SGA SENATE MEETING
November 2, 2009
OFFICERS PRESENT: Glenn Gardner, Kimberly Proctor, Michael Baldwin, Gregory Bettis, Colin Al-Greene, Ashley Pittman
OFFICERS ABSENT: N/A
OFFICERS ON LEAVE: N/A
SENATORS PRESENT: Ashley Guy, Eric Beovich, Paige Perry, Daniel Reid, Sean Ramsey, Brandon Richardson, Will Thomas, Adam Langan, Greg Youngblood, Hannah Sanders, Cameron Macon, Basia Smith, Julie Tanner, Sidney King, Emily Carlson, Alan Sells, Jacob Mahan, Todd Fowler, Benjamin Kuyk, Lauren Gessner, Christopher Jones, Alexandria Hillard, Carly Hall, Pavin Kappadia, John Miner, Justin Schneider, Jeremy Johnson, Krystle Riner, Priscilla McCants, Blair Segers, William Pearson
SENATORS ABSENT: Brittany Sterling, Casey Calhoun
SENATORS ON LEAVE: N/A
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Motion: Approve the Minutes of 10/26/09
Sponsor: Youngblood
OFFICER’S REPORTS:
President: N/A
Vice President: Proctor asked senators to come out to all of the Homecoming events this week. The board in the office has dates and times of all the events, and senators will receive office hours for attending.
Treasurer: The charts for appropriations will be done this week; Baldwin hopes to present soon.
Attorney General: Bettis asked that all senators get involved with Higher Education Day in some way. Currently, the date for Higher Ed Day is set for March 4th.
Chief Justice: Al-Greene commented on how great the circle looked after “Junk the Jungle” and wanted all senators to drive by it.
Student-At-Large: Pittman wants everyone to come out to the Homecoming game this Saturday against Milford. Kick-off is a t 4:00 PM.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Senator Ramsey has planned to make a Dining Services Resolution, and wants senators to get involved. Anyone interested in giving their input should meet with him after the meeting.
SPECIAL ORDERS:
Dean Mitchell reminded senators and officers that today was the last day to turn in Who’s Who Applications. He also went over some of the Homecoming events for this Friday. The field house will be open for viewing from 4:30-5:30. Anyone interested in participating in the Homecoming Parade should meet at 5:45 to start lining up the floats, trucks, etc. Directly following the parade will be a bonfire on the track. Dean Mitchell encouraged student organizations to tailgate before the game on Saturday afternoon.
Motion: Appoint William Pearson to Continuing Education seat
Sponsor: Thomas
Stating:
GESSNER: Can I just ask a few questions? What’s your major?
PEARSON: Interdisciplinary Studies
GESSNER: And what year are you?
PEARSON: Freshman, looking to get involved.
SMITH: What ways would you like to improve the Student Government?
PEARSON: I like to have a voice in everything. I don’t know, I like to be involved with the whole student organizations and trying to help with whatever I can do with it.
RAMSEY: I just have a question. Um, I didn’t see any kind of email go out about this position being open. Was he the only one who applied? Cause I know we have two seats open.
PRESIDENT GARDNER: Um, one has not been sent out yet, but he’s been looking to get on since the beginning, so…
PERRY: Wait, how did he find out about the open position?
PRESIDENT GARDNER: Um, cause he’s been coming to my door since, like a month ago.
PASSED BY ACCLAMATION
*William Pearson was sworn in by Chief Justice Colin Al-Greene
OLD BUSINESS: N/A
NEW BUSINESS:
Motion: Approve $1, 197 for Composite Pictures
Sponsor: Sells
PASSED BY ACCLAMATION
Motion: Present Article IX charges against President Glenn Gardner
Sponsor: Smith
Stating:
SMITH: On behalf of our officers and senators, many of whom share my concerns about the transparency, dedication, and efficiency our group displays, bring Article IX charges of improper conduct, attempted misuse of student government funds, failure to fulfill the duties of his office, and violation of the Constitution of SGA against President Glenn Gardner.
VICE PRESIDENT PROCTOR: Um, let me read it and then I’ll tell you what we need to do. Okay, I read this whole thing this summer, but let’s refresh what it says. It says, ‘Any official of the Student Government Association shall be subject to disciplinary actions. He or she may be charged by any official of the Student Government Association, except members of the student courts, or by a petition signed by 7% of the student body. Disciplinary proceedings will be initiated when a Student Government Association official is charged with improper conduct, misuse of Student Government funds, failure to fulfill the duties of his or her office, or violation of this Constitution or the Code-of-Laws. Charges must be brought up on the Senate floor and seconded by any official of the
Student Government Association,’ and there were ample seconds, so…hang on, let me finish reading. Okay, um, well…that motion was in order. There were seconds, so…
DEAN MITCHELL: We need to give Senator Smith a chance to speak and then to give pros and/or cons.
PROCTOR: Okay, so Senator Smith or anyone who seconded, would you care to discuss this matter?
SMITH: Well, it’s come up to me, and a bunch of officers and senators have agreed with me, and we plan to present the charges to the Attorney General for him to look over.
MCCANTS: Um, I just have a question. What exactly are the charged brought against him? I mean, everybody has got to know, understand, what is going on. I mean, what exactly are the charges brought against him? What is exactly did he do?
SMITH: With the attempted misuse of student funds, over the summer we had problems with the Vanguard. Like, he is supposed to have the senators’ approval before he spends the funds, but he did not contact us at all. He used money without our knowledge when it’s something we’re supposed to approve of.
