2010 Budget Defense
The Standard and Jacob Swett, Student Body President

1. SGA was way under their budget of $15,000 for the payroll last year. How can you justify an additional $7,000 when you were almost $7,000 under budget last year? Even with adding new committees, I don’t understand why it was necessary to add $7,000 more when you were around that amount under budget last year.

The budgeted amount for this year is based upon estimates of the anticipated amount of hours the Cabinet will work. Last year many Cabinet members opted out of taking pay for various reasons. This year more members have made the decision to take pay and also the size of the Cabinet has increased. I would also mention that a large portion of the increase in payroll will go towards funding the development of software applications that will benefit the student body as well as streamline processes to make SGA more efficient. It is our hope that through the development of this software we’ll be able to modernize SGA and help address issues from transparency and accountability to transitioning between administrations.

2. Where will the additional $7,000 be coming from exactly? And if it comes from cuts in the budget, what are some of the areas that received larger cuts?

For the past several years SGA has not budgeted all of its funds, and of the funds that it budgeted it hasn’t spent the full amount. This has led to a large rollover of funds that were unused. We feel that it is important for us to be proper stewards of students’ money and not just let it accumulate but put it to good use so that students see the results of their student fees. A few areas were cut and they are indicated in the Budget Defense.

3. I know you said there were some new committees (which were part of your reason for the payroll increase), briefly…what are the new committees and why were they necessary?

Not all the committees are necessarily new, rather some were restructured. Last year there was a “University and Civic Advancement Committee.” Senate voted at the end of last year to split this committee into “University Advancement” and “Civic Advancement.” There were several reasons for this, but the primary reason was that the two weren’t very related.  The University Advancement committee works to promote the university throughout the community, state, and national levels as well as research any means of improving Missouri State athletics, student pride, and other aspects of the university. The Civic Advancement committee address issues promoting the general welfare of students as well as to promote all political affairs related to the welfare of higher education. Due to the difference in scope of the two committees it was decided that the two committees would be able to better focus their efforts and skills by being separated. Also, both committees have a large amount of projects and it wouldn’t be feasible for one committee to accomplish them all.

One committee that is new to SGA is the Sustainability Committee. This committee was also voted on by Senate last semester. The purpose of the Sustainability Committee is to address the promotion and advancement of sustainable practices and behaviors at Missouri State. This also includes researching and submitting proposals to the Sustainability Commission.

Along with these two committees we also added a Secretary of the Senate and a Director of Information Technology.  The Secretary of the Senate was added so that we would have adequate help accomplishing tasks such as preparing for senate, completing inventory, archiving, and project research. Our Director of Information Technology was added, in part, to maintain and create a new website that functions properly. The new website increases transparency and makes it easier for students to navigate and to find the information they need to stay informed.

4. Can you explain how pay-rate is determined, and what types of positions in SGA are paid?

The pay-rate for everyone is minimum wage i.e. $7.25 per hour. All cabinet members are eligible to take pay for their work for SGA.

5. $6,000 feels really high to me for office supplies, especially when considering SGA only budgeted $1,000 last year. What is included in “office supplies,” and why is it now necessary to spend so much more (when compared to past years)? Where is this money coming from?

$6,000 dollars is significantly higher than the $1,000 that was budgeted last year, but the estimate for this year was not based on what was budgeted last year but rather what was spent last year, i.e. $3,440.04. We anticipate having similar expenditures this year as well as several more, such as a new printer. SGA’s current printers are in poor condition, and we anticipate having to purchase a new printer in the coming year. Thus the budget was raised to allow for this possibility. Also, the office has for the past several years been poorly supplied, and we plan to use funds out of this portion of the budget to adequately supply the office so that Senators and Directors will have the resources to accomplish their goals.

Many different items are included in this category. This is because the university’s financial system offers us a limited number of categories to charge purchases to and thus this category covers a broad range of purchases.  This includes items from pens and paper, to printers and toners, to electronic supplies, etc…

6. Were there not more sustainable, cost-effective things SGA could do rather than allocating that substantially higher amount of funds to “office supplies”?

