MEETING OF THE STUDENT SENATE

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2008

11:30 A.M. - 1:30 P.M.

Studio C, Rarig Center--Twin Cities Campus
106 Sahlstrom Conference Center--Crookston Campus
173 Kirby Plaza--Duluth Campus
7 Humanities and Fine Arts--Morris Campus

This is a meeting of the Student Senate. There are 28 voting members of the Student Senate. A simple majority must be present for a quorum. Most actions require only a simple majority for approval. Actions requiring special majorities for approval are noted under each of those items.

1. COUNCIL OF ACADEMIC PROFESSIONALS AND ADMINISTRATORS UPDATE
(5 minutes)

2. STUDENT SENATE/ STUDENT SENATE
CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR REPORT
(5 minutes)

3. ASSEMBLY/ASSOCIATION UPDATES
(5 minutes)

4. MINUTES FOR MARCH 6, 2008
(2 minutes)

MOTION:

To approve the Student Senate minutes, which are available on the Web at the following URLs. A simple majority is required for approval.

http://www1.umn.edu/usenate/ssen/080306stu.html

STUART GOLDSTEIN, CLERK
UNIVERSITY SENATE

5. STUDENT SENATE STIPENDS
Action
(5 minutes)

FOR INFORMATION:

The Student Consultative Committee, less its stipend-receiving members, shall review the performance of duties of all stipend-receiving members and vote on the approval, reduction, or withholding of the portion of their stipends allocated for spring semester. A two-thirds affirmative vote by the Student Consultative Committee is required for modification of stipend disbursement.

The Student Consultative Committee recommendation shall be presented to the Student Senate for approval at or before the Student Senate's last regular meeting of spring semester. Stipend receiving persons have a right to answer questions about or speak regarding the Student Consultative Committee's findings at this meeting if they so chose. A two-thirds vote of the Student Senate is required to modify the Student Consultative Committee recommendation.

MOTION:

The Student Senate Stipend Review Committee has reviewed the performance of the following stipend-receiving students: Ronald Miller, SSCC/Student Senate Chair; and, Kris Schwebler, SSCC/Student Senate Vice Chair. The recommendation from the committee is that:
COMMENT:

The Review Committee felt that both students fulfilled the duties associated with their positions and therefore should receive the full spring semester portion of their respective stipends.

ALICIA SMITH, CHAIR
STUDENT SENATE STIPEND REVIEW COMMITTEE

6. STUDENT SENATE BYLAWS AMENDMENT
Action by the Twin Cities Student Delegation
(10 minutes)
MOTION:
To amend Article V, Section 2 of the Student Senate Bylaw as follows (language to be deleted is struck out; language to be added is underlined):
ARTICLE V. STUDENT SENATE MEMBERSHIP, ELECTIONS, AND OFFICERS (Changes to this article are subject to vote only by the Student Senate)

1. Membership

For the purpose of electing representatives and alternate representatives, if any, to the Student Senate, qualified students shall vote within each of the following units of the University:

TWIN CITIES: Biological Sciences; Continuing Education; Dentistry; Design; Education and Human Development; Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences; Graduate School; Law; Liberal Arts; Management; Medical School; Nursing; Pharmacy; Public Health; Technology; Veterinary Medicine

CROOKSTON

DULUTH: Business and Economics; Education and Human Service Professions; Fine Arts; Liberal Arts; Science and Engineering;

MORRIS

The elected members of the Student Senate shall be members of the University Senate.

2. Election of Members

a. Eligibility

a. Only students carrying at least two-thirds the number of credits required for full-time student status as defined by the Office of the Registrar for their college of enrollment shall be eligible to vote. Each institute, college, or school shall establish its own procedures to determine qualification of those students eligible to vote.

b. To be eligible for election to the Student Senate, a student must have earned the required number of credits in residence at the University, as described below:

(1) Graduate School students carrying one credit ABD (all but dissertation) at the time of voting or who are certified as the equivalent of full-time students by the Graduate School shall be eligible for election.

(2) All other students shall be eligible for election if they have earned within the past semester and are currently carrying at least two-thirds the number of credits required for full-time student status as defined by the Office of the Registrar for their college of enrollment.

c. To continue to serve in the Student Senate, a student representative must continue to meet the requirements for eligibility identified under "b" hereof.

b. Elections

1. Coordinate Campuses

a. Between February 1 and April 30 of each year, each unit Crookston, Duluth, and Morris as listed in Section 1 of this Article shall conduct an election for Student Senate members and alternate members, if any. Each unit shall establish its own procedures, in accordance with the constitution, for conducting its elections. The results of the elections shall be mailed to the Clerk of the Senate not later than May 5.

b. Eligible students elect from their ranks 50 Student Senate members, who shall be distributed among the colleges and campuses in proportion to the number of students in those units. Each college shall be guaranteed one student senator. Morris and Crookston will be guaranteed a minimum of two student senators.

c. The elected representatives of the students to the Student Senate shall be chosen by secret ballot by the student constituency enrolled in the institutes, colleges, or schools as specified in the Bylaws. Only full-time students in each institute, college, or school shall be eligible to vote. Each institute, college, or school shall establish its own procedures to determine qualifications of those students eligible to vote.

d. The student board of each institute, college, school, or other representative unit shall determine if a pool of alternate senators shall be elected or define the pool to be all eligible students in the institute, college, or school. If the alternates are to be elected, then the constitution of the institute, college, school or other unit shall specify the number to be elected and their term in office, and they shall be elected at the same time and in the same manner as senators.

e. A senator may designate anyone from the appropriate unit pool to serve as an alternate in the senator's absence by providing notice to the Clerk of the Senate prior to the commencement of any meeting of the University or Student Senate.

f. All members elected to the Student Senate shall begin service on July 1 and shall serve for one year. Elected members of the Student Senate shall not serve more than four one-year terms, or any part thereof, in any six year period.