PROCTOR: Okay, it says in 2.1, ‘The charges shall be submitted to the Supreme Court and the Attorney General in writing after verbal charges are made. This should include a summary of the evidence supporting the charges.’ So I think it basically says that the Attorney General will handle it.
DEAN MITCHELL: Right.
ATTORNEY GENERAL BETTIS: Right, so if you have something from any of the senators, email those to me.
MCCANTS: Okay, I have a question. How was he able to do that without going through the Treasurer?
PROCTOR: Going through the Treasurer?
MCCANTS: For funds. You said he used funds to- for something?
PROCTOR: Okay, it wasn’t passed this summer. There was a contract signed by President Gardner. He signed the contract, his leave was approved, and I guess if you weren’t here this summer, the meeting was a little bit hostile. Um, our editor got up and left, but Dean Mitchell and I really kind of took care of that, and they didn’t really hold us to the contract, but, um, you said attempted misuse?
SMITH: Yeah.
PROCTOR: I mean, okay.
MCCANTS: So that was one charge? Like, where are the six charges?
PROCTOR: Six? Did they say six?
SMITH: Um, people have been reporting to me that the president hasn’t been doing his duties, but should I let the other senators say that?
PROCTOR: Well, the ones of you who seconded it, can you maybe give some kind of explanation as to why you seconded it?
SMITH: Well, it’s not all senators who think it, it’s officer and senators.
GESSNER: One thing that I will say is that people have been talking a lot, and I really think Basia is doing everyone a great service for speaking on behalf of the senate because no personal thing against anyone, it’s simply that people are feeling that Kim is doing two jobs and that she’s, you know, you’re getting paid, but you’re really not fulfilling a lot of the responsibilities. Like, a member of your fraternity came up at the blood drive and said that he didn’t even know about the blood drive at all, and you guys are involved, and it’s just like we want someone who’s going to step up, and it just seems like Kim has been doing both jobs. Everyone has talked about this at some point, and I just think Basia is doing everyone a great service to bring up these points and let them be discussed. Because they do need to be discussed.
REID: My question, it’s a question and a response I guess. So there were no emails sent out at all about this Continuing Ed position? I mean, I just don’t think that’s right. I mean, no offense to you, I don’t even know you. You look like a great guy, but I mean, it should have been publicized and there should have been an interview process.
RAMSEY: I know one thing that strikes me, is whenever I go in or have trouble filling our open spots, I have people constantly dogging me about people who came in to apply, about, ‘Did I make it? Did I make it?’ and they didn’t hear from him, and I would go in to try to talk to him, and every time I went in, except maybe one time, he was not there.
SELLS: Didn’t it say it had to be submitted in writing?
PROCTOR: I apologize for not being very familiar with this, but um, it says, ‘The charges shall be submitted to the Supreme Court and the Attorney General in writing after verbal charges are made. This should include a summary of the evidence supporting the charges. The Chief Justice shall notify the official of the charges against him or her and offer
him or her the opportunity to appear before the Supreme Court in a closed preliminary hearing. The official must have at least 10 class days notice before the court hearing. The Attorney General or his or her designated special prosecutor shall present the charges and a summary of the evidence in the preliminary hearing which cannot be attended by members of the Student Senate unless they are summoned by the prosecution as witnesses. The defendant or his or her counsel shall be allowed an opportunity to question the validity of the evidence supporting the charges. He or she shall not be allowed to present a full defense.’ I don’t think we’ve ever had anything like this occur, so it’s kind of new? Does that answer your question?
SELLS: Well, the reason I’m asking is because I would assume that some people may not feel comfortable speaking in front of everyone about his r her own beliefs. And I’m also thinking that some people may need some time to collect their thoughts before presenting anything, since this is kind of abrupt.
PROCTOR: I will definitely buy that.
FOWLER: The Continuing Ed spot, I don’t know much about it, but I do however, know that he was a candidate for the Student-at-Large seat. He was a valid applicant, and he did not get that seat. However, I would not discredit President Gardner in any way for that, because um, the Continuing Ed seat has recently become available, and I would say why not go ahead and put a valid applicant in there in order to go ahead and fill the seat so it wouldn’t be vacant, when you already had a valid applicant who came and why not- why keep a seat open for any longer than is necessary when you have someone ready to be in that position. So, I just wanted to clarify that decision.
KING: I just want to go off of what Senator Sells said, and it may be difficult for you all to speak out, but maybe you could all get together and make a comprehensive list of things.
PROCTOR: Well all charges are going to have to be submitted to Attorney General Bettis in writing anyways, so you’ll have to do that.
MCCANTS: I mean, to me, the people whoever got this together, need to speak about this tonight, so whoever was with this on her with it, I mean, say what you got to say, because I mean, six charges, I’ve only heard people are talking, I mean, his fraternity brothers didn’t know about the blood drive? I mean, I don’t understand.
PROCTOR: I would assume that the people who are bringing these charges about have read this beforehand, but ya’ll are going to have to get together after the meeting and talk about this. Because you’ve got your motion, you’ve got your second.
Motion: Close the floor to discussion
Sponsor: Sells
STUDENT FORUM: N/A
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Proctor thanked everyone who came out to Sabor A last week. She also reminded senators that the main focus this week should be Homecoming, not anything discussed during this meeting.
Senator Youngblood mentioned that there were a lot of good ideas presented at the Higher Ed Day meeting, and that the senate should continue working on it.
Senator Guy reminded senators that all office hours are due by November 24th. Also, a representative from each college needs to meet to discuss stipends on December 1st.
Motion: Adjourn meeting
Sponsor: Sells
PASSED