The Student Government Association (SGA) met for their final meeting of the fall 2014 semester on Dec. 2, 2014.
Treasurer Jessica Darst began with the Inter Fraternal Officer (IFC) report. First, she allocated $7,500 to PSA Student and Diversity Inclusion for a keynote speaker fee for MLK week set for January 22.
Allocations of $4,434 to the College Panhellenic Council (CPC) have asked to change the total number of executive members to seven to attend the annual CPC conference. CPC President Cassandra LaFonte was representative, stating CPC holds delegate meetings, as well as the conference meetings. Senator Leighsn Worden stated this would be going against SGA’s bylaws, “I don’t think we should go against extending it to adding four people.”
President Joseph Gills clarified, however, under the bylaws, this vote “will need the approval for adding four members.” LaFonte added that sending seven executive members would allow CPC to increase information learned.
Scholarships and recruitment information is given during the yearly conference.
Darst pointed out that under the “umbrella of organizations for IFC and CPC, they would like to see sending each chapter executive board” as representatives to the conference event, in order to come up with a “reasonable way” for every chapter to go and experience the conference. Darst noted that it “has been an issue in the past.”
Darst also added that SGA will have bylaws put in place, at “the meeting we get back,” beginning the first meeting of the spring 2015 semester, as the CPC Conference will be in March. Motion called to question, motion failed.
Next, $3,525 was allocated to IFC for flying and driving transportation for conference meetings. A clarified motion was made for four people flying. The IFC conference is scheduled for February.
Senator Chelsea Carrol added that she personally thought to look at this “in the best way to save money” [referring to allocations]. IFC allocations were put to a motion, but it failed.
Darst then moved to allocate $2,033 to Theta Chi fraternity for an Alcohol Awareness speaker with three representatives. Gills pointed out that it is important that this event gets advertised. Motion passes.
Dr. Tim Pierson contacted SGA for funding the Big South tournament, funding food and hotel services.
Gills clarified that Longwood has been chosen to host the Quiz bowl tournament for other schools in the Big South tournament, as nine schools participant in the Big South. The Quiz bowl “trivia” is open to anyone in Longwood to participate. Motion passes.
The presentation of the Rowe Award for an outstanding job was given to Senator Jessica Hamilton.
Shentel came to SGA to speak on service connection issues on campus residences. Kim Redford, director of User Support Services, Shentel tech support and the general manager were representatives in attendance. Shentel noticed complaints and problems with connection. So they wanted to know what floors, rooms and areas that services were not working.
Shentel support tech services encourage students to participant in the student surveys to better help solve wifi connection issues.
Jason Tsai, program director for WMLU gave a quick update. WMLU has used half their music budget towards “new music,” said Tsai. They are additionally taking inventory for repairing new and portable equipment.
Moving to open forum, senior Harrison Waddell, a Mass Media Communication Studies major petitioned to consider submission requirements to walk at graduation for his spring semester. Waddell explained he would be finishing with 117 credits. He approached the Office of Registrars to make sure that he was on track to walk during graduation and to submit requirements.
Waddell spoke to SGA on the notion that many colleges and universities have policies in which students with fewer than six credits shy of the 120 credits to graduate that will allow those students to finish in the summer and still be able to walk. Waddell explained that Longwood does not have a policy like that for students, of which they allow for medical reasons. Waddell added that “it may not be in my power to come back a full year just to walk.” He also stated he thought it was important that SGA is aware that Longwood does not have a policy for this. Waddell then read a credit policy statement from James Madison University to add to his point.
Darst commented on this issue saying, “I think it’s so inappropriate to not be able to walk and celebrate due to a few credits or not meeting 120 credits.” She thanked Waddell for bringing up this credit issue to the SGA Senate board.
Waddell added that he spoke to faculty senate Dean Baker on bringing up this issue in January, however, it is not known if that will go into effect.
Gills agreed with this implementation. He advised that at the first SGA meeting of next semester, SGA should come to a consensus on this matter.
The SGA senate came to a close with bylaw updates and changes, adding that the committee members will expand details to be “user friendly,” said Carrol.
SGA’s final board meeting for fall 2014 semester came to a close.
