Minutes 11/25/08

Absent: Joe Schubert, Terence Steinberg
Excused Absence: Jeff Yamashita, Dimitri Da Gama Rose

Meeting called to order - 7:10

• Roll Call and Approval of Minutes
  

SSC

• Will pass out charter next week
  

FAC

• motion to approve Mac DJ Club Cables $325 - motion passed
• motion to approve MacPics Fall Photography Show $170 - motion passed
• motion to approve the purchase of two TVs and a couch in the student lounge (CC) - cap $15,000 - motion passed
  

AAC

• IGC Update:
• IGC planning on coming strong next semester
• initiatives to strengthen membership
• blogal views - new articles out, trying to incorporate people who are studying abroad
  

ERC

• SPO'd half of the newsletters
• working on the retreat: still in the process of deciding what will be done on the retreat (feel free to share ideas)
  

PB

• interviewing and deciding on new additions to the Board
• planning for Welcome Back Week
  

Pres Commission

• Working on textbook scholarship initiative
  
• met with Campus Committee reps
• will be distributing the campus survey results
• met with Chloe - established tangible goals for MCSG to collaborate with her
• motion to adopt amended bylaw changes that were distributed last week - motion failed
  

Meeting Adjourned at 8:05

Minutes 11/18/08

Absent:Tempestt Gilmore

Excused Absence: Adam-Maliq Muro, Sarah Dicks

7:10 - Meeting called to order

• Roll Call and Approval of Minutes
  

Jerry Sanders and Barron Koralesky from ITS

• They have been working on getting the platform working at Mac. Now we have Google, Banner, and Moodle which are working quite well now.
• This year, ITS is working on classroom technology (specifically projectors) and on building security infrastructure
• Jerry expects there to be a gradual improvement in services as we move along, including wireless capabilities, etc.
• Very small staff and they rely on students to work with ITS and maintain the labs, etc.
• ITS is working with students to see where wireless needs to be improved. They gave a background on the way wireless access points are allocated now and explained the process of doing a site survey (they did one of Wallace) and how they will use that to explore the wireless needs of students of campus.
• They are anxiously awaiting the Dupre Hall petition.
• They are currently in the process of installing class specific software on more computers campus wide.
• Computers are replaced every 4 years, and the old computers are donated to mainly schools and non-profits.
  
• Licensing for students is highly dependent on cost. There is more open source software than there was previously, so there is less need to have campus wide programs available. Jerry and Barron are both in favor of open source and hope that the campus continues to move toward open source.
• They would like to make it a possibility for students to keep their Mac email after graduation, but it just hasn’t been worked out by the DOS office and Alumni relations. The technical aspects have not been figured out as yet.
  

SSC

• Motion to approve APA Month Committee (Team Asia) charter - motion passed
• Motion to approve Students for a Free Tibet - motion passed
  

FAC

• Motion to approve $100 Ua Ke New Year’s Banquet - motion passed
• Motion to approve $1200 for WMCN concert - motion passed

AAC

• EPAG Update:
• Gen Ed requirements, more classes have applied, but they still need more.
• Committee on restructuring EPAG is in process
• Textbook meeting with MPRIG and MPJC- SDS and hopefully expanding reserve library

• IGC Update:
• Blogalviews (IGC blogs): encouraging people to keep checking it
  
• IGC received survey feedback
• planning IGC email
• funding student initiatives and working with AAC: students funding student projects
• IGC strategic planning committee gave the IGC student council their long term strategic plan- Ideas involved integrating multiculturalism, internationalism, and civic engagement. Funding transparency discussed.

ERC

• Hot chocolate event was a success
• Newsletter will be SPO’d
• Captive audience updates and Turck board will be updated

Pres Commission

• Student involvement meeting with committee chairs was last week. Alison will be meeting with the student reps this week.
• Textbook proposal discussed with Development and Fin. Aid
• Dec. 4^th Sustainability and MCSG with Justin Lee
• IGC panel is being worked on
• Worked on analyzing the survey, and sending them to the appropriate person. Looking for a forum to have a conversation about the open ended questions and a way for administrators to respond to them.
• Resolution to appoint Orna Karlin, Henrik Hakonsen, Anna Min to the MCSG Judicial Council

Minutes 11/11/08

Absent: Tempestt Gilmore, Jackie Hoong, Rigo Lara, Owen Truesdell
Excused Absence: Rudy Herrera-Marmol