SGA always strives to be as cost-effective as possible we would never spend students money on a purchase unless we thought the purchase was completely necessary.

7. Does SGA have the same amount it its budget as last year? How much is SGA’s budget, and how are you guys funded? (Is the budget the same every year, or what effects it?)

We anticipate SGA having slightly more money than last year. While we will not know the final amount until financial services completes an audit, we are expecting a carry forward of approximately $26,000 and a budget for FY11 of $32,300 giving us an approximate total of $58,000. Last year SGA had an approximate total of $52,000. SGA is completely funded by the students. Students pay $1 per semester.

8. So, this budget will go into effect after it is (hopefully) approved Tuesday night? In other words… what you guys are voting on Tuesday night is approving the budget for this school year, right?

Yes, once the budget has been approved, it will be in effect immediately. The budget will remain in effect until a new budget is approved next fall.

9. The whole “supplies” section is confusing to me in your defense. It says the change for this upcoming budget is +$3,400, but from the numbers I see in the office supplies, food, and clothing sections, that is already above +$5,000. Did you cut a whole lot from other sections of the supplies not listed or something?

See question 10.

10. Why were the cuts in those sections not listed (and what were they)? (If the change is only +$3,400, I don’t get how you can have +$5,100 total for those 3 sections (5000+450-350= 5100) without cutting other supplies sections. I thought your defense listed all changes to the budget, but if the supplies is +$5,100 when adding the changes to those 3 sections, and the total change you have listed is +$3,400, I don’t get how that adds up.)

The discrepancy that you see in this portion of the budget is a result of miscalculations in the budget defense last year. Last year the “Supplies” total did not equal the sum of the three subcategories. ($1,000 + $300 + $1,100 = $2,400 not $4,100). The budget defense for this year is written so that the subcategories equal the total. However, we did show what was budgeted last year and then showed the difference between those figures and this year’s figures. Thus the discrepancy was carried through in the difference, but not into the new budget.

Downtown ATM Plan
The Standard and Austin Kramer, Director of Administration and Information Services

Questions 2 and 7 were answered by Student Body President Jacob Swett

1. How long has your committee been considering a Commerce Bank ATM?

Jake and Justin made this project part of their campaign, and it has been my committee’s responsibility to follow through on this project to make sure it becomes a reality.

2. Why do you think Springfield has a need for a Commerce Bank ATM downtown? Can’t people just (use) other ATMs in the area?

The primary purpose for wanting a Commerce Bank ATM downtown is to provide students with an ATM that they are banking with in a convenient location. Students on campus have several Commerce ATMs to choose from, but students at Brick City, PCOB, and other Missouri State buildings don’t have a Commerce Bank ATM close to them. It is our hope that students and the community who bank with Commerce will find the centralized location on the Square to be a convenient way to access their money and will feel much more comfortable using an ATM that they know won’t have service charges.

3. Will MSU have to pay anything for it? Why?

MSU will not have to pay for this project. Commerce Bank sees this as both a marketing tool and a service to provide to the public, so they are going to fully fund this project.

4. Where do you hope to see the ATM located?

We hope to see the ATM installed at the Park Central Office Building, because SGA feels that this location is in the heart of an area where the largest amount of students downtown would have access to its use.

5. What will your resolution regarding the ATM do exactly? I know it “supports” an ATM downtown, but what will that accomplish?

The Student Government Association is a recommending body that expresses the voice of the students. It is our hope with this resolution that administrators are made aware that students would like to see an ATM installed downtown on the MSU campus.

6. When would be a realistic time for students to expect a downtown ATM to become a reality?

Commerce Bank hopes to have this ATM installed and fully functional at some point during the spring 2011 semester.

7. Who at Commerce Bank will SGA have to work through, and after you pass this resolution, do you think it will be pretty smooth sailing? (Basically, does Commerce support the idea?)

