BYLINE: By Grant Terwilliger
The Student Association approved updates to their finance policy, updated Senator office policies and approved two new members for the Activities Coordination Board at the Senate meeting Sept. 16.
Finance Policy Updates
The Student Associations Finance Board including Treasurer Angel Almaraz Castillo created a new finance policy dividing the $17,500 in additional allocations to clubs into three categories sports recreation, travel grants and clubs and organizations. $2,500 will be available for sports recreation, $5,000 for travel grants and $10,000 will be available for clubs and organizations.
“Organizations may not exceed the following funds caps in a given semester, which is $1500 for additional applications, $1500 for travel grants, and $500 for club sports,” Almaraz Castillo said.
The finance board clarified that for requests of $299 or less the finance board makes the decision on whether the money is granted. If the request exceeds $300, the senate makes the final approval on whether funds are granted.
Almaraz Castillo said that another one of the major changes to the financial policy was how budget development considerations are handled. In the past, there were many different sections within budget requests, but it has now been shortened to three.
“There were tons of sections, but I shortened it into three sections, which are going to be contracts, hospitality, transportation, and then expendable materials,” Almaraz Castillo said. “So it could be much easier for the clubs to just request it and everything so they don’t have to go through so much stuff.”
Prize prices for club meetings changed to $50 per meeting with gift cards and cardinal cash limited to $25 per person per meeting. Promotional supplies involved in club promotion are capped at $50 per semester and bulletin boards or trifolds are capped at $15 per academic year.
Office Policy Changes
Each year the vice president of the Student Association is given the opportunity to make changes to the SA office policy. One of the main concerns addressed in the policy change is attendance.
“As student representatives, we are expected to attend all relevant board meetings, chamber meetings, pre-chamber meetings and post-chamber meetings,” Vice President Dominick Andre said. “We are elected officials, or at the very least, appointed officials.”
Andre said that attendance will be tracked by the vice president and reported to the student government finance coordinator. Senators and the executive board have three absences if the chairperson of the meeting is notified 24 hours in advance. Andre said that Senators who miss more than three meetings will be asked to resign. If they do not resign, then they will be impeached.
Executive council members must complete five office hours per week and student senators are required to complete three office hours per week. For student senators, one hour of required board meetings count toward three office hours for the week.
“Each of you will be given a title, so as opposed to just being senator, you will be senator of activities or senator of clubs,” Andre said. “So keep in mind that your position will assign you a board. If you get one of the positions that does not assign a board, office policy says that I assign you a board according to your availability.”
Andre said that senators are not allowed to be on their cell phones during the meetings and are expected to look presentable.
Two New Members of the Activities Coordination Board
Nursing Major Dominick Cantalupo said he was introduced to the ACB by his friend Juliana Praino, the event manager and coordinator for the ACB. Cantalupo said that he has had a good time so far planning events and has attended most of the meetings.
“If we ever are in a time crunch, thinking of something to do, I feel like I can easily put together an idea, or give ideas out and then someone else can use them,” Cantalupo said.
Cantalupo said that he wants to help out with events to make it easier for people to socialize and have fun. Cantalupo was approved to the ACB in a unanimous vote.
Jamie Mastrantuono is a media production major in the communications department and is working towards receiving a theatrical production and technology certificate on the side.
Mastrantuono said she hopes to help bring positivity to the ACB board and help students become involved on campus.
“I think I’m a very outgoing person, so I’m good to reach out to the students and, if we’re running a table, I’m not afraid to yell at people, tell them to come over and check us out,” Mastrantuono said. “I’m also very creative, so I love coming up with new ideas for us to do.”
Mastrantuono was approved to the ACB in a unanimous vote. Mastrantuono helped plan the Burghy scavenger hunt Sept. 21 and is helping to plan the 13 days of Halloween events
