Student Assembly

Minutes
Cornell University Student Assembly
March 3, 2011
4:45pm — 6:30pm
Willard Straight Hall, Memorial Room

I. Call to Order

V. Andrews called the meeting order at 4:46pm

II. Roll Call

Representatives Present: S. Agard, V. Andrews, A. Bajaj, G. Block, A. Brokman, M. Danzer, C. Feng, M. Finn, A. Gitlin, M.Golrajani, C. Jenkins, D. Kuhr, R. Mensah, A.Nicoletti, A. Pruce, N. Raps, J. Rau, M.Scheff, U. Smith, A.Yozwiak

Representatives Unexcused Absent: R. Desai, J. Kay, T. Lenardo

III. Moment of silence for George Desdunes ‘13

IV. Approval of Minutes

February 10th, 2011 — Approved February 17th, 2011 — Approved February 24th, 2011 — Approved

V. Open Microphone — Ray Mensah

Slope Day representative Kate came and provided information on the Slope Day opening acts. They announced that there would be two openers consisting of Ra Ra Riot, an alternative band from Syracuse and The Cool Kids. All tickets will go on sale online on April 12th guest and alumni tickets will be twenty-five dollars. April 29th will be the off line sales and tickets will be available for thirty dollars at the Willard Straight ticket desk. Also, Cornell students can only purchase guest tickets.

A. Pruce stated that COLA have been hosting a variety of teaching sit-ins of an explanation of what is going on in Wisconsin. He wants to reach out to ILR representatives here to get a charter voice and input.

A. Gitlin emphasized a reminder about the special mental SA meeting next week that is informal and to please fill out the doodle. The meeting will look at the proposed means restriction barriers.

C. Jenkins doing a project in celebration of Women’s History Month. He needs people to volunteer. He is trying to make video clips for women to speak about their experiences as women on this campus and have that done by March 15th and asks for everyone to please publicize this to their respective list servs, he will be sending out a blurb.

N. Raps stated that if you know any groups/student organizations that want to be part of the pilot launch program of the website to please let her know. The pilot launch program will be launching after spring break.

Open microphone closes.

VI. Announcements/Reports

1. Elections Update — Charlie Feng

V. Andrews said they would only be announcing two positions at this meeting.

C. Feng came forward to make the announcements. He said over 3,600 people voted which is over 200 more than voted last year and that no challenges were made. C. Feng then proceeded to announce the winner of the Executive Vice Presidential race, which is Adam Gitlin, and the winner of the Presidential race, Natalie Raps.

2.Student Assembly Report to the Board of Trustees — Vincent Andrews

V. Andrews said he sent it out and everyone should have received it. He apologizes that he was not able to include each individual’s initiatives and that he was only really able to report activities, which were brought up as a resolution or a report that was voted on by the entire assembly. However, he would like to acknowledge everyone who did do stuff outside of the meeting.

VII. Business of the Day

VIII. New Business

1. Resolution 61 — Regarding Special Rules of Order

R. Mensah comes forth. This resolution was part of an older charter. The resolution lays out how we (the Student Assembly) do proxy votes and how certain items of the agenda are handled. R. Mensah moved to make this business of the day and it was seconded and the motion passes.

M. Gould asked if the president has any qualms with the special rules of order themselves and if he/she can change them. R. Mensah said this would not change anything that was originally passed. The rules were not changed in format as found in the original R.81 and doesn’t believe that the president recommended any changes to the rules.

There is a call for acclamation there was no dissent and Resolution 61 is passed by acclamation.

2. Resolution 62 — Amendment to Article IV, Section 1a of the Student Assembly Charter

R. Mensah and M. Gould step up to discuss the resolution. The resolution is based on checking our math and finding out that either it wasn’t very good or we did not check other people’s math and that is what the article 3 changes are about.

This will be voted on next week, need 16 votes for this.

3. Resolution 63 — Amendment to Article V, Section 1 of the Student Assembly Charter

R. Mensah and M. Gould speak on how the resolutions deals with how items are introduced every week (resolutions) the current language is a bit ambiguous on how items can be brought forth before the SA.

XI. Unfinished Business

1. Resolution 57 — SUNY Student Assembly Legislative Agenda

Mensah and Danzer speak on the resolution. M. Danzer stated that the SUNY Student Assembly is trying to get as many of the SUNY schools to pass this as possible in order to show solidarity.

Point of clarification by N. Raps that we are not SUNY University but we do have representatives that go to the SUNY conference and have members that vote.

M. Danzer then went on to explain each priority bulleted in the Agenda. For the first bullet it is basically ensuring that legislature will work on SUNY issues. The second bullet, to keep community colleges funded at a steady level. For rational tuition (third bullet), rather than the schools saying lets raise tuition to match inflation where tuition would be steady then bump up a lot, instead the idea is that tuition will increase by a certain amount each year that way everyone know how much it is going up so they can prepare for it and to make sure everyone knows what is going to happen with the tuition. For the fourth bullet, there will be a bump in helping people pay for tuition.

Floor was open to questions. M.Finn asked if this would apply to CUNY schools as well as other state universities? M. Danzer replied yes because it is under the SUNY umbrella for the SUNY Student Assembly.

A. Pruce asked if M. Danzer agreed with the document entirely or is there things he would like to change or modify. M. Danzer replied that it would have to be the Repeal Bundy Aid and would like to ask everyone else how they feel about it in return for representation of the Cornell as an assembly attitude towards it.

Point of information called by D. Kuhr, he wanted to know how much does Cornell receive in Bundy Aid. A. Pruce looked it up and said that the Cornell Sun said 1.5 to 1.9 million. However, there was ambiguity when A. Pruce looked it up because he found a different set of numbers. A. Bajaj stated that given that we don’t know how much the repeal will affect Cornell, he is apprehensive about endorsing such a statement and moves to remove/strike the Repeal Bundy Aid clause under Priority II of the agenda.

R. Mensah calls for point of information and states would it then be needed to change the first be it therefore resolved portion of the resolution where it says “adopt the attached document in full”. V. Andrews said it will be changed to “as amended”.

Call to question by A. Pruce Roll call vote is done to vote on striking the Repeal Bundy Aid clause. Vote of 18–0−1 and amendment passes. Therefore, in regards to the Priority II clause that states. “Repeal Bundy Aid and reallocate the funds to the State University of New York”, the student assembly does not support this clause.

A. Brokman asked why should we endorse the rational tuition policy. M. Danzer stated that from his understanding this won’t apply to Cornell, from the way the system works now law makers play a lot of politics with the budget. The policy is saying to gradually increase tuition over time and so that way the tuition increase can be planned. Essentially, the clause is trying to take the politics out of it.

Roll call vote done 16–1−2 and the resolution passes.

X. Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 5:36pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Melissa Arguinzoni