SGA has been working with John Cox, Executive Vice President, and Amy Steele, the Missouri State Branch Manager, to discuss the details of the process. Both of these individuals completely support the idea and were very appreciative of SGA for bringing the idea to them. We have the full support of Commerce Bank. Missouri State, Commerce Bank, and the property owner just need to come to a consensus on the specifics of the plan.

Questions Regarding Document Access on the SGA Website
The Standard and Kinsley Stocum, Director of Communications

When should the resolutions regarding the budget and ATM be posted online for interested parties to see?

I have yet to see any new resolutions pass this year on SGA’s website. How long after resolutions are passed will they be posted?
Our document management system is still being structured, which has complicated document access for the time being. Passed resolutions are slowly being updated in the “Archive” section of the Documents page (if you take a look on the navigation bar on the left you’ll see the word “archive”).  Once our document software is fully completed, the posting of upcoming resolutions as well as any passed documents will become much more regular and dependable.  We apologize for any present difficulties.

Upcoming Elections

The Standard and Scott Lucy, Director of Civic Advancement

How do you think the state legislature races in districts 138 and 139 will affect the students of Missouri State University?

On the ballot for the 139^th district there is only one candidate for the House of Representatives, Shane Schoeller (R) as well as a write-in option. In terms of the 138^th district, which represents campus, Sara Lampe (D) is the incumbent facing off against John Sellars (R) and Steven Reed (I).  Our State Representatives will be tasked with standing up for the voice of the students of Missouri State University on issues such as the funding of higher education.

Why should students be interested and eager to learn about the upcoming elections?

Students should be very eager to learn about the upcoming elections because the decisions they make at the polls will have a very real affect on their lives.  Often people don’t think that their one vote makes much of a difference; however, the issues politicians choose to campaign on and address during their administrations directly reflect the statistics of voting Americans.  Students should prove that they can be an influential factor in elections.

What does SGA do that keeps them involved in the local politics, specifically these upcoming elections?

Next week we will be holding voter registration drives in front of Siceluff Hall from 11 AM – 1 PM.  We are also hoping to invite local candidates to speak during Open Forum at SGA Senate meetings.  Finally, as Director of Civic Advancement, I have been attending City Council meetings and to try to determine how our City Council and SGA might work together.

Is there any place on campus for people to be able to vote and if so where at?

There is no polling location on campus.  However, finding your polling place is quick and easy: just go to https://mcvr.mo.gov/elections/pollingplacelookup/Default.aspx and type in your address.

What other issues will be voted on in November that will affect Missouri State University?

The most influential decision that will be decided this November will be race between Roy Blunt (R) and Robin Carnahan (D). The policies and issues that they will be voting on in the next Senate session will prove to be very important to Missouri State students.  U.S. House of Representatives 7th District (Springfield) between Billy Long (R) and Scott Eckersley (D) will be important as well. The complete ballot for the November Election can be found at http://www.greenecountymo.org/election/Nov_2010/Candidates%20&%20Issues.pdf

What is your opinion on it?

No Comment

Should students sign up for absentee ballots if they are not from this area or should they try to vote for this area? What are the benefits of both? What would you suggest students to do?

In my opinion, I would strongly suggest students change their address to their local one in Springfield. This can be done on the same form used to register first-time voters. The last day to change your address or register for the first time is October 6th. Absentee Ballots can be requested up to a week before the election and no earlier than 6 weeks before. They must be turned in no later than 5:00 PM on the Wednesday prior to the election to your local election authority.  The appropriate address can be found on the Missouri Secretary of State’s website. You can pick up either of these forms in the SGA Office or online at http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/. We will even mail those forms for you.

Is there anything else you would like to add about SGA or about the upcoming elections?

The election process is an extremely important aspect of what it means to be a citizen as well as a student at Missouri State University. At Missouri State we are charged with a Public Affairs Mission that should be fulfilled by every student. Let your voice be heard this election season and never discount the value of your one, single vote.

