40 UAS 2 October 20, 2008 AGENDA: 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Announcements from Senate Officers 4. Committee Chair Presentations 5. Old Business 5.1 40 UAS 1.1 5.2 Budget Approval 5.3 Finboard Appeals 6. New Business 6.1 40 UAS 2.1 6.2 40 UAS 2.2 7. Bill-writing FAQ 8. Closing Announcements 9. Adjournment 1. Call to Order - 8:05pm 2. Roll Call Absent: Ye Yao, Bill Near, Kevin Marengo, Brandon Lew Late: Shin Nee Wong 3. Announcements from Senate Officers - Think about which committee you'd like to join - We'll be going over bills from 39 UAS - Senate Retreat (Nov 8 or following weekend?) - Following weekend seems better 4. Committee Chair Presentations - Hello Committee Chairs! - NomComm - David Hutchings ua-nomcomm-chairs@mit.edu I appoint people to institute committees, and make sure everyone is doing their job. Follow up with student advocates, look for more student advocates. In spring, we nominate and help place students on the committees. - History Committee - Ekate ua-history-chairs@mit.edu The administration tries to screw you. Then they fail and this makes you happy. But then you graduate, and they tried to do it again. One way to make UA viable is to keep track of what students did that worked, didn't work, and what we should keep trying. Improve our institutional knowledge, so we don't die. We will compile information into a useful report and try to show the administrators how we can play their game - Public Relations - Liz Denys ua-pr-chairs@mit.edu Work on the image of the UA. Show that we are approachable and can get things done. Meet about every week, have discussion about news letter. Will then make it happen. We order t-shirts, posters (infinite and other events). Get involved with Dorm Storm! - Committee on Enrollment Paul Baranay ua-enrollment-chairs@mit.edu Administration wants to increase enrollment, but doesn't have many plans other than renovating W1. Job is to poke administrators and find out what they will change to be prepared for an extra 100 students. GIRs are over subscribed. We talked to CJAC (Corporate Joint Advisory Committee) last term, and have a lot to do this term. - Committee on Sustainability - Vrajesh Modi ua-sustainability-chairs@mit.edu Deal with Sustainability, put out booklet earlier this year. Works on FSILG recycling, dorm electricity competition, recyclemania. - Committee on Student Life - Grace Lee ua-csl-chairs@mit.edu We are starting PLUS this year, talk about a lot of people about freshman leadership on campus. We hope this will be a success on campus and become institutionalized. Pair 50 mentees with a mentor. Have leadership development things throughout the year taught by upperclassmen. Have workshops for mentors and the mentees, have the mentees plan a large campus wide event at the end of the year. Also do wellness week, week long event in spring. Interactive way to get people thinking about improving their health on campus. Want to start up the Infinite buffet. Like a community picnic to boost campus spirit. Work with the presidents office, half a community picnic, half a community fair. have booths all down the infinite to have people showcase what they have been doing. Looking for one or two more senators to join the committee. Contact info on UA website. 5. Old Business 5.1 40 UAS 1.1 - please see ua.mit.edu/senate for bill Joshua Lin is here, treasurer. Want money to cover cost of CDs. Religious group and musical group. Receive funding from UA, but cost of CDs is beyond what FinBoard is willing to give. Don't have money now because they spend it on community service projects. Repayment plan of 2 years because of projected earnings (made $3k in 2 years from last CD). 5.1 a) Keone: tell us more about community service Josh: Go to different cities and sing at nursing homes and hospitals and churches. Beneficial for MIT in that they promote MIT's image as a diverse place with different beliefs and talents. 5.1 b) Sarah: $3k to record, $2k to print. If you expect to make $3k, how is this sustainable? Are you going to be back here again? Josh: We expect $3k in first two years 5.1 c) Nelson: Too much for Finboard, did you ask them? Josh: Don't have historical data, requesting $2k would not be reasonable. Did not actually talk to finboard. Mike: Finboard does not do loans. Would they do this? Probably not. Give $800-$1k that they wouldn't have to pay back. Keone: Want to be fiscally responsible, don't want a hand out. Want a loan. Cyril: Other funding sources? Vrajesh: Does finboard support you? Josh: $800 / term Vinay: Other revenue? Josh: donations from alumni and other members of MIT community Josh: Institutional Memory issue - have members in group for 5+ years and they will be good about remembering to pay off their debt Paul: SAFO might be one to talk to about loans. Jed: Come see me! Vrajesh: Done recording and mixing stuff Josh: Owe one of our members a lot of money 5.1 d) Nelson: 10% interest is too high Keone: motion to ammend to 5% per year compounded continuously Cyril seconds Ammendment passes 5.1 e) Keone: motion to ammend to change discretionary to reserve Motion passes 5.1 f) Keone: anyone have concerns? Please speak up. Cyril: Concern - not whether they will pay us back, but if we lend one, will we get asked for many loans? Vrajesh: About owing a former member - seems like a long time when we won't be here any more. Some interim goal might be useful. 5.1 g) Vrajesh: Motion to ammend to $1k a year from now, and last $1k a year after. Ammendment passes. 