2023-12-05 SGA Senate Meeting Minutes

December 5, 2023
2:15 pm, Forum 3-130, Downtown Campus Room 200B, Zoom

In Attendance

Student Senators

  • Senator Mohamed Souhail
  • Senator Giomer Garcia-Maldonado
  • Senator Ashley Wrobeh
  • Senator Loritea Ellis
  • Senator Alicia Crimmins
  • Senator Daniel Kalumbwe

Election Coordinator

  • Naz Barmak

Historian

  • Paula Balow

President

  • Joseph Leichtner

Vice President of Governance

  • Angelo Romero

Vice President of Downtown

  • Mandie McGinnis

Treasurer

  • Zeynep Guney

Secretary of Governance

  • Ivy Zin

Secretary of Staff

  • Gavin Harrigan

Student Trustee

  • Ana Santos

Office of Student Life

  • Advisor: Jodi Oriel
  • Faculty Advisor: Mark Sample

Visitors

  • Ava Allen – MCC Student
  • Hannah Bissonette – MCC Student
  • Hlina Getachew – MCC Student
  • Jameah Scott – MCC Student
  • Jeffrey Ferrara – Financial Aid Assistant Director
  • Rebecca Mack – Transfer Services Advisor
  • Nicole Meyer – Financial Aid Advisor
  • Ginny Geer-Mentry – MCC Association
  • Ryan Messenger – Academic & Student Affairs

Minutes

Call to Order (2:15 pm)

  1. Roll Call (see attendance above)
    Vice President of Governance Romero called for a roll call to start the senate meeting.
  2. Land Acknowledgement
  3. Approval of Minutes
    1. Vice President of Governance Romero called for a motion to approve the November 28, 2023, Student Government Association minutes.
    2. Senator Souhail so moved, seconded by Senator Crimmins.
    3. A vote was taken.
    4. To be resolved, the Monroe Community College Student Government Association approves the November 28, 2023, minutes as written.

Speak to the Senate

  1. No one spoke to the Senate.

Reports

  1. President Leichtner

    On Thursday Nov 30th, President Leichtner attended the MCC Association Operations and Personnel Committee Meeting. The committee went over several appointments which were then confirmed in the ensuing board meeting. President Leichtner also attended the ensuing board meeting and acted as Vice Chair. The board passed several resolutions and received a presentation regarding textbook adoption which was very illustrative of the process and helped SGA understand how it works. On Monday December 4th, President Leichtner attended the Monroe Community College Board of Trustees meeting and gave his report on shared governance at the college. Additionally, on December 4th, President Leichtner held a Zoom meeting amongst the Community College Reps in his capacity as Chair of the Caucus.

  2. Vice President Romero

    On November 27, 2023, Vice President Romero attended the Event Review over the cease-fire event, with Student Life Advisor Jodi Oriel, Student Trustee Ana Santos, Chief of Public Safety Stephen Wise, Dr. Ryan Messenger, Dr. Margaret Semmer, Dr. Calvin Gant, Members of Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Project, and the students who are presenting the event. We looked over the schedule to see how it would look, what would be said, what they could bring, and the idea of having a silent walk. They would have another meeting on November 29th, 2023, to give more updates and finalize the date. The event will be held on Wednesday, December 6th, 2023, from 12:00 to 1:00. Also, on November 27th, Vice President Romero attended the Finance Committee Meeting with Treasurer Guney and Student Life advisor Oriel, where they would review MCC’s Quarter One Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Highlights. On Tuesday, November 28th, 2023, Vice President Romero helped with the ROC the Day event on the terrace, where SGA would sell cupcakes for a dollar, and they would go to student scholarships. Anytime a student would donate a dollar, not only would they receive a cupcake, but they would also have a dollar donated to their name. SGA would raise 101 dollars. This same day, he also attended a College Orientation class after Professor April Daniels invited him to talk more about what Student Government is, what they do, the benefits of being a student leader, where they are located, and why it’s essential to communicate with your local SGA and be active on campus. On Thursday, November 30th, he will also have another college orientation class at the Student Government office, where he will promote SGA and be active. On Thursday, November 29th, Vice President Romero attended the MCC Association Board Meeting with President Leichtner, Treasurer Guney, Student Life Advisor Oriel, and the other Board Members. They would vote on two resolutions, one involving Matthew Briar’s appointment to interim Assistant Director of Housing and Residence Life and the Second approving the creation of a student life and leadership graduate assistant and job description

  3. Vice President of Downtown McGinnis

    Vice President of Downtown McGinnis has no reports for this week. 