Parking Lots

The Standard and Austin Kramer, Director of Administrative and Information Services

Why does SGA want to rename the lots? How will it be beneficial?

SGA wants to rename the parking lots because the current system numbers the parking lots based on when they come online; we do not see this as the most effective way for parking lot names to be communicated with the public. Renaming will be beneficial because the town of Springfield is set up in a grid-like system and naming parking lots based off of direction would be easier for students to navigate.

Will this affect all parking lots, or just specific ones?

Our goal for this project is to rename all parking lots, not just specific ones.

When would SGA realistically like to see this idea go into effect?

We would like to see this project go into effect by next summer, with the new signage available by next fall.

What stage of this plan are you currently in? (Brainstorming, specific ideas, ready to see your plan go into action, etc…)

We are currently coming up with recommendations for the different parking lots. We are hoping to bring a resolution before Senate by the end of September in support of the Administrative and Information Services committee’s parking lot recommendations.

Do you expect to see much opposition from other SGA members? This will eventually have to be introduced as a resolution, correct?

I do not think that there will be any opposition from any SGA members, and yes, this will eventually be brought up as a resolution.

Should this cost anything? And, if so, where will the funds come from?

At this time, the only potential costs that we see would be new signage that would reflect the new name of each lot; the old signs would obviously be changed out. We may look to cover these expenses with a Wyrick Proposal in the spring.

What committee is this through and why?

The Administrative and Information Services Committee is handling this project because this committee works closely with the Safety & Transportation Department (S&T). Working with S&T will be very important for the success of this project considering Parking Administration is a branch of this department.

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The Standard and Student Body President Jacob Swett

Is the renaming the of the parking lots something SGA has been looking at for some time, or is this fairly new?

Renaming parking lots is a project that SGA started looking into preliminarily this summer, and since the school year started we have begun to do more focused research.

Who will SGA have to work with for this?

SGA will work with Mr. Ken McClure, Vice President for Administrative and Information Services, and his office, as well as with the Safety and Transportation Department.

What type of names do you want to have for the lots?

We don’t have specific names in mind, and we certainly encourage suggestions from students, but the general idea is to think of more intuitive names that will make it easier to identify the lots.  I think that this will most likely involve naming the lots based upon their location on campus.

Whose idea was the renaming? What was their original inspiration?

The parking lot numbering system is something that has perplexed me over the past few years, and it wasn’t until I had an opportunity to discuss this with Mr. McClure in a committee meeting that I realized we could come up with a more intuitive system that students could understand and find useful. I don’t know how many times students have been given a notice of a parking lot being closed and they have had no clue which lot the number referred to and whether or not it affected them. We hope that renaming the lots will solve this issue.

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The Growl

The Standard and Kinsley Stocum, Director of Communications

How can people catch up on SGA meetings if they missed them? (Besides The Growl)

Meeting minutes can be found under the documents tab on the SGA website at sga.missouristate.edu.  Senate minutes detail any important information that was discussed as well as any actions that were taken by the body.  Minutes are also posted in the SGA office (PSU 123).

When will the meetings be available on the station?

Meetings will be played on The Growl as soon as possible; hopefully within the next week or so.  Our current scheduled days and times are Wednesdays and Sundays from 4 – 5:30PM.

Why did SGA decide to do this? Who presented the idea to The Growl, and is it through a specific committee?

Last year’s Director of Public Relations started recording Senate meetings with the hope of having them aired on The Growl.  Last year proved to be a great trial run for recording, so it was decided this year to take the idea to the radio station.  Justin and I met with The Growl over the summer to discuss the feasibility of the project, and it is the responsibility of myself, as Director of Communications, to see that it is successful.

Will The Growl air entire meetings, or just a predetermined amount of time?

Currently we have a time slot of Wednesdays and Sundays from 4 – 5:30PM.  Ideally we would like entire meetings aired twice a week, but working within a predetermined time constraint means that certain meetings might have to continue on from Wednesday to Sunday.