7:06 - Meeting Called to Order

• Roll Call and Approval of Minutes
  

SSC

• APA Month Committee Charter Request distributed
• project with Health and Wellness Center
  

FAC

• budgeting has already been set up (budget hearing starts Monday the 17th): will be placing the new template on the website
• FIA/STARSA Self Defense Classes $775 - motion to approve - passed
• Art History Club Museum Trip $60 - motion to approve - passed
• Chanter Publication $1337 - motion to approve - passed
• Mac Bike A Free Wheelin' Discussion $570 - motion to approve - passed
• Mac Media Collective Film Screening $130 - motion to table - passed
  

AAC

• EPAG Update: Deliberations on how to go about ranking the criteria for faculty searches across departments
  

ERC

• Senior election went well
  
• planning the MCSG Spring Retreat (overnight)

PB

• extended deadline for open Program Board position by a week: new deadline is Tuesday Nov. 18th
  
• planning Welcome Back Week for Spring semester: some activities include Saint Paul Winter Carnival, comedy show, screening of Dark Knight.

Pres Commission

• Campus Survey: 582 people responded
• co-sponsoring the Post-election Race and Gender dialogue
  
• working with Development : textbook grant proposal
  

Meeting Adjourned at 7:40

Minutes 11/04/08

Absent: Henry Coshnear, Jackie Hoong, Rigo Lara, Samuel Solomon, Karen Maeda, Joe Schubert, Tempestt Gilmore, Sarah Dicks, Oriel Fernandes, Molly Griffard, Krista Yank

7:08 - Meeting called to order

• Roll Call and Approval of Minutes
  

Open Forum

Chloe Mirzayi

• need to improve initiatives addressing the queer community on campus
• how we can be more queer-friendly
• more integration into the campus community
• gender neutral bathrooms
  

• hope to work with MCSG on these issues
• eliciting ideas on specific educational programs that can be implemented to address this problem
• exploring different sides of the queer identity (the plight of the queer community)
  

David Wheaton - How the Budget is Constructed

• begin in September by discussing the broader economic environment
• start by getting a sense of what the revenue stream might be for the upcoming year
• not sure what the economy's effect will be on enrollment and financial aid
• expenses include salaries, programs, campus maintenance, strategic and infrastructure
• need to examine the effect of exchange rates on study abroad costs
• have to make a guess of first year retention rates (retention rates have increased over the past few years)
• hard to predict faculty salaries (these will fluctuate) - tend to have more turnover of staff when the economy is strong
• budget conservatively
• we are doing much better in endowments compared to the rest of the market
  
• Student Involvement in the process:
  
• no students on the budget taskforce
• RPC (Resource and Planning Committee) student reps are linked to this process: reviews and gives directions on the overall budge
• MCSG presents to the budget taskforce twice a year
  

SSC

• Black History Month Committee: motion to approve charter - passed (bylaws changed last year to allow committees to be re-chartered yearly)
• APA Month Committee - will be meeting with them soon regarding their chartering
• exploring the possibilities of implementing a project regarding disseminating information on disabilities (in collaboration with the Health and Wellness Center)
  

FAC

• CHEEBA - Chili Con Cheeba $237 motion to approve - passed
• MPJC-SDS - Meeting $40 motion to reject - passed
• working on getting budget template
  

AAC

• EPAG update:
• President's Initiative for Curricular Renewal (PICR):
• funding to develop courses that meet the US Multiculturalism requirement
  
• funding for courses that encourage new ways of engaging student and faculty collaborative research
• Analysis of the trend in applications for General Education Requirements over the past three semesters:
  
• shortage of courses that fulfill the US Multiculturalism requirement
• high number of courses from the Humanities Division
• variation in courses fulfilling the writing requirement across disciplines: may mean that the writing requirement is too restrictive
  

• IGC Update:
• Blogal views - weekly topics (check every weekend): all writers are welcome, currently working on publicity for the blog (table tents in the CC)
• introduced idea regarding the development of internal funding for student projects
  

ERC

• will send out sign up sheet for next Tuesday's senior rep election

PB

• 2-3 positions on the Board open (After Hours, Concerts & Festivals)

