After talking with Dean of Students Ben Lieber, Senators Mike Simmons '06 and Noah Isserman '07 put together a proposal for raising the Student Activities Fee, which is currently $197 per student. In order to increase the Student Activities Fee, the senate first needs to pass a resolution explicitly asking for an increase. The College Council would then need to approve the resolution, which would then go to a referendum. The proposal detailed five options, with increases ranging from an additional $10 per semester, a five percent increase, to an additional $28 per semester, a 14.2 percent increase.
While senators initially seemed in favor of the increase, concerns about the necessity of this increase began to surface. Senator Boris Bulayev '07 wondered whether funding issues arise from the senate's lack of money or lack of desire to fund specific events.
Isserman pointed out that the funds were well used. "AAS on a student utility-per-student basis probably does better than tuition increases," he said. He also pointed out that with the recent passage in referendum of an amendment requiring all senators to complete projects, more money may be necessary in order to avoid taking money away from clubs. "We want to be the best resource for students that we can be and, in order to fulfill this goal, we need ample funding," said Senator Josh Stein '08. With these issues in mind, Senator Matt Vanneman '06 suggested that the senate create an ad-hoc committee to determine approximate numbers and types of events that do not get funded. The potential lack of funding is important to the senate because the senate ran out of money in the discretionary fund prior to the end of the spring 2004 semester. The AAS determined that the Budgetary Committee should be charged with this task, and that it should report back to the senate next week.
Additionally, AAS President Ryan Park '05 introduced an amendment to the by-laws. The amendment addressed senator attendance at committee meetings with the administration and trustees. Due to the embarrassing nature of these absences, Park proposed an amendment that would remove a senator from the senate if he or she missed three or more meetings of a particular committee each semester. This amendment passed unanimously.
Continuing with issues of senator responsibility, Judiciary Council (JC) Chair Ryan Smith '07 distributed copies of the JC-reviewed constitutional amendment that was passed via referendum last week. The purpose of the JC review was to determine the constitutionality of the amendment and to alter it slightly in order for it to better take into account the senate's past constitutionality concerns. The JC suggested removing a sentence from the amendment that had addressed issues of funding the senators' projects from the discretionary funding, as well as the addition of two sentences stating that senators who do not complete their projects can still be elected by write-in the following year if they receive a minimum of 15 percent of votes cast in that particular election. Additionally, it was suggested that senators serving one semester or less should be exempt from the project requirement.
Senator Viet Do '06 expressed a desire to postpone a vote on the JC suggestions until next week, when he and several other senators will propose a new amendment that would, if passed by the senate and another referendum, replace this one entirely. Thus, after a vote, discussion on the amendment was tabled until next week.
During his officer report, Park discussed a need for greater student involvement in Scrutiny, the newly-online professor evaluation publication. Also, senate members of the Committee on Priorities and Resources (CPR) announced that the CPR has agreed to split the cost of TYPO X, upperclass TYPO, with the Dean of the Faculty's office, and to pay all of the costs of first-year TYPO. Senator Gabriel Mattera '05 said that the faculty does have a tight budget too, and that the senate very much appreciated that they would alter their budget to support the program.
Three spaces on three committees were filled. Senator Brian Lawrence '05 was elected to the College Council. Senator Rania Arja '06 was elected to the Space Allocation Committee, and Mattera was elected to the Trustee Advisory Committee on Student Life.
Until 12 a.m. on Thursday, students can vote on monetary allocations for the spring formal and on club priorities.