Hall and psychology major. Although she is very involved as an RA, she just found out that the Minds Matter organization exists. She was surprised that she had never heard of the organization and feels that many individuals are unaware of its existence. She emphasized that many people do not realize the stigma associated with mental issues especially for those of Asian descent.

D. Budish said that although the SA is choosing to increase Minds Matter’s funding, the organization is still only asking for $1.00 per student. This is not a significant amount compared to the other groups the SA funds and the organization is providing a beneficial service.

Call to question. It was seconded. There was dissent. By a hand vote, the previous question was not called.

I. Lesyk clarified that a lot of items that Minds Matter was requesting by-line funding for would not be funded by the SAFC.

A. Salem emphasized that the assembly is allocated the money of the student body. He believes that it is unfair to fund for a conference because it does not directly benefit the student body,

A. McGovern pointed out that Minds Matter was requested $2000 for a conference whereas HAVEN requested $7500 for a very similar type of conference. Minds Matter is requesting a reasonable amount of money for a conference.

C. Slicklen said that the SA was elected to represent the student body and not to discredit organizations. He does not see how the assembly could vote to spend students money on bringing in Snoop Dog but not to address their mental health concerns.

There was a motion to move the previous question. It was seconded. There was no dissent. By a 13–4 roll call vote, the SA determined to fully fund Minds Matter at their requested amount of $1.00 per student.

VIII. New Business Continued

Resolution 4 — Resolution Regarding the Transfer of Student Assembly’s Bus Service to Class Councils — V. Hartman

V. Hartman said that he would like the bus service to be provided during Thanksgiving break. Since the SA is preoccupied with the by-line funding process and would like the program to continue successfully, it makes sense to transfer the responsibility of continuation to the Class Councils. Class Councils already has a relationship with many bus companies in New York from the coordination of events that involve trips during Senior Week. Class Councils has agreed to continue the Bus Program and is willing to begin planning immediately in order to offer a service for Thanksgiving break. The transportation program would also be better managed through a more fluent organization that the SA by-line funds than the SA itself, since the membership of the SA can completely change every year.

C. Slicklen said that the bus program has been very successful and great PR for the SA. He said that he does not want to see the program shifted to Class Councils. He acknowledged the amount of leg work that V. Hartman did for the program and hoped that one of the newly elected freshman representatives would be willing to take over.

V. Hartman pointed out that the assembly does not have to permanently manage the programs and services they initiate.

A. Natarajan emphasized that Class Councils is a more fluid organization that will not be disrupted by election results.

S. Matthews asked how much contact the SA has with Class Councils.

V. Hartman said that he was the President of Class Councils.

IX. Adjournment

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