General Assembly

Minutes from November 30, 2006

Associated Students of Occidental College

General Assembly Minutes

November 30th, 2006

12:00-1:30, J200

Minutes by Chelsey Brack

Senate Members Present: Jimmy Gillan, Matt Kuzio, Konstantin Chaykovskiy, Max Thoman-Tedford, Rozell Hodges, Andrew DeBlock, Mike Myers, Teddy Zhou, Ayesha Khan, Patrick McCredie

Guests Present: Serenity Blauvelt, Eric Roddie, Sandy Runyan, Abe Cohen, Katie Healey, Lauren Keyes, Jason Curtis, Cameron Yuen-Shove, Max Read, Will Carlson, Brittany Sanders, David Martinez, Justin Gunn, Sophia Smith, Mary Liz Van Nes, Dan Miller, Ken Smutny, Amanda Atkinson, Kecia Baker, Chelsey Brack (20).

Katie Orme opened the meeting at 12:08 PM. She welcomed everyone to the official student forum. The General Assembly is a place for students to bring up issues and policy change. The General Assembly recognizes that the student body is one of many forums that form the community. This is a forum for students to work with other students and administrators. This is the last General Assembly of the semester.

1. Jimmy Gillan - The Funding Algorithm

Jimmy introduced "The Funding Algorithm" on behalf of the Senate. He illustrated on the whiteboard in front of room the algorithm and a graph that explained how it works. He said that it is a system developed for funding, and that it has done good things for funding in terms of distributing money equitably and fairly.

The equation is: P(M,A) = alpha M^-B - q ln (M/ uA).

M = money requested less other ASOC funds, A = projected attendance, alpha, B = description parameters, q = attendance control parameter, u (mu) = ideal funding per person

alpha M^-B = positive component

Jimmy explained that the Senate decided all of this to decide funding for each funding request submitted. There is less money, the Senate is trying to control priorities, and is striving to have more priorities. The algorithm incorporates a log function, and as attendance is increased, the amount of funds available increases as well. He explained how when the attendance for an event is plugged in and an amount of money requested, the attendance matters and helps determine the amount of money that is available to fund the event.

Dan said that he thinks it looks good, but asked how exactly it is working. Jimmy answered that there is a lot of excitement around it right now. He explained the situation of cultural versus social events, bringing up the myth that cultural events will more funding than social events. He said that no, based on previous allocations to social to cultural to other events, there is no priority there. The Senate used statistics from last year to determine this year as well, and everyone was plugged into algorithm.

Serenity Blauvelt, Assistant Director of Housing Services, gave a very high compliment for funding system that the Senate has come up with.

Max Read asked what someone would gain from the system. He also said that say, if he was a genius, could he fool the algorithm into giving him more money. Jimmy answered that there would be different alpha and beta values, and if there are different club activities, there becomes a very wide range of values, so if you ask for more money, you're going to get more money, on a reasonable number. The more money you ask for, for the same amount of people, is going to start taking away percentage, and the entire algorithm is based on attendance. The algorithm is meant to eliminate all problems with funding to determining event description. He also said that the main problem has been how we define a what exactly is a cultural event, social event, etc., and when it comes down to it, the Senate decides which event is classified as what.

Max Thoman-Tedford added that the Senate has funding meetings to ensure that groups who submit funding requests claiming that they have some event they're planning, when its not. They have a safeguard against false claims for money as well.

Dan Miller asked if the Senate's funds system works where they allocate money up-front, or wait for receipts and reimbursements, and Jimmy answered that they allocate the money, then submit a check request, and also that later people turn in their receipts. They have strived this year to eliminate retroactive money.

Katie Healey asked about how club co-sponsorship works within the Funding Algorithm, and Jimmy said that if many clubs sponsor an event, they get a higher percentage of money from their funding request. It depends whether the event is cultural, related to service, educational, open or advertised, how much you're approved for, etc. Katie said that she knows that in past years money was approved for club sports, even though club sports has its own separate funds, so she was wondering if a club sport club sponsor an event and receive funding for doing that. Jimmy said that that is an interesting question, have to be approved as a club to have money allocated to the club. Kenna Cottrill said that club sports are registered to receive money, and Jimmy said that the concerns have been that club sports are being pushed aside because the funds they already have were being used for league fees and such, so the Senate wanted to help them out with allocated funds as well. Teddy Zou also said that money that is for club sports is given to Earic Peters, meaning the money is no longer in the Senate's pocket. Jimmy added that the Senate has discussions every week to decide how they're going to deal with these cases. Teddy and Jimmy said to the General Assembly that if you have something in mind, come forward and talk to the Senate about it - don't hesitate to plan and create events and submit funding requests.

Sophia Smith asked where she could get application forms for funding requests and where she should submit the forms, and Jimmy answered that they could be found online on the ASOC website, they are a Microsoft Word format, and you must bring them in by the Thursday 12 days prior to your meeting, and also to be registered at ASOC. He also said that he would be sending out a reminder in the form of a campus-wide email with more descriptions as well as pictures to explain the Funding Algorithm.

Ken Smutny asked who came up with the Funding Algorithm, and Jimmy said that the Senate Funding Committee decided how much would be allocated for the arbitrary constants. The Senate also decided which were on-campus and off-campus events, co-sponsored events by clubs, and is trying to decide based upon previous funding tendencies the other logistics. He said that for him personally, it makes sense for a cultural or service event, than just purely a social event - you're going to receive more money, but its not like you don’t receive money.