Pres Commission

• due to time constraints, updates will be given next week
  

Announcements

• new set of bike racks in place
• funding for safety program
• Jim Hoppe applauded MCSG for our efforts in the campus election activities
  

Meeting Adjourned at 8:10

Minutes 10/28/08

Absent: Jill Ackerman
Excused Absence: Aaron Brown, Rudy Herrera-Marmol, Jeff Yamashita, Henry Coshnear, Molly Griffard

7:10 - Meeting called to order

• Roll Call and Approval of Minutes
  

Q&A with Provost Kathleen Murray

• priority to get to know the Mac community - going around individually, getting feedback on hopes and dreams for Mac
• design development for Janet Wallace:
  
• 70 mil project (most expensive)
• each department will end up with more functional space
• improving the art building, as of Jan 1st; hope to start Spring 2010;
  
• fundraising at least 2/3 of the 55 mil (total 39 mil - 26 will be raised, take rest out in debt- Capital Campaign)
• student involvement in the process (from the Theater department)
  

• sabbatical policy proposal issues
• difference in cost
• difference in national economic context
• contact Resource and Planning student reps to find out more about the progress

• role of the Provost
• collaborate with the faculty: work with them on curricular hiring
• member of the President's senior staff
• Senior administrator on campus
• would like to get to know a wider range of students: students are encouraged to stop by
  
• long-term vision for the college: reducing the tension between internationalism and multiculturalism at Macalester
  

Open Forum: MPIRG

• Volunteer activities on Election Day

FAC

• Art Alliance Drawing Co-op $295 motion to approve - passed
• Mac Dems Campus-Wide Election Night Party $125 motion to approve - passed
• MPJC-SDS Halloween No-Fear Dance $125 motion to approve - passed
• BODACIOUS Break Battle and Halloween Dance $750 motion to approve - passed
• Mac Christin Fellowship Christians and Pancakes $40 motion to approve - passed
• Mac Catholics Advent Dinner $552.25 motion to approve - passed
• Motion to approve bylaw changes - motion passed
• budget processing will be from nov 17th - 26th
  

SSC

• Macalester Australia New Zealand Adoration Club (Mac ANZAC) motion to approve - passed
• Black History Month Committee charter request distributed
  

AAC

• EPAG Update:
• Discussion on whether to approve a course addressing material that would allow students taking it to choose whether to use it to satisfy the internationalism or the multiculturalism requirement (potential interconnectedness of the two realms in academia)
• Amending the Faculty Addendum: to provide additional incentive for professors to register their courses towards the fulfillment of Gen. Ed. requirements
  
• IGC:
  
• furniture for the IGC
• creating a word press blog on global views (Blogal)
  

PB

• PB's Halloween movie: The Exorcist remastered (Oct 29)
• Bodacious Halloween Bash (Oct 31)
• Shelter Speak: Showing of the movie "Land of 10,000 homeless" at Simpson Housing Services Men's Shelter (Nov 1st)
• Planet B-Boy: in conjunction with Bodacious week (Nov 6)
• Vikings vs. Packers game (Nov 9th): tickets will be given away via raffle
  
• Showing of the movies "Under the Same Moon" and the "Lost Boys of Sudan" in JBD (Nov 13): part of Immigrant & Refugees Awareness Week
• A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie (Nov 19)
  

ERC

• Birthday celebration: Birthday Babka to celebrate October birthdays (Owen, Stephanie, Karen)
• Senior election
• Win a lunch date with an exec: every exec member has a lunch date
  

Pres Commission

• Busy with collecting and analyzing the campus survey results
  
• Faculty letter sent out encouraging classes to be canceled on election day
  

Meeting adjourned at 8:30

Minutes 10/21/08

Excused Absence: Dimitri Da Gama Rose, Adam-Maliq Muro, Samuel Solomon

7:10 - Meeting called to order

• Roll call and approval of minutes
  

Student Liaison to the Board of Trustees: Franz Meyer

• Update on the topics discussed in the last Board of Trustees meetings
• the alcohol policy
• student involvement in planning
• infrastructure - building, grounds, technology: IT and how that affects Mac; new Gmail
• Leonard Center now finished;, IGC finished by May
• Academic Affairs - student assessment: ways the administration can assess whether we learn anything at Mac; sabbatical policy - budgetary side, impact on student life
• Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center
• Admissions Committee- slightly fewer first years this year: fewer people accepted their admission decision; college remains committed to access: $42 mil for scholarships via Capital Campaign
• our endowment has dropped about 20%: focus resources on maintaining academic quality, faculty and staff compensation, maintain access

