[In these minutes: Reports, Student Senate Office, Tuition and Graduation
Rates, Changes to SSCC, Student Senate Docket]
STUDENT SENATE
CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE (SSCC) MINUTES
MARCH 14,
2002
[These minutes reflect discussion and debate at a committee of
the University of Minnesota Senate or Twin Cities Campus Assembly; none of the
comments, conclusions, or actions reported in these minutes represent the views
of, nor are they binding on, the Senate or Assembly, the Administration, or the
Board of Regents.]
PRESENT: Khaled Dajani (chair), Judy Berning,
Nick Cecconi, Trevor Ewanochko, Scott Ferguson, Chris Frazier, Anthony Heryla,
Shawn Lavelle, Kari Lindeman, Matt McBlair, Ryan Osero.
REGRETS:
Ryan Brux, Jason Stingl.
GUESTS: Prince Amattoe, Dan Kelly,
Patrick Pederson.
1. REPORTS
SCEP
Scott Ferguson
reported that the withdrawal policy was not approved by SCEP and the 13-credit
minimum policy will be considered next. It is possible that SCEP will let the
Council of Undergraduate Deans make a decision on the 13-credit minimum policy.
SCEP will also be approving academic calendars for future
years.
SCSA
Nick Cecconi reported that SCSA recently passed a
resolution on the 13-credit minimum. The resolution asks for more student
input, better advising, and a phased-in approach to protect current
students.
SCFP
Prince Amattoe reported that SCFP recently
received a report on parking costs, which continue to increase as more lots are
turned into garages and ramps. The committee questioned why this keeps
happening. On a related subject, Robert Jones attended a recent Equity, Access,
and Diversity Committee meeting and answered questions regarding the financing
of the new Multicultural and Academic Affairs Vice President
position.
2. DISCUSSION OF STUDENT COMMITTEE ON
COMMITTEES
Prince Amattoe, Student Committee on Committees (C on C)
Chair, distributed a sheet detailing student committee positions filled by
campus and where vacancies exist. Challenges for C on C this year have been the
unwillingness of most campus presidents to help recruit students to
Senate/Assembly committees versus campus committees, no Crookston or Duluth C on
C members, coordinating committee attendance, and the lack of coordinate campus
members on Senate committees. One recommendation is to require senators to
serve on a Senate/Assembly committees.
3. DISCUSSION OF STUDENT SENATE
OFFICE SPACE
Khaled Dajani said that this issue was discussed by SSCC
in the fall, and he was given the directive to find space on campus for a
Student Senate office. There is no space in Morrill Hall, or many other places
on campus; Coffman was the only remaining option. He attended a meeting with
Maggie Towle and Denny Olsen to discuss Coffman space. To be considered, the
Student Senate would need to be registered as a student organization under the
heading of a campus life organization, and create a constitution, which he
distributed. Once the Student Senate was a registered student organization, it
could apply for space in Coffman once it opens. Until that time, space would be
provided in Norris Hall.
Committee members made the following
comments:
- Student Senate is a University-wide governance organization, not a student
organization so it should not have space in Coffman
- Senators should have someplace centralized to meet
- Office in Coffman is only available to Twin Cities students
- Constitution was created from a Coffman template and refers to Senate
Constitution whenever possible
- How will future students interpret the Student Senate: student organization
or governance system?
- Space is already available for Twin Cities senators through MSA and
GAPSA
- Space is not available anywhere else on campus
The
committee voted against registering as a student organization.
4.
DISCUSSION OF TUITION AND GRADUATION RATES
Khaled Dajani asked the
students to report what their assemblies thought of the statements on tuition
and graduation rates. Committee members made the following comments:
- Crookston does not want any changes made
- SCFP statement includes the coordinate campuses
- There would not be much of an effect at Morris since there is flat tuition
now from 15-20 credits
- Some campuses would benefit from tuition banding
- Part-time students should be protected
- Tuition banding is used by many schools
- SSCC needs to consider what policy would provide benefits to the greatest
number of students
- Tuition banding is a good idea, but the extra cost should not be off-loaded
to the high part-time student population
- Tuition increase is only $5, which would not seriously affect students
- Tuition banding itself will be an incentive
- Tuition banding would cost $3.7 million; if it is not paid through increased
tuition, students will pay some other way
- Tuition banding will provide an incentive to students close to 13 credits to
take a few more credits and graduate on-time
- Increase is only a one-time cost
- Plan would save students $300 dollars over four years
The
committee voted not to make a separate statement on tuition banding and
graduation rates.
