[In these minutes: Discussion of Policy on Academic Progress for Undergraduates, Discuss of Constitutional Review Subcommittee, Update on Coordinate Campus Visits, Discussion of formation of Sesquicentennial Planning Subcommittee, Discussion of Constitutional Change, and Approval of the Student Senate docket]
STUDENT SENATE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE (SSCC) MINUTES
February 4, 1999
[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: Ryan Falk (chair), Jason Anderson, Jesse Berglund, Nathan Hunstad, Deanne Nordberg, Martin O'Hely, Kelli Rusch, Gita Uppal, Mark Uszenski.
REGRETS: YeeLeng Hang, Brandon Lacy.
1. Approval of the Agenda
The agenda was approved.
2. Approval of the Minutes
The January 7, 1999 minutes were approved.
3. Chair's Report
Ryan Falk apologized for missing the January meeting. He then said that he had presented the idea of a joint MSA/Senate Parking and Transportation Subcommittee to MSA, but it was met with mixed reactions. He asked members to e-mail any ideas to him.
4. Student Senate Chair's Report
Jesse Berglund reminded members that the Student Senate Meeting is on February 18, and the docket will be approved later in the meeting. He is also meeting with Kyle Kilbourn, Council of College Boards President, regarding senators attendance at MSA meeting. Jesse is hoping that polices can be rewritten to make the senators more accountable to their respective college boards.
5. Discuss Policy on Academic Progress for Undergraduates
Martin O'Hely, a Educational Policy (SCEP) member, provided background by saying that under the semester system, most classes will be 3 credits. In order for students to be full-time students, they will need 15 credits/5 classes per semester. The administration is afraid that credit levels will drop and lead to a decrease in the graduation rate, poor student retention, and a decrease in income to the University.
SCEP's first draft of this policy was protested and therefore revised. The second draft calls for a 4-5 year graduation deadline, polices in place to ensure this, an educational policy to inform students, and departments to plan ahead to allow students to graduate in 4 years. This would apply only to students considered full-time. SCEP would still like student input, so comments should be directed to the committee.
Q: What were the changes between the two drafts?
A: Full-time was defined, punitive measures were removed, and policy and comments were separated.
Q: Who provided the statistics?
A: The Office and Planning and Analysis and SCEP
6. Discuss Constitutional Review Subcommittee
Jesse Berglund said that this issue first arose over the definition of a student senator. A subcommittee was formed, but most members have since left school. Two e-mails were sent to student senators asking for their participation, but no one replied. It was decided that the item would be deleted from the Student Senate docket and that Ryan Falk and Jesse Berglund will meet to discuss the issue and then refer the item back to SSCC.
7. Update on Coordinate Campus Visits
Becky Hippert informed the committee that there was not enough money in the budget for the committee to invite members to the Twin Cities and also travel to the coordinate campuses. The committee then discussed the two options and it was decided that SSCC set a precedent to alternate each year between traveling to the coordinate campuses and inviting members to the Twin Cities. It was agreed that members would be invited to the April 22 Senate meetings, with the hope that a reception could be held the night before. Becky Hippert said that she would work on all arrangements and report back to the committee at the March meeting.
8. Discuss formation of Sesquicentennial Planning Subcommittee
Jesse Berglund said that Jesse Roos, the student on the University's Sesquicentennial Planning Committee, had not attended the past two meetings and was removed. Sue Eastman was looking for another student. It was suggested that the student bodies be e-mailed to find an interested student.
9. Discuss Constitutional Change
The committee debated what Professor Sara Evans had said and decided that a change was needed to pass Constitutional Amendments, as long as it did not minimize the student voice. It was decided that the current numbers, which are based on total seats, sets a figure that is too high. The committee also decided that they did not want a decision based on voting members present, in case of a low student turnout. Instead, the committee discussed that changes be based on seats filled. They then proposed the following change to the Senate and Assembly Constitutions:
ARTICLE VIII. AMENDING PROCEDURE
An amendment to this Constitution shall be approved either by a two-thirds
majority of all voting members the total membership of
the University Senate at a regular or special meeting, or by a majority of
all voting members the total membership of the Senate
at each of two meetings, the second of which shall be the next regular meeting;
and provided the proposed amendment has been distributed, in writing, to the
persons and in the manner provided in Article III, Section 7, for distribution
of the Senate agenda, at least ten days prior to the date of the vote on the
approval of the proposed amendment. An amendment shall be effective following
approval by the University Senate and by the Board of Regents.
This change was approved by SSCC, to be forwarded to the Student Senate for approval before being brought to the full Senate Consultative Committee.
10. Approval of Student Senate Docket
The Student Senate docket was approved as amended.
11. Other Business
Becky Hippert reminded students to contact YeeLeng Hang if they planned on attending the Lunch with Leaders on February 22. Since most members had not received a letter, they requested that it be sent again.
Rebecca Hippert
University Senate