ASWOU

Sponsors: Sen. William Davis

The following resolution states that the Senate will adhere to the policies and suggestions outlined in the ASWOU Constitution, IFC Handbook, and IFC 2008/09 budget notes by rejecting any request for funds that does not adhere to these policies. Upon passage, this resolution would be sent to President Minahan, Vice President of Student Affairs Dukes, Vice President of Business and Finance Mark Weiss, Editor in Chief of the Western Oregon Journal, the IFC Chair, all IFC members, and the representatives from each IFC-funded department.

SR: 1.10 states that the ASWOU Senate is adhering to policies and suggestions in the ASWOU Constitution, IFC Handbook, and IFC 2008/2009 budget notes by rejecting requests for funds that do not adhere to these policies.

1. Whereas: the process of IFC requires funded areas to submit openly an honest and
2. accurate budget request to maintain current service level to the committee, explain the
3. request in detail, and endure committee questioning and open hearings, prior to seeking
4. ratification of the A.S.W.O.U. Senate and final approval by University President Dr. John
5. Minahan.
6. 
   
7. Whereas: Article I section A(1) of the A.S.W.O.U. constitution states that, "No student
8. shall be deprived of liberty or property without due process of law," and that IFC, along
9. with the A.S.W.O.U. Senate's oversight, are meant to provide the aforementioned due
10. process of law.
11. 
    
12. Whereas: the IFC budget format outlines that, "All revenue and expenditures should be
13. included from every IFC funded area."
14. 
    
15. Whereas: IFC budget note 2008/09 number two emphasizes--and as IFC Guidelines,
16. section 1F summarizes--IFC has the right to information, whereby, "The committee
17. shall have access through the Athletics Director, Campus Recreation Director, Child
18. Care Center Director, Creative Arts Division Representative, Director of the Office of
19. Disability Services, Director of Werner University Center/SLA, Student Media Advisor,
20. and the A.S.W.O.U. Student Body President, as well as the Vice President of Finance
21. and Administration, and the Vice President of Student Affairs to any information, written
22. or otherwise, required to fulfill its purpose."
23. 
    
24. Whereas: IFC budget note, 2008/09, number twenty-one further highlights the
25. importance of information in that, "Full Disclosure by all areas of all information (actuals,
26. base budget, current service level, past budgets including clubs, lottery dollars, salaried
27. number of positions funded, other income sources, inflationary increases, associated
28. expenses, other payroll expenses, breakdown of salaries, and budget history for
29. each area, etc) is considered mandatory when requested by the committee."
30. 
    
31. Whereas: IFC defines Soft Money as monies which are, "not to be used for program
32. enhancement or growth. Example: over-realized funds, sports lottery money."
33. 
    
34. Whereas: the IFC over-realized funds approval process, and the restrictions applied to
35. such monies, insures "that the IFC committee will have firm figures on which to base the
36. next academic year's budget."
37. 
    
38. Whereas: IFC defines Base as the, "current service level plus inflation cost of living
39. increases and other mandatory assessments or increases. The Budget Director sends out
40. an annual instruction memo showing the specific increases to be considered."
41. 
    
42. Whereas: IFC defines Current Service Level as, "the previous year's base with
43. consideration given to providing services at the level of the previous year's budget. For
44. example, same number of games, events, travel dates, etc. for a specific number of
45. students."
46. 
    
47. Whereas: IFC defines Variable as, "Any budget request other than the base."
48. 
    
49. Whereas: IFC budget note, 2008/09, number eight states that the, "Increases or
50. decreases in 'fixed costs' in a given budget does not require or compel IFC to increase
51. or decrease that budget."
52. 
    
53. Whereas: IFC budget note, 2008/09, number four states that, "The committee feels that
54. students want to see what they are getting for their money," and that, "All budgets will
55. identify current service level funding or they will not be considered by the committee and
56. the area may not receive any funding."
57. 
    
58. Therefore be it resolved by the A.S.W.O.U. Senate that:
59. 
    
60. The A.S.W.O.U. Senate will reject any budget request that does not adhere to the
61. guidelines aforementioned, any budget where funded areas inflate the current service
62. level or base request grossly beyond the previous year's final Joint Resolution
63. Committee budget allocations, or any budget where funded areas fail to separate
64. enhancements and over-realized expenditures from current service level or base
65. request, to insure that the IFC process provides due process of law for all students.
66. Furthermore, a copy of this resolution should be sent to University President Dr. John
67. Minahan, Vice President Dr. Gary Dukes, Vice President of Business and Finance Mr.
68. Mark Weiss, the Editor in Chief of the Western Oregon Journal, all IFC members, the
69. IFC Chair, the Athletics Director, Campus Recreation Director, Child Care Center
70. Director, Creative Arts Division Representative, Director of the Office of Disability
71. Services, Director of Werner University Center/SLA, Student Media Advisor, and the
72. A.S.W.O.U. Student Body President.

Sponsored By: Senator Everett, Senator Perkins, Senator Weeden

This bill seeks to mandate a special election be held to address bills which failed to make it on to the election ballot last year.

SB: 13.09 Would force a special election for the purpose of dealing with issues left unresolved by the 39th ASWOU Legislative Assembly.