5. DISCUSSION OF CHANGES TO SSCC WITH STUDENT BODY
PRESIDENTS
Chris Frazier distributed a handout with four proposals
for changes to SSCC.
Proposal 1
This change would prevent one
student from chairing both SSCC or the Student Senate, or serving as the SSCC
Chair and Vice Chair. The committee voted unanimously to approve the
motion.
Proposal 2
This proposal would change the membership of
SSCC so that each campus would have two student representatives. The Student
Senate Chair and Vice Chair, as well as ex officio members, would remain on the
committee.
Q: Would Ryan Osero’s position be removed?
A: No,
since he is an ex officio member, which is not changed by this
proposal.
Q; When would the changes be effective?
A: July
1.
Q: Some assemblies pay the SSCC representatives and have already
completed budgets for next year to fund just one representative. Would the
Senate Office fund a second position?
A: No.
Q: Would the chair
still vote?
A: Yes.
Q; How many students would serve on the
SCC?
A: This is determined by proposal 3.
Q: Would both
representatives need to attend all meetings?
A: Yes.
Dan Kelly,
MSA President, said that he was in support of the proposal since it provides a
greater coordinate campus voice.
Committee members stated that:
- Change would be similar to U.S. Senate structure
- There would be a logistical problem during meetings since only four people
would be in the Twin Cities
- Two representatives from a campus would keep communication flowing in case
one student has a conflict with a meeting
- SSCC is a consultative body, not a policy-making body
- If SSCC acts on behalf of the Student Senate, the decision can still be
overturned
- Proposal should be tried; if it does not work it can always be changed
back
The committee voted 6-3 to approve the
proposal.
Proposal 4a
This proposal would place each student
body president on SSCC, with one other student senate member from each campus.
Members made the following comments:
- It is important to have the student body presidents at the meetings, but not
as members
- Student body presidents should be given ex officio member status this year,
and then review their position next year
- This proposal and the previous one were made by organizations external to
the Senate and SSCC and should be considered carefully
- Faulty communication also exists on each campus, so why should that be
introduced into SSCC?
- It is a problem for student body presidents to have any position on SSCC
since it is a conflict of responsibilities and interests
- Representatives to SSCC should be elected at-large by each assembly
- SSCC can devote resources to other areas if student body presidents are on
the committee
- SSCC represents all students without having the student body presidents
included
Dan Kelly, MSA President, said that he wrote to his
SSCC representatives, saying that he supported this proposal. He also offered
three friendly amendments to the proposal: 1) if a student body president does
not have the time to attend SSCC, they will name a designee at the beginning of
the year, 2) a student body president is not eligible to serve as chair of the
SSCC, and 3) student body presidents will not vote on internal Senate matters.
Chris Frazier has accepted these as friendly amendments.
Patrick
Pederson, GAPSA President, said that SSCC should not shy away from making big
changes to its structure. Without the student body presidents, there is no
direct link between the SSCC and the campus assemblies. He said that SSCC can
never represent graduate and professional students and their issues. It is not
effective to have student body presidents separate from SSCC; efficiency would
be increased since he would have to spend less time fixing problems SSCC
creates.
The committee then voted 5-3-1 to approve the
proposal.
6. APPROVAL OF MARCH 28 STUDENT SENATE
DOCKET
With no questions, the Student Senate docket was
approved.
7. OTHER BUSINESS
With no further business,
Khaled Dajani thanked everyone for attending and adjourned the
meeting.
Becky Hippert
University Senate