How will this be beneficial to both students and Senators?

Airing Senate meetings on The Growl will be beneficial to all students who would like to keep up with SGA business because it will give them two extra opportunities, outside of Tuesdays at 5:30PM, to stay informed of the reasoning and decisions of Senate.  It will be especially helpful to prospective Senators who may be uncertain of what SGA entails and to students who might have scheduling conflicts that are preventing them from attending Senate at the regularly scheduled date and time.

Was The Growl receptive to the idea? How was it presented to the organization?

The Growl was very receptive to the idea.

Have meetings ever been aired anywhere else in the past or is this a first for SGA?

Meetings last year were recorded and made available through iTunesU and podcasts on the SGA Website.  Both of these options will remain available this year.

Will SGA be involved with The Growl in any other capacity?

SGA and The Growl are exploring other ways we can collaborate.

The Standard and Student Body Vice President Justin Mellish

TS: Was this the first resolution passed for this year?

JM: Yes. Its title is CB Fall 2010-01: Approval of Bylaw Amendments

TS: Was tonight the first SGA as a whole had heard about the idea… or was it around last semester as well?

JM: This resolution was actually a resubmittal of a resolution approved last year. It needed to be resubmitted because it was incorrectly submitted last year as a Senate Business and also had a few errors concerning where certain amendments would be placed in the Bylaws. It also contained provisions for the Internal Affairs Committee which was not included in the original resolution.

TS: Who first introduced the resolution (and what originally compelled them to?) Who were its authors and sponsors?

JM: Concerning last year’s resolution, I, along with John Maddux last year’s Speaker Pro Tempore, authored the resolution. I wrote the section concerning legislative committees because I had been elected as the Student Body Vice President and such committees are determined by the Vice President. John Maddux wrote the section concerning the Faculty Senate Liaison; he worked extensively with Faculty Senate last year and saw a need for the position. Additionally, Faculty Senate provides for an SGA Liaison to Faculty Senate, so it seemed courteous to do the same for them. Jacob Swett also served as a sponsor to the resolution because he had been elected as Student Body President and has a vested interest in the revisions.

I wrote the resubmitted resolution because I knew last year’s resolution was submitted incorrectly and had errors. It was sponsored by Kristina Moller. Only Senators are allowed to submit resolutions to the Senate, so a sponsor was required for me to submit it.

TS: I noticed the vote was unanimous for this. Why do you think that was?

JM: The amendments are rather standard in that they establish the legislative committees for the current Senate session. Legislative committees change with each administration.

Additionally, the amendment concerning the Faculty Senate Liaison was approved last year, so dissent was not expected at all this time around. Once again, this was essentially the same resolution approved last year but in the correct classification. The Constitution states that Bylaw revisions be considered Constitutional Business (CB) not Senate Business (SB).

TS: Do you have high expectations for the person in this position? (and why?)

JM: Jake and I are very excited about this position because it will open a direct channel of communication with Faculty Senate. Our relationship with Faculty Senate last year was a bit strained, and Jake and I feel that such a position could have prevented that. The Chair of Faculty Senate, Dr. Rebecca Woodard, has expressed her support for the position and intends to serve in its capacity.

TS: Was there a lot of other things included in the resolution besides the faculty liaison position? (If so, will you post it online soon?… or could you possibly attach a copy of it?)

JM: The resolution also contained amendments concerning standing legislative committees. This is standard procedure in establishing the committees desired by the SGA administration.

TS: Is this a brand new position?

JM: I have never had any indication that this position has existed before.

TS: Is this a permanent position now?

JM: No. This could be changed by the Senate with a 2/3rds vote of Senate seats filled as provided by Article IX, Section I of the SGA Constitution.

TS: Who was appointed to this position? (and for how long?)

JM: Dr. Rebecca Woodard, the Chair of Faculty Senate, was appointed to this position for the year.