1. Section 1: None of the Senate Bills passed by the 2008-2009 Senate were able to be voted on by last year's student body.
2. 
   
3. Therefore be it enacted by the ASWOU Senate that: a special election be held by the
4. ASWOU Judicial Administration no later than January 11th 2010. This election shall
5. continue until April 23rd, 2010, or until the required 15% of the ASWOU Membership has
6. voted. If the required 15% is not met by April 23rd, 2010, then the special election will be
7. terminated; and all pending bills will be put on the General Spring Election for 2010.

Sponsored By: Senator K.Babbitt, Senator S.Babbitt, Senator Weeden, Senator Kobzeff, Senator Mutschler, Senator Unicume, Senator MacIntire, Senator Budd, Senator Holcomb, Senator Lines, Senator Terry 

SB 12.09 seeks to abolish the current system of tabling which requires senators representing each constituency to table independently once per term, and replace it with one which requires a general senate table once per term which will be manned by senators from each constituency.

SB 12.09: Will require senators from each constituency to participate in a general senate table once per term and do away with the current system.

1. Be it enacted by the Students of Western Oregon University:
2. Section 1: The tabling rule shall be added to the Student Senate Handbook under "Senate
3. Rules - Other Rules" as letter E.
4. Section 2: The new letter E shall read as follows: "Once per term, senators must reserve
5. and sit at a table in the Werner University Center for the purpose of being more readily
6. available for contact with students and to elicit student concern reports. At least one
7. senator from each constituency is required to be present during the tabling session.
8. Senators from each of the constituencies are permitted, but not required, to hold further
9. tabling sessions."
10. Section 3: This bill shall become law immediately upon passage, signatures of
11. the ASWOU Senate President and ASWOU President.

Sponsors: President Sorce, Sen. San Agustin

The following resolution would express the Senate's support for SAFRA legislation and encourage ASWOU to join in the United States Student Association's (USSA) campaign for student aid reform.

SR:9.09 Would publically state the Senate's support of SAFRA legislation and encourage the university to participate in the USSA's campaign to support its passage.

1. WHEREAS, the need for increased college access and affordability has been magnified
2. by rising unemployment numbers and the current state of our economy.
   
3. 
   
4. WHEREAS, students in the U.S. currently graduate with an average of $20,000 in
5. student loan debt.
6. 
   
7. WHEREAS, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) will end costly
8. bank subsides under the unstable Federal Family Education Loan Program and originate
9. all new student loans under the more cost efficient and lender-friendly Direct Loan
10. program run by the Department of Education and save taxpayers up to $87 billion.
11. 
    
12. WHEREAS, almost 7 million students currently rely on funding from the Pell Grant
13. program to offset the rising cost of college.
14. 
    
15. WHEREAS, SAFRA will invest $40 billion to increase the maximum annual Pell Grant
16. award to $5,550 in 2010 and to $6,900 by 2019 to help more low income students cover
17. the cost of attending institutions of higher education, and a simplify the FAFSA
18. application.
19. 
    
20. WHEREAS, SAFRA will work to improve degree attainment, strengthen community
21. colleges and training programs to help build a highly-skilled and innovative 21st century
22. workforce, and boost the fiscal health of the country by paying down the deficit.
23. 
    
24. WHEREAS, the United States Student Association, representing over 4.5 million
25. students at over 400 campuses, has adopted Student Aid Reform as an Action Agenda
26. Item and has dedicated resources towards it.
    
27. 
    
28. WHEREAS, we, as students and representatives of Western Oregon University's student
29. population, wish for this legislation to be passed,
30. 
    
31. Therefore be it Resolved by the ASWOU Senate that:
32. The Senate urges Oregon federal legislators to vote in favor of SAFRA legislation in their
33. respective houses of government and that Western Oregon University should join
34. students from across the country in actively working to encourage the United States
35. Congress to pass Student Aid Reform by joining the United States Student Association's SAFRA Campaign.

Sponsors: President Sorce, Sen. San Agustin

This resolution would publically state that the ASWOU Senate officially supports the passage of the DREAM Act and send a copy of this resolution to President Minahan, Vice President Dukes and the Western Oregon Journal.

SR:8.09 Will publically state that the ASWOU Senate supports the DREAM Act.

1. Whereas, It is the role of Western Oregon University to provide a quality education to
   
2. those seeking a post-secondary education degree.
3. 
   
4. Whereas, the Oregon University System seeks to provide affordable
5. and accessible higher education to all potential individuals seeking a post-secondary
   
6. education degree.
7.  
8. Whereas, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act).
   
9. would provide high-achieving high school students who are undocumented, or the children
10. of undocumented immigrants, and who wish to serve in the United States Armed Forces
11. or attend a 2 or 4 year university the ability to gain legal
12. status.
    
13. 
    
14. Whereas, over 48,000 high school students every year are unable to attend college due to
    
15. their parents residency status.
    
16. 
    
17. Whereas, it is in the best interest for the State of Oregon,
18. from both a financial and altruistic standpoint, to allow access for all students who want
19. to attend a post-secondary educational institution.
    
20.  
21. Whereas, Western Oregon University, the Oregon University System, and the Oregon
22. Students Association have supported similar legislation in the past.
23. 
    
24. Therefore be it Resolved by the ASWOU Senate that:
25