The AS Board poses on Friday, Sept. 27. Joe Addison // AS Review
By Stella Harvey
Finance Council
The Associated Students Executive Board passed the Finance Council charter 7-0-0 after hearing from AS Business Director Nate Jo. The council will act as a consolidated body to manage AS funds, according to the process document. The AS Student Senate will vote on the Finance Council charter on Dec. 6.
Jo explained that, before the AS restructure, the budget process fell under the responsibilities of the board. Now that the board and senate primarily serve to represent student needs within university structures, there is no board directly in charge of managing AS funds. With the budget process beginning in mid-December, a new process for the 2020-2021 budget year needs to be put in place, according to Jo. If passed by the board, the Finance Council will work on the budget and manage AS funds.
While going over the revised charter, Jo addressed the previous concerns of the board. The board and student senate will be sent the final budget and grant proposals over $20,000 as a consent item, meaning the board must approve the budget in order for it to move forward. Jo also outlined the financial literacy training each member of the council will receive at the beginning of each meeting.
Jo also addressed the concern that the chair of the proposed Finance Council would be the AS business director, which is a hired position, and not someone who has been elected by the student body. Jo agreed with the proposal made previously by board members, that elected officials from the board and senate could sit on the hiring committee to ensure the business director will act in the best interests of students.
Selome Zerai, VP for activities, said there should be specific dates when the board can hear about the effectiveness of the council. Jo and the board agreed that the council should be evaluated throughout the year. Together they decided during week six of winter and spring quarter, representatives from the council will present a summary of their work, discuss what is going well and what could be improved.
Trever Mullins, VP for sustainability, added that representatives could also comment on the effectiveness of the financial literacy training they received.
The board passed the charter contingent on these changes, as well as the agreement to create a subcommittee within the AS Restructure Committee, which will observe the effectiveness of the Finance Council.
Queer Guild Council
The board approved the revised Queer Guild Council charter 6-0-1. AS President Lani Defiesta abstained from the vote because she was not present during the discussion of these changes.
AS Queer Resource Center Community Engagement Coordinator Nichole Vargas presented the final changes to the Queer Guild Council charter.
The board updated membership to reflect the clubs involved in the council, and removed the LGBTQ+ Western vice-chair representative’s membership. Vargas explained that the guild is meant to be a student centered space, and when an administrator is present, the dynamic of the meetings change. Vargas said LGBTQ+ Director, L.K. Langley, will still be available to advise the guild when members see fit.
A note was also added to the membership section, stating that members can be added to the guild through a majority vote within the guild.
Student Disability Advocacy Committee
The board approved the revised charter of the Student Disability Advocacy Committee 6-0-1. Defiesta abstained from the vote because she was not present during the discussion of these changes.
Changes included updates to the membership. There will no longer be a vice-chair from the Disability Access Center. The committee will also report bi-weekly to the VP for diversity.
Undocumented and Mixed Status Student Council
The board approved the revised charter of the undocumented and mixed status student council 6-0-1. Defiesta abstained from the vote because she was not present during the discussion of these changes.
Changes included updates to membership, which were made to reflect that the Blue Group advisor is non-voting, and correcting the titles of the voting and non-voting members.