2. Twin Cities

a. Between February 1 and August 10 of each year, Twin Cities units as listed in Section 1 of this Article shall conduct an election for Student Senate members and alternate members, if any, for the following year. Each unit shall establish its own procedures, in accordance with the constitution, for conducting its elections. The results of the elections shall be mailed to the Clerk of the Senate not later than August 15.

b. Between February 1 and August 10 of each year, the elected representatives of the students to the Student Senate for the following year shall be chosen by secret ballot by the student constituency enrolled in the institutes, colleges, or schools as specified in the Bylaws. Only full-time students in each institute, college, or school shall be eligible to vote. Each institute, college, or school shall establish its own procedures to determine qualifications of those students eligible to vote.

c. Between February 1 and August 10 of each year, the student board of each institute, college, school, or other representative unit shall determine if for the following year a pool of alternate senators shall be elected or define the pool to be all eligible students in the institute, college, or school. If the alternates are to be elected, then the constitution of the institute, college, school or other unit shall specify the number to be elected and their term in office, and they shall be elected at the same time and in the same manner as senators.

d. After August 15 of each year and for the current year, any open Student Senate members and alternate members from Twin Cities units as listed in Section 1 of this Article shall be filled by the Student Senate Consultative Committee with approval of the Student Senate. The Student Senate Consultative Committee shall establish its own procedures, in accordance with the constitution, for conducting elections.

e. Eligible students elect from their ranks 50 Student Senate members, who shall be distributed among the colleges and campuses in proportion to the number of students in those units. Each college shall be guaranteed one student senator.

f. A senator may designate anyone from the appropriate unit pool to serve as an alternate in the senator's absence by providing notice to the Clerk of the Senate prior to the commencement of any meeting of the University or Student Senate.

g. All members elected to the Student Senate shall begin service on July 1 and shall serve for one year. Elected members of the Student Senate shall not serve more than four one-year terms, or any part thereof, in any six year period.

...

COMMENT:

This amendment is meant to help the Twin Cities fill Student Senate seats that are filled through spring elections. The responsibility currently rests with college boards, but many seats remain vacant throughout the year either because there is not a functioning college board or the college board does not choose to fill these seats. The amendment would allow the Student Senate to fill vacant seats itself.

The following procedures were approved by the SSCC April 17, 2008:

SSCC Procedures for electing Twin Cities Student Senators

According to the Student Senate Bylaws, Article V, Section 2(b)(2), "d. After August 15 of each year and for the current year, any open Student Senate members and alternate members from Twin Cities units as listed in Section 1 of this Article shall be filled by the Student Senate Consultative Committee with approval of the Student Senate. The Student Senate Consultative Committee shall establish its own procedures, in accordance with the constitution, for conducting elections."

Student Senate Nominating Subcommittee
The SSCC shall establish a Student Senate Nominating Subcommittee to review nominees/applicants for vacant seats and make recommendations to the Student Senate for approval. The Student Senate Nominating Subcommittee shall be composed of:
  1. Student Senate/SSCC Chair
  2. Student Senate/SSCC Vice Chair
  3. One additional Twin Cities member of the SSCC elected by the SSCC
  4. One Twin Cities graduate/professional student senator elected by the Student Senate
  5. One Twin Cities undergraduate student senator elected by the Student Senate
The Student Senate/SSCC Vice Chair shall serve as chair of the Student Senate Nominating Subcommittee.

Procedures:
  1. If a Twin Cities unit has named alternate member(s), preference will be provided to these alternates members to fill any vacant seat(s). The Senate Office will contact the alternate members(s) to ask if he or she would like to be considered for the Student Senate member(s). If one alternate member agrees, this name can be forwarded to the Student Senate for approval. If more than one member agrees, the Student Senate Nominating Subcommittee shall make a recommendation to the Student Senate for approval.
  2. If a Twin Cities unit has not named alternate member(s) or no alternate member(s) are interested in serving as a Student Senate members(s), then an email will be sent to all students in the Twin Cities unit of the vacant seat asking interested students to apply for service.
  3. The Student Senate Nominating Subcommittee will review the applications and make recommendations to the Student Senate for their approval.
  4. If future vacancies arise in the same Twin Cities units, the Student Senate Nominating Subcommittee can choose to either send another request for applicants, or draw from the pool that was already solicited.
RONALD MILLER, CHAIR
STUDENT SENATE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE

7. ELECTION OF 2008-09 STUDENT SENATE/
STUDENT SENATE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR
Election by 2008-09 Senators Only
(15 minutes)

8. ELECTION OF 2008-09 TWIN CITIES UNDERGRADUATE
COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES MEMBER
Election by 2008-09 Twin Cities Undergraduate Senators Only
(10 minutes)

9. ELECTION OF 2008-09 TWIN CITIES MEMBERS OF THE
STUDENT SENATE NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Election by 2008-09 Twin Cities Senators Only
One Twin Cities undergraduate senator and one Twin Cities graduate/professional senator
(10 minutes)

10. OLD BUSINESS

11. NEW BUSINESS

12. ADJOURNMENT