  4. Treasurer Guney

    On Monday, November 27th, treasurer Guney, vice-president Romero, and faculty advisor Oriel attended the Financial Committee Meeting. Monroe Community College’s Quarter One Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Highlights were reviewed and resolved. On Tuesday, November 28th, during the executive session, Student Government Association members reviewed the fund requests made by clubs and organizations, elected the Monroe Community College’s Champion of the Week, and reminded each other about new events that will be held next week such as the Gather in Support of a cease-fire between Palestine and Israel event, which is Wednesday, December 6th, tomorrow. On Thursday, November 29th, treasurer Guney, president Leichtner, Vice-President Romero, and Faculty Advisor Oriel attended the executive committee meeting. Resolutions were made on the approval of Matthew Briars’s appointment to Interim Assistant Director of Housing and Residence Life, effective December 4, 2023. On Friday, December 1st, treasurer Guney held office hours between 1.00 pm and 4.00 pm. Also, worked on the new Free Women Hygiene Products project and discussed the issue with Virginia Geer-Mentry.

  5. Secretary of Governance Zin

    Secretary of Governance Zin finished the Senate Meeting Minutes on November 28th, 2023

  6. Secretary of Staff Harrigan

    Secretary of Staff Harrigan has no reports for this week.

  7. Health & Wellness Senator Wrobeh

    This week, Senator Wrobeh spent some time researching the Israeli and Palestinian conflict to better understand what is currently going on and to better support the Call for Here at MCC, Ceasefire is taking place on December 6th, 2023. She also drafted the resolution for the H.I.T (Hike it Together) Club, after carefully reviewing the club’s constitution with the rest of SGA’s members.

  8. Election Coordinator Barmak

    The past week election coordinator Naz Barmak worked on drafting the resolution for giving the Student Government Association’s opinion about possibly having long gun/ police rifles for Monroe Community College Public Safety department.

  9. Athletic Senator Souhail

    Athletic Senator Souhail has no reports for this week.

  10. Virtual Campus Senator Ellis

    Virtual Campus Senator Ellis has no reports for this week.

  11. Residence Hall Senator Crimmins

    Residence Hall Senator Crimmins has no reports for this week.

  12. Club and Organization Senator Garcia-Maldonado

    Club and Organization Senator Garcia-Maldonado has no reports for this week.

  13. Club and Organization Senator Kalumbwe

    Club and Organization Senator Kalumbwe has no reports for this week.

New Business

  1. Action Items (requires a senate vote)
    1. Resolution for the support of the Long-gun/ police rifle option for the MCC Public Safety department.
      Resolved, the Monroe Community College Student Government Association supports having long-gun/police rifles for emergency preparedness option and the long-gun/police rifle is an excellent opportunity for the MCC Public Safety department to equip their emergency preparedness option following national trends.
      Vice President Romero called for a motion to approve the resolution.
      Senator Crimmins so moved, second by Senator Ellis.
      Discussion: Having long-gun/police rifles has been completed to the standards of both the Student Government Association and the Office of Student Life and Leadership.
      A vote was taken. The resolution passed.
      Be it resolved, the senate presents and voting that the Student Government Association supports having long-gun/police rifles for emergency preparedness option.
    2. Resolution for the approval of the funding request to the Smash Club

      Resolved, the Monroe Community College Student Government Association approved the disabilities awareness club’s financial request for $125 for a pizza party to celebrate the Smash Club last tournament for the end of the year 2023 at the Brighton Campus.
      Vice President Romero called for a motion to approve the resolution.
      Senator Souhail so moved, second by Senator Crimmins.
      Discussion: Smash Club completed the request fund and met the standards of both the Student Government Association and the Office of Student Life and Leadership.
      A vote was taken. The resolution passed.
      Be it resolved, the senate presents and voting that the Student Government Association allocate up to $125 to the Smash Club at Monroe Community College.

  2. MCC Champion Award
    1. Nicole Meyer- Financial Aid Advisor

      The MCC Champion Award was presented to Nicole Meyer, Advisor at Financial Aid Office in recognition of her outstanding service and commendable commitment to excellence and her passion for helping students achieve their educational goals.

    2. Rebecca Mack – Transfer Services Advisor
      The MCC Champion Award was presented to Rebecca Mack, Transfer Services Advisor at the Advisement Office in recognition of being a dedicated transfer services Advisor at MCC and her extraordinary services and work.

Discussion Items

  1. There were no discussion items.

Old Business

  1. There was no old business.

Questions and Comments

  1. There were no questions or comments.

Adjournment

  1. Vice President Romero called for a motion for adjournment.
  2. Meeting was adjourned at 2:47 pm.

Executive Session

Respectfully submitted,
Ivy Zin
Secretary of Governance