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January 23, 2025

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Meeting Minutes

Associated Students of the University of Utah

2024-2025 ASUU Senate, Cycle #2

General Senate Meeting Agenda

2.23.2025 6:00PM-10:00PM

Call to Order

Senate Chair will call the meeting to order to convene the General Senate session.

Roll Call

The Parliamentarian and secretary will take and document roll call.

 

Ex-Officio Reports:

  • Attorney General
  • VP for University Relations
  • Finance Director
  • Senators

Land Acknowledgement (Sen. Perez)

“We acknowledge that this land, which is named for the Ute Tribe, is the traditional and ancestral homeland of the Shoshone, Paiute, Goshute, and Ute Tribes. The University of Utah recognizes and respects the enduring relationship that exists between many Indigenous peoples and their traditional homelands. We respect the sovereign relationship between tribes, states, and the federal government, and we affirm the University of Utah’s commitment to a partnership with Native Nations and Urban Indian communities through research, education, and community outreach activities.”

Public Forum

Opportunity for members of the public (i.e. any non-Senate community members) to spend time talking with and/or presenting to the Senate.

General Announcements

Time for any ASUU Senators to share out any important announcements with the group.

  • The Elections Board will come for an announcement.

Executive Committee Reports

Members of the Senate Executive Committee will have time to share updates from their areas (i.e. what they and their teams are working on.)

  • Chair Johnson: A lot on the agenda, exciting
  • Vice Chair Steele: None
  • Treasurer VanDerHeyden
  • Secretary Nielsen: None
  • Parliamentarian Kearse: Pharmacy first year free
  • Registrar Perez: None

Old Business

  • Cycle 3 minutes
    • Vote: Y:12, N: 0, A: 0
    • No debate
  • Cycle 3 emergency meeting minutes

New Business

  • ASUU President Joe Boyden: Did not receive necessary docs.
  • Perspectives Reminder!
  • RSG Reminders: Get your RSG registered.
  • Bingo Cards: Motion to move later in the agenda.
    • Senate Kearse: 2nd motion

Confirmations:

  • Fine Arts Senator: Alec Stevens: He’s excited to be here to support his college.
    • Questions:
    • Senate VanderHeydan: What do you hope to accomplish?
      • He is listening to the students and Deans office
    • Senate Perez: What events are you currently planning?
      • Arts Batch, so we need a senate so we can request funding for this event
    • Debate:
      • Rose: He is a great person for this job, has already shown up as
    • Vote: Y: 11, N: 0, A: 0
  • ASUU Pres. Boyden: Discussed increasing student fees to ~$10.
    • Questions:
    • VanderHeydan: Do you anticipate a big change in allocating funds? If passed, Redbook will show how funds will be allocated.
    • How many of those clubs are actively seeking funds? ~174 clubs
    • Sen Vanderheydan: How can or what can we do to support the bill? Meeting May 15th, come out and support. Mental health fee maybe increasing to $3 to provide resources and staffing
    • Sen Kearse: Will students not in leadership be made aware of the fee increase? Yes, if it gets approved
    • Sen Steele: How many students are in each of these groups asking for funding? The student fees will be used for students in general not only for students in clubs.

Sen. Vanderheyden: Motion to move Dental RSG: 2nd motion

  • Elections Director: Aynaelyssya Thomas
  • Debate
    • She is already doing a great job.
  • Vote: Y:14, N: 0, A: 0