• next Board of Trustees meeting in March - coinciding with Founder's Day

SERF and Sustainability: Justin Lee

• MCSG donated 20,000 to SERF
• 45,000 cash balance: 20,000 invested
• Meetings: 4th Tuesday every month - email Justin for more info
• students come up with projects; 10 sustainability work-study positions across campus
• people need to start talking about sustainability in a serious way
• trying to get as many people who were not previously involved to become included in this process: the issue extends beyond environmentalism to include community engagement and academic integration
• 10 scheduled sustainability days between now and the end of the semester
  

FAC

• Art Alliance request for $295 - motion to table passed
• distributed proposed changes to bylaws
  

AAC

• open-access textbook day: advocating that all the electronic journals should be free
• we need to sit down and have some serious conversations about textbook related issues
• EPAG update:
• handbook revision
  
• academic emphasis versus a tract
• student involvement in department reviews: may be some institutional opposition

• IGC Update:
• internet dialogue space: inviting everyone to talk about different issues of global concern
• Event: debating for democracy
  

ERC

• win a lunch date with an Exec: working on publicity
• new tradition of birthdays: celebrate the birthdays at the end of the month
• senior election coming up very soon:
  
• publicity starting tomorrow
  
• filing period ends Oct 31st
• election is on Nov 11th
• new senior will be on the ERC

• the MCSG website - please submit anything you would like to be on the website to Owen
  

PB

• Surround Sound is on Saturday - a couple spaces left for volunteers

Pres Commission

• Resolution 001 on student involvement in college decision making - made a minor amendment and motion to approve was passed
• Campus survey - impressive response so far; analyze these results on friday
• working to facilitate communication across campus via Campus Committee Reps
• Mac voter coalition - encouraging students to volunteer on election day
• working with BLAC et al: how race and gender affected the election (will be held on election day)
  

Meeting adjourned at 8:07

Minutes 10/14/08

Absent: Henry Coshnear,Joe Schubert, Oriel Fernandes
Excused Absence: Terence Steinberg, Sarah Dicks, Krista Yank

7:05 - Meeting called to order

• Roll Call and Approval of Minutes
  

Open Forum: Q&A with President Brian Rosenberg

• Discussed the effects of the current economic crisis on the school:
• Tuition increase will be significantly smaller than most years in the recent past. Financial aid budget will go up.
• Endowment lost $125 million dollars in one year.
• Fundraising-obviously a difficult climate in which to raise funds. Annual fund will feel the effects immediately.
• Capital campaign: $24 million for financial aid.
• Three main budget priorities: maintain strength of academic program, taking care of faculty and staff (pay and benefits), maintaining college affordability and increasing financial aid budget.
• Liquidity of the college is not a problem.
• Janet Wallace total project cost approx. 39-40 million: $26 million raised
  
• Tuition increase of approx 5% is considered reasonable.
• Sabbatical policy change on hold for two reasons: financial interests and impact on students.
• Fine Arts Center- most donations will come from alumni, some from foundations and non-alum donors. Now we have a concept for the building that is in line with the budget for the building. Typically academic departments are in charge of getting student input. Schematic design phase should begin in spring 2009.
• Potential idea for more housing would be to take down the cottages and building a bookstore with apartments above.

FAC

Old Business:

• Afrika! Fall dance $363- motion to approve passed
• Mac Media Collective Publication $180-motion to approve passed

New Business:

• Art history club: Movie event. $50 - motion to approve passed
• Mac Martial arts club: Equipment $674.00 (capital) - motion to approve passed
• Ua Ke: Children’s Museum Trip $71.55 - motion to approve passed
• Geology Club: Science Museum Trip $212.00 - motion to approve passed
• Introduced motion to change by-laws to allow the FAC to approve any additional allocation request under $1000 without bringing it before the LB for approval: motion failed
  

SSC

• Active Minds student org charter passed

AAC

• No new business
  

ERC

• MCSG Birthday list

PB

• Bodacious concert movie event.
• Volunteers needed for Surround Sound (battle of the bands)
  

Presidential Commission

• Resolution for increasing student involvement in college decision-making was distributed

Meeting Adjourned at 8:58