Academic Mentors

Proposal from the A.M.-

Study bucks program. They are asking for $300 from SGA for this program. The program will run so that students who are 'caught' studying will receive study bucks. It is a rewards program. Students can turn in the bucks at the end of the semester/ year for raffle tickets to win prizes. The study bucks program has been going on for years. The A.M. said that they want to give the initiative to study, and they can get that extra push with positive reinforcement.

Senator Hamill praised the A.M.'s for how prepared they were... and said it was nice to actually have people come in with an itinerary of how the money will be spent. Most clubs do not organize themselves this way.

Motion was carried and the A.M.'s were granted $300.

Reports

Senior Report- no report.

Junior Report-

students who do not have a zero dollar balance will not be able to register... also students will be charged an extra $50 for each month that they do not have a zero balance.

Quin was very concerned about this because he hadn't heard about this prior to it being brought up in this meeting.

Sophomore Report- no report.

Freshman Report- no report.

Rules Committee-

Talking about the change of the Constitution.

Chris, Randy

Chris- this Thursday at 4 the last clubs and groups meeting.

The SGA scholarship will be given out on 11 o'clock on the 27th.

Randy- Nominations will be passed out to recognize people on SGA. Plaques will be handed out for the winners.

private institutions

70% of funding goes to private institutions?! Lee told the SGA to look it up if they didn't believe him.

Kyle

Potential increase of $400 for student fee's

Senator Hamill asked in the history of this school or any other school where a student fee increase has been decreased after a financial strain is over.

It isn't look good that a student decrease would ever take place... because the economic forecast is not good.

Senator Chamberland said he didn't think it was fair for a state school to be run on the backs of students, and that there is too much waste at this school as of right now. Lee said back that comparing us to other schools we really aren't considered "wasteful at all."

If the new budget isn't passed tomorrow, more cuts to services and layoff's may take place. The trustees will meet at 6:30 p.m. on South Campus.

Quin believes that fee hikes is the simple solution to keep funding up, but the simple fact is that our schools are underfunded already. "We need more education to fix the economy... not less"

Quin's report cont.

47 people showed up for the Rally in Boston last Wednesday. Percentage-wise we had the most students there from any school in the state... only beat-out people-wise by UMass Boston, a school which is 4 times the size of Salem State.

As a result of last weeks rally Shawn Garbelli, a legislator from Arlington, to sponsor an amendment to increase the mass grant by 14.1 million dollars!

"We can speak out- we just need to be loud enough," Quin in reference to how Democracy works.

Quin's report

Quin announced that they have almost a quarter of a million dollars in the reserve budget. Senators were concerned that only residential students would be helped but now commuter students could possibly be helped as well. The financial aid office is doing this as a favor to the SGA, so students will need to pay these funds back.

Next week is the last meeting, and Quin wants to have a small transition ceremony for Liz as the incoming president. Afterwords they plan to go to Vinny T's in celebration