5.1 h) Sun: how desperate are you? Josh: we already owe this person money, so ASAP 5.1 i) Keone: motion to vote? Dan Katz: Is this a good policy to set? Jason: It would still be a case by case basis. Hongyou: What is discretionary for? Jason: Depends on what comes before Senate. Usually not a loan. 5.1 j) Iman: Can you fundraise before you receive the money from CDs? Josh: Possible, but it would be difficult to raise that much through fundraising. Keone: Encourage group to fundraise. We have $70k sitting there, give them money as a loan, they'll be paying it back. Give them money now so they can start selling CDs. 5.1 k) Zack: Revenue from selling CDs, right? How will you market these? Josh: A capella concert, fall concert, spring concert. Sell cds while we travel. Through website, alums. Zack: How many CDs? Josh: Don't have that number. 5.1 l) Sarah: Can we specify dates? *snaps* Mike: Suggest UAS2 of next year. Keone: 2154 to be repaid by Nov 1st, 2010. 1k be repaid by Nov 1st, 2009. 5.1 m) Hongyou: Still have CDs? Josh: I have numbers. Sold about 200, can expect to bring in $3k in first two years. 5.1 n) Vinay: motion to vote Majority is in favor of the bill as ammended 5.2 Budget Approval 5.2 a) Sun: Question about CSL, what is this line item about Six Flags? Mike: We still don't have the final numbers on this, assume the UA is paying for this. Any money left over from this is going to finboard if not used by CSL. 5.2 b) Nelson: $170 of UA money for GoCrossCampus? Keone: I hear you. I think you get a lot of bang for your buck with that. A lot of people wasting time, but it does bring people together to a certain extent. We don't expect Six Flags to print posters for us, why should we expect GoCrossCampus to do it. Sun: Last year was a trial period. Senate or CSL found it worthwhile to continue it this year. I agree with Keone. Cody: What bang are we getting for our buck? Keone: Matter of preference, other dorms might like it. It's so insignificant money wise, so we should stick with it. Cyril: popular at other school, student apathy is a big issue here Vinay: A lot of people in Simmons that enjoy it. Ekate: student apathy? wtf? they are not really apathetic about anything. People are involved in protests around campus, we don't need to play a crappy risk game to be involved. I am skeptical. Next year I should buy a huge cake before the budget meeting, and then tell you to pass it because I already paid for it. Keone: Let's move on 5.2 c) Nelson: Let's not support a corporate company. If GoCrossCampus cares, make them spend the money. Motion to strike gocrosscampus line item from budget 5.2 c) 1. Ekate: send the message that we don't want them doing this again, not like they wouldn't be able to pay for it Mike: worse comes to worse we give it to them from discretionary, and tell them not to do it next year Nelson: We shouldn't have to spend money to buy a shiny poster Keone: Move to previous question Nelson seconds Motion to remove item from budget: divide the body - 11 10 1 removed from the budget 5.2 d) Back to overall budget - budget passes 5.3 Finboard appeals 5.3 a) Mike: We give people more money who explained why they needed it. We allocated so much for normal allocations that we didn't have much money for appeals. We are starting to hit an upper limit as to how many groups we can fund. We required office hours in order to get funded. We forgot about some groups so funded them during appeals. We are funding LSC summer movies, but are working on another solution. We overallocated by 30%, but finboard has to make good on its promises to fund groups who went to office hours. We don't have money to pay for this. Keone and ASA are working on the problem of over funding. 5.3 b) Shin Nee: These don't add up...? Keone: This is just the appeals, that's why you don't see them add up to $120k. 5.3 c) Motion to vote: none opposed 6. New Business 6.1 40 UAS 2.1 - Bill to Fund the HMMT November Math Contest and Problem Book 6.1 a) Keone: pair of new initiatives for HMMT. I'm the treasurer so I won't say much. We are running a tournament for several years, want to return to our roots and reach back to our community. We have a responsibility to educate future engineers and scientists. We have an enrollment committee to look at this, we need to encourage future scientists and engineers. Encourage kids to get involved with math - specific ideas are an event and book that will help inner city public school kids get more involved in math and have fun. Rishi: We take the best math students from America. We would like to have UA's support of this. 6.1 b) Zack: What did harvard give us? Rishi: $500, as did MIT math department. 80% of undergrads are MIT students. Shin Nee: Where'd you get funding in the past? Rishi: These are new, so we don't have funding. 6.1 c) Vinay: What do you mean 80% MIT? Rishi: Oh, the people organizing and running it. 6.1 d) Vrajesh: Do you have the manpower? Rishi: Book is our second one, started rough draft one month ago. Publish through copytech, see how that goes. Other initiative is Nov 8, problems done in week or two. Zack: Is this all volunteers? Rishi: all volunteers 6.1 e) Sarah: Don't want company money? Keone: Could have an add for companies on the back, but don't want to sell out to companies. To be used for years to come. Would be helpful to have UA funding. -- Break for UA Senate Picture -- 6.1 f) Sun: Applying for PSC grant, when will you know about that? Keone: Have not applied yet. Not sure if we get that. PSC grants are individual grants Vinay: Deadline has passed. Has this been brought to finboard? ASA group? Keone: ASA recognized group, has sponsor status from Math dept so it can't get money from finboard. 6.1 g) Vrajesh: This sounds good...motion to vote? Motion passes 6.2 40 UAS 2.2 - Resolution to Support the student activist group: The campaign for students PASSES 7. Bill-writing FAQ Postponed indefinitely 8. Closing Announcements Good job everyone, way to get things passed. Be sure to speak up if you have opinions. Nelson: We spend time wanking about wording. Take extra time by yourself to fix wording and have fellow senators before hand. Jason: We should try to have a bill deadline on Friday Next meeting November 3rd at 8pm in the Senate Chambers 9. Adjournment - 11:33pm