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The Standard and John Maddux, 2009-2010 Speaker Pro Tempore

TS: What exactly is a faculty adviser/liaison? What will they do?

The Faculty Liaison is a nonvoting position in student government. The Faculty Liaison serves as a link between the SGA and the Faculty Senate. They are able to offer information to the senate and ask questions. The Faculty Liaison will attend SGA senate meetings and provide input on the faculty perspective and answer questions that any senators may ask them. The liaison will also facilitate communication between the SGA and the Faculty Senate by reporting any relevant information between the two.

TS: Why did SGA need a faculty liaison?

Faculty Senate is the voice of the faculty, just as the student senate is the voice of the students. It is our hope that the Faculty Liaison will allow for better coordination and communication between the two bodies to more effectively complete initiatives.

TS: What will having a faculty liaison/advisor mean for SGA? How will it be beneficial?

Having a Faculty Liaison in SGA will mean that senators can ask the faculty member questions during senate meetings, and the advisor will be able to provide a faculty perspective when appropriate. The liaison will also be able to give information on SGA to the Faculty Senate and provide their responses and concerns. This will allow for faculty to be more involved from the very beginning of a project, which should make new initiatives easier to agree on and finalize.

The Standard and Holly Mills, Director of Sustainability

TS: What projects has SGA been doing to promote sustainability on campus? Are there still previous projects that are still being used on campus? How have they made campus more sustainable?  What do these projects cost?

HM: Last year, several SGA committees worked to increase sustainability efforts on campus. The Senate established an ad-hoc committee to explore the idea of Missouri State joining the Tree Campus USA program which promotes effective tree management and increased connection with the local community.

As the year closed, the Research and Development committee planned a campus-wide yard sale to reduce the amount of waste during move-outs. The event took place at the parking lots across from Plaster Sports Complex. Students and organizations were able to purchase tables for $3 each. All proceeds went to Ozarks Greenways and The Kitchen picked up any unwanted items that were not sold.

SGA also facilitated the sale of recycled notebooks made by Students for a Sustainable Future (SSF) in the campus bookstore. The organization has a committee that puts together the notebooks biweekly. All proceeds from the notebooks go to SSF for educational outreach and awareness on campus.

The Sustainability Fund reviewed and accepted several proposals. Descriptions are below:

The Sustainability Commission granted $500 to a Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System sponsored through AASHE Stars. The assessment program is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to gauge progress toward sustainability. We registered for STARS and began collecting data from all areas of campus. The data will be submitted in December for review.

The Sustainability Commission granted $8,929 towards a water bottle proposal. John Krygiel wrote the proposal to distribute water bottles to incoming freshmen in an effort to reduce wasted created by plastic water bottles. The Commission is waiting on information concerning the distribution of the bottles.

The Sustainability Commission granted $3,950 towards a bike rental program through the Residence Hall Association (RHA). The program will provide students an opportunity to check out a bike for the semester.

The Sustainability Commission granted anywhere from $7,643 to $15,247 towards two student worker positions. Jeff Brown, the university’s Sustainability Coordinator, acquired grant funding for the purchase of additional recycling stations similar to those currently housed in Siceluff Hall. The proposal submitted by Cedric Egbers created two 1000-hour student worker positions to maintain the additional bins. The jobs were filled over the summer, and the two students started working last week.

TS: Are there any new projects in the works this year? If so, what are they and how would they help?

HM: This year, SGA has established a legislative Sustainability Committee that will work to increase sustainable practices throughout the entire campus community. The committee has a long list of projects to address during the year. As SGA’s Director of Sustainability, I chair the committee which will meet every Tuesday at 4:45 in PSU 308B. I hope that students interested in promoting sustainable practices join SGA and work through this committee!

As for a few of the larger projects, we’re working to establish a campus garden which will create additional food resources along with providing opportunities for students to learn valuable skills. We’re also hoping to bring a Farmer’s Market to Missouri State and to research different software packages that promote sustainable computing.