The most recent Executive Board meeting that took place on Thursday, September 21 opened with a discussion on the Black Students’ Alliance proposal requesting $1,158 to fund their 50th anniversary celebration. This money would go toward a bus ride to the event in Durham as well as a DJ. There was some discussion as to whether the money should come from the Black Cultural Center reserve account or the club contingencies fund. The anniversary celebration was eventually deemed to be a special event and it was decided that the money should come from club contingencies. The motion passed 12-1-2. A second motion was brought forward to reallocate $175 from club contingencies to the reception fund in response to the discovery of a bookkeeping error that had resulted in the zeroing of the account. The club should have received the customary $5 per member within that reception fund. The motion passed 15-0-0.
The next order of business was in regards to establishing an ad-hoc Human Resources Interview Committee, with a presentation by President of the Union Matthew Rand ’19. He stated that the goal is for it to be a standing joint committee between the Student Senate and the E-Board, comprised of students from a wide range of groups. They would be trained to interview candidates for various jobs related to student life and the Union. The committee is based on a group that was put together to interview for the director of the Union position and will initially be comprised of the original members of that committee, since they have already received the necessary training. The plan, however, is to open it back up to the student body. The Division of Human Resources has already agreed to train upwards of 80 students. The motion passed 13-1-3.
Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students Travis Apgar, accompanied by Director of Judicial Affairs Michael Arno, arrived next and presented on changes that are in the process of being made to the Rensselaer Student Handbook. The changes largely addressed formatting and wording issues, and insert a policy that addresses threatening behavior. In addition, changes are to be put in that allow for the notification of parents for things such as disciplinary action—suspensions and expulsions—and group policies are to be extended to apply both on and off campus. At the end of the presentation, Rand stated that E-Board won’t be providing its feedback until the Senate has heard the presentation and provided their own feedback, because it’s under their jurisdiction. He also requested that individuals on the E-Board hold their feedback until after the Senate hears the presentation.
The final important point of business was the discussion of the former Budgeting Guidelines and Procedures, which has been in the works since last September. It is essentially one large document containing everything the E-Board feels that clubs need to know. It will go into effect immediately for the fiscal year of 2018. Through the discussion on the wording of the social media policy, members of the E-Board claimed that the document encompasses “guidelines” instead of policies, and that they will be enforced at the discretion of the E-Board. However, in the last meeting of the Executive Board, Grand Marshal Justin Etzine ’18 said that the Senate’s Rules and Elections committee and the Judicial Board are the only bodies that can rule on policies. The motion to approve the newly named Union Club and Organization Policies and Guidelines passed 16-0-1.
In the president’s report, Rand expressed his plan to have the hiring discussion regarding the director of the Union next week. He reminded the E-Board members about the upcoming Title IX training, and mentioned the letter he received from Apgar and Interim Vice President for Student Life LeNorman Strong, saying that E-Board will likely be approving the candidate for the director of the Union this week.