Katie wrapped up Jimmy's presentation, and moved on to the Resolution portion of the meeting.

2. Ken Smutny, Residence Life Compensation Resolution

Ken gave an overview of the Res. Life Compensation Resolution, saying that they are reasons against RAs receiving raises, and right now there is increase in cost of housing. It increases about 6-7% a year, and the cost of living has been increasing about 3% a year. He asked how much easier has the job of being an RA and an HC become, but then said that “we” (the GA) don’t know, because we don’t have feedback from the RA’s today.

Resolution:

[ Whereas, Resident Advisors and Hall Coordinators for the 2005-2006 academic year are receiving the same stipend that RAs and HC's received in the 2002-2003 academic year.

Whereas, at least four years have passed with out raises for these student workers who are vital to the functioning of our campus.

Be it resolved that the failure of Administration to increase compensation in amounts commensurate with tuition or the cost of living devalues the work of these students and places on them an undue economic burden.

Be it resolved that Administration should act quickly to reevaluate compensation for Resident Advisors and Hall Coordinators.

Be it resolved that Administration should provide stipend increases that will appropriately value these student workers and provide for increased tuition and living expenses. ]

Discussion of the resolution:

Matt Kuzio asked Ken if he knows about other programs, like Student Life, ICC, MPP, people who work in those positions, how they are treated with raises. Ayesha Kahn said that hourly wages have increased by .75 cents an hour but stipends have not, not sure about for RA’s. Matt asked for details about current compensation, and asked if it is justified by the amount of work that RA’s do. Ken answered that at some point, sometime a while back, looked at comparative institutions, and decided to set compensations at a certain level. They have been keeping that level the same for 4 or 5 years, but prices of meal plans, oil, housing, all are going up, and that money buys less and less each year. Matt said that its a very small opportunity for people to make money, and to take that out of the total tuition that you're paying isn’t a good idea

Ken said that part of the issue is that maybe people shouldn’t receive a raise, but you only have $1200 spending money for two semesters, which roughly comes out to about $63 of spending money a week, and people have different costs of housing to student loans, so in turn run out of spending money. It becomes a major problem.

Max Read asked Ken if in his experience it has been a good thing for RA’s, and if there have been more applications for people to be RA’s. He said that if so, it would be signifying that salary is not really an issue, and that being an RA is just something that people want to do. Ken answered that application numbers dropped last year, which he thinks was probably due to salary. He said that what we want to do is help student workers, and that we’re not really attracting people if we’re not paying them well enough.

Jimmy Gillan said that he has spoken to RA’s, and has gotten general feedback that duties such as monitoring halls and such have become easier, and he thinks that possibly the job description has changed, perhaps value of job has decreased, and maybe it is easier to be an RA. Ken explained that the training to be an RA is now shorter, the RA’s make less money, there is less programming occurring, and that there are now different program requirements (Kecia joined in to verify). He also said that now there are two RA’s or HC’s in different areas (upper, lower, middle campus.) Lauren Keyes, Upper Campus Area Coordinator, added that the number of people changes all the time, and that RA’s choose their own duties and where they want to work.

Ken also added that he knows, from past experience of being an RA, that you are an RA at all times of the day, and that you always have to deal with crisis when it comes.

Dan Miller asked if we were going to vote on the resolution today, and Ken answered that we wouldn’t be. Dan then proceeded to say that he is interested to know about the different stipends in general, and Ken answered that stipend positions vary, there is a timeline as they are deciding about more or less RA’s, how to compensate them, etc. Ken then asked Kecia Baker would speak on behalf of Res. Life.

Kecia said that she wants everyone to know that Res. Life does value their employed students, and that people in her department know the value of the job and how it can be. She said that most of the people in her department know what its like because they were RA’s or HC’s at some point in their college careers. She said that she has been here since June, has looked at comparative institutions, has researched RA compensation, and has come to the conclusion that it varies so much, and Oxy is in a really good position compared to other institutions, which isn’t to say Res. Life is not working on increasing wages, but that other institutions would be jealous of what Oxy RAs are getting here. She knows that it can be differed through student loans, etc. but people take on these jobs because they don’t want more debt later on. She said that we have to be mindful of people who qualify for different scholarships and grants, have to keep in mind the amount of money they need, and also keeping in mind that at different schools other than Oxy, students are required to work the front desk - it is mandatory for students, without getting paid, and at a lot of other places RAs are not able to hold other jobs outside of being an RA because they are student first, RA’s second. She also said that jobs of RA’s are not always represented through what they are getting paid (in a financial amount) and that Res. Life know that. The problem with the RA’s has only ever been about the difference in HC and RA stipend, and that they haven’t asked for raise.

Ken thanked Kecia, then moved on to what he referred to as “forming a plan.” He asked the General Assembly what it thinks, and Matt Kuzio commented that the RHA plan is great, its good to have, and that Res. Life should definitely look into it.

Ken thanked everyone, and wrapped up the discussion of his resolution.

Katie wrapped up the GA meeting, thanking the members of the audience, and said that if anyone has any comments or questions to email the GA at asocga@oxy.edu, and wished everyone a good break.

Meeting Adjourned at 12:48 PM.