Meeting Minutes for SGA General Assembly 9/25/22
In Attendance from E-Board:
Vice President Desi Bagot ‘24
Secretary Bryn Osborne ‘24
Co-Treasurer Catherine Fu ‘23
Co-Treasurer Lola Rodrigues ‘23
Social Justice and Equity Chair Fatmata Sesay ‘23
Groups called to Meeting: N/A, No votes occurring
Meeting Agenda
- Community Comment
- Announcements and Upcoming Events
- Budgeting Q & A
- Final Asks
- Community Comment
Faculty Representative Kyle Bledsoe provided a report on faculty meetings
- Meeting at the end of Spring 2022
- The faculty voted to keep the college test-optional for admissions
- First meeting of the semester took place last Wednesday
- New faculty were introduced, lots of new people in various departments
- Faculty retention- we lost 12 faculty members at the end of last semester, we normally only lose 5 or 6 members
- In May, some junior faculty of color wrote a letter discussing how the institution isn’t supporting BIPOC professors, that was read out at the meeting last week
- College started doing exit interviews to get feedback from faculty, putting together a list of issues brought forward
- Discussed ways to keep faculty- lots of rumors amongst faculty that college isn’t trying to retain faculty
- Provost Tim Harte discussed actions the college is allegedly taking to keep faculty on
- Lost a lot of BIPOC faculty in particular, very concerning, hopefully changes will be made
- Started strategic planning for future financial plans and changes made to the college, updates coming on planning process in the next few months
- Announcements and Upcoming Events
Fatmata: E-Board is actively working on Night Market, AMOS should be getting emails about planning. It is still happening on October 28th, with a time change from 7:30 to 9:30 to 8:00 to 10:00 PM to accommodate for Shabbat. October is coming up fast, so AMO groups should start thinking about activities, food, table decorations, etc. Ananya and Fatmata spoke with dining services about food, there are difficulties around food safety concerns. AMOS should try to find foods that are individually packaged, as DS is worried about cross contamination and food temperature. AMOS are recommended to have designs for tables and decorations. Last year not everyone brought games, some brought cultural objects and info about their AMO, all up to individual groups, but start thinking about this event and planning seriously.
Question: A lot of cultural food does not come in single plates, how should we convey to caterers our packaging needs?
Fatmata: Research and communicate with restaurants that are willing to do so, Richard Clowe is being really strict about dining waivers and food safety, need restaurant to package food individually due to food safety and allergen concerns
Lola : If you order catering without prepackaging, have to get restaurants to sign insurance waivers. If they individually wrap them, do they not have to sign insurance?
Fatmata: Yes, if the restaurants prepackage, they do not have to go through insurance waivers and contracts. The sooner the forms are in, the better we can negotiate with dining services and better get cultural food. SGA will cover extra costs for packaging
Bryn: Elections nominations are closing, so make sure to accept your nominations. Voting will open later this week, along with the candidates’ forum, so we should have a full Honor Board and Representative Council by the end of the month.
Desi: Interviews for appointments are complete, the Appointments committee will meet this week and will release decisions next weekend. Desi will email people decisions about positions, and people must accept their appointments. Applications have technically closed but if you still want to join a committee, email Desi and something can be arranged.
- Budgeting Q & A
Discussion with BaCaSo about budgeting rules
Saeina (BaCaSo President): Asking SFC Treasurers to review budget. BaCaSo has two big events happening this semester, Art Gallery and Glow in the Dark Party. Making a playlist instead of getting a DJ, hosting raffle at the Art gallery where they will raffle face masks etc, money for supplies that they might need. Also wanting t-shirts for members
SFC Treasurers: Bylaws say that they can only get shirts for performances, so cannot give funding for t-shirts outside of performances and big events
Saeina: BaCaSo doesn’t have a banner, was planning on using Pensby funds but could we use those funds for shirts and SGA funds for banner?
SFC: Yes, that would work!
Saeina: Also planning on having daily movie nights over fall break, using funds to buy supplies for live art gallery, will remove money for t-shirts and put in banner into budget
SFC: Will buying snacks for daily movie nights come from the general budget?
Saeina: Yes, also getting cultural food for Night Market with packaging might require extra money, might try to order takeout plates and provide them, would that be funded by SGA
SFC: If more money is needed for that, can request at mid-semester review, as Night Market will be closer to happening
Also discussed gift regulations, all gifts must be under $25 individually
- Final Asks
Sophia Cunningham: I was appointed as Campus Greening Representative at the end of last semester, and I was wondering if there are other people on the committee officially? I haven’t heard anything
Bryn: We are currently undergoing a constitutional review, and there are some inconsistencies with that position. We are trying to work out how it fits in with Green Ambassadors. I sent an email to green ambassadors early today, and I will loop you in with them to work on campus green initiatives while we work out your official position description and role.
Elle Thompson: When are appointments coming out again?
Desi: Appointments are coming out next weekend, and when I send out decisions, I’ll make sure to connect everyone who is on the committees with each other
Meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.