The ASUCR Senate held their fifth meeting of winter quarter last Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m.
During roll call, CHASS Senator Jacky Chang, CNAS Senators Kenneth Thai and Kenneth Vongdi and BCOE Senator Jonathan Thai were all absent. The agenda for the meeting was approved 11-0-0 as well as the previous meeting’s minutes.
Laurie Sinclair, the executive director of ASUCR, took the podium during Committee Reports and proposed to update the Smooth Transition of Power Act (STPA) which aims to let new officers meet with outgoing officers in order to ensure a smooth transition of power. Sinclair stated that she often sees that the act has so far only been in name, stating that she has noticed how new officers often do not know the components of their job and what is expected of them. She proposed that the STPA be updated because she believes that the act is “simply not happening and is often ineffective.”
In the new plan, Sinclair proposed that officers meet with a professional staff partner within two weeks of taking office. These partnerships include the president of ASUCR meeting with the executive director of ASUCR; the vice president of campus internal affairs will meet with the events and media manager; the vice president of finance will meet with the organization funding specialist and financial operations manager; and so on.
According to the bylaw, the professional staff members will meet with their student officer or director partners and review “job descriptions, expectations, pertinent information, and any other advice deemed important for that officer/director to be successful in their positions.” These partnerships are expected to continue throughout the academic school year and the professional staff is expected to advise and assist as necessary. The motion passed 11-0-0.
CNAS Senator Abigail Cortes stated during senator reports that she is still working on an initiative to install hammocks on Pierce Lawn during finals week. CHASS Senator Julian Gonzalez stated that he intends to meet with the Academic Senate because he believes that the Academic Senate is discussing student issues without inviting students to attend these meetings. BCOE Senator Sarah Al-Khalili also shared this sentiment. She stated that ASUCR needs to be a little more aggressive with the Academic Senate in order to start getting invited to their meetings.
Gonzalez also stated that his Ozzie Vending Machine initiative still has not made any headway. Gonzalez additionally proposed that ASUCR should be tabling every Wednesday along with the other clubs and organizations that table every Wednesday by the Bell Tower. He stated, “It is time that we as senators take our positions much more seriously and it is time that we become much more visible to the student body. I think tabling every Wednesday should be mandatory for all of us.” CHASS Senator Avi Idea also updated the Senate on the success of his initiative with GCAP to implement the waste bins that are now currently stationed by the Bell Tower.
During Finance Committee Reports, Julian Gonzalez reviewed a Finance Budget Hearing Meeting that occured on Feb. 12. Gonzalez recounted that organization budget hearings took place in which the Finance Budget Committee allocated and approved funding for organizations on campus. They allocated $750 to the Ears Student Group, $1,098 to the Pre-Veterinary Club, $998 to the Riverside Health Connect, $2,140 to the Mujeres Unidas, $998 to Asfana. The total number of allocations was $5,984 with an organization contingency closing balance of $45,830.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Gonzalez and Executive Vice President Andrea Cuevas drew attention to the fact that it is Winter Quarter and it is time for all senators to take the initiative to draft more resolutions. Cuevas also stated that there is a vacant CNAS Senator position and an application for students to fill that position will be sent out soon along with an announcement sent via mass email to students.
The meeting adjourned at 7:19 p.m. The next ASUCR meeting will take place next Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in HUB 265.