Vote of Office: Congratulations

  • (Election rules and endorsement reminders)
  • Questions:
    • Proxy Olive: Does this apply to only paid positions in ASUU? No, it applies to all positions.
  • Academic Affairs Director: Suvam Pokharel
  • Questions:
    • What are your goals for this position? Midyear feedback for academic leaders, more accessible for disabled student's webpage.
    • Sen Steele: What ideas do you have about the web page? More aesthetically pleasing and easily clear steps.
  • Debate: None
    • Vote: Y: 14, N: 0, A: 0
  • Deputy Chief of Staff: Ty Martinez
  • Questions:
    • AG Boyden: What ideas are you planning? Being involved and being where students are.
  • Debate: None
    • Vote: Y: 14, N: 0, A: 0
  • CEB Assistant Director: Jaden Achen
  • Questions:
    • AG Boyden: What favorite event have you hosted? Megaplex event
    • Sen Vanderheydan: Is Megaplex event coming back? Yes. What are you hoping to accomplish with CEB? Finding ways to build connections
    • Sen Stevens: How are we letting colleges know about these events? Working with marketing to get these events out to students.
    • Sen Menlove: What challenges are you seeing and what are you doing to mitigate these? Communications. Utilizing teams so people stay up to date.
  • Debate: None
    • Vote: Y: 15, N: 0, A: 0
  • CEB Chair: John Wray
  • Questions:
    • Sen Parkin: What events are you excited about? RedShread. Pride Event.
    • Chair Johnson: Kerfuffle? It is coming together
  • Debate:
    • Chair Johnson: Already been a vice chair and now running for chair and doing a great job.
    • Sen Parkin:
  • Vote: Y: 15, N: 0, A: 0
  • CEB Vice Chair: Chris Bouck
  • Questions: None
  • Debate:
    • Sen VanderHeydan: Great to have FYC on CEB.
    • Vote: Y: 15, N: 0, A: 0
  • Academic Affairs Director: Suvam
    • Motion to cross off list already been taken care off: 2nd
  • Academic Affairs Assistant Director: Kai Stewart
  • Questions:
    • Sen Vanderheydan: What plans do you have?
    • Sen Perez: What plan do you have for academic? More worksheets
  • Debate:
    • FD White proxy: Supports candidate
    • Vote: Y: 15, N:0, A: 0
  • Elections Assistant Director: Kei Man Wong
  • Questions:
  • Debate
    • Sen Parkin: Sounds like a great candidate
    • Vote: Y: 15, N: 0, AL 0
  • Elections Assistant Director: Aaliyah Franco
  • Questions
    • Sen Vanderheydan: What made you want to join the elections committee?
    • Sen Elvis: How did you find out about this position?
  • Debate
    • AG Boyden: Enthusiasm will translate through with the elections committee
  • Vote: Y: 15, N: 0, A: 0
  • Vote of Office: Congratulations
  • Motion for Break: 10 minutes, 2nd motion

Joint Legislation:

  • JB-9- Government Relations Bill
  • Questions
    • Sen VanDerHayden: Fiscal year doesn't align with calendar year so curious the phrase budget for presidential elections year is meant to be interpreted?
    • Aiden: will this money carry over if not used for subsequent years?
    • Sen VanDerHayden: Would you be open to amending the bill to say when the presidential election is in the fall?
    • Anika: Would you raise the budget when it is the presidential year?
    • Sen Elvis: Is it university policy where some funds can't be budgeted and need to be put into a pool for this?
  • Debate:
    • Sen VanDerHayden: I think the intention is really good
    • Sen King: Good move to increase activity and turn out, but I hope there is money to support county and city election awareness
    • Anika: I think this is super important to get students involved and increase student voting, but some years there may be less money for the sustainability board
  • Vote: Y: 14, N: 0, A: 1
  • JR 4-- Non-functional Turf Resolution
  • Questions:
    • Sen Steele: Is the non-functional turf more on upper campus/lower campus? I am unsure
    • Sen Vanderheydan: Have you taken any environmental classes? No
    • Sen Doughtry: Cost benefit? I was unable to answer but did pull data from other universities that have removed grass, and it did prove beneficial. Replacing grass with what? Low water plants
    • Sen Elvis: Do we water so much due to trees? Unfortunately, no answer
    • Sen Stevens: Are you aware of the plants that will replace the grass?
    • Sen King: Is the water data we have include the red butte gardens water usage? I am unsure, but grass uses so much water
  • Debate:
    • Sen Doom: I have tried growing grass; it does take a lot of water.
    • Sen Johnson: Great bill
  • Vote: Y: 14, N: 0, A: 1

 

  • SB-15 Parkin SW-RSG Registration
  • Questions:
    • Sen King: The name says Bachelor, but you have graduate program? Yes, but the graduate has an RSO. Will work out the details soon.
    • Sen Vanderheydan: Do you have a leadership role? No. Do you know of any events they will host? A Halloween event so they will ask for funding. Finals event, but unsure.
    • Sen Nielsen: How many more RSGs? We are very close to getting every college RSG registered.
  • Debate: None
    • Vote: 13, N: 0, A: 2
  • JR- 3 Water Use Transparency Resolution
  • Questions:
    • Sen Rose: Clarify student engagement within bill? Meeting with sustainability to create a website for students?
  • Debate:
    • Sen Vanderheydan: Great resolution, we should support this bill.
    • Sen Menlove: If Oregon state can do it then we should be too.
    • Sen King: Very appropriate bill.
    • Sen Doom: Kudos!
    • Sen Nielsen: Utilities?
    • Point of Information: I have the data but had to jump through hoops.
  • Vote: Y: 14, N: 0, A: 1
  • SB-16 RSG Dental Funding Bill
  • Questions
    • Sen Vanderheydan: The Senate has only $20,000 left, there's a possibility that the full $9000 will not be allocated, what will it do too the ticket prices? $60 without funding, $27 with funding.
    • Sen Parkin: Is the $400 for venue based on last years? Yes, working on negotiating the same price for this year.
  • Debate
    • Sen Vanderheydan: We should fund this! Amend the bill to allocate the same funding to the School of Medicine and College of Law, $6750.
  • Vote: Y:12, N: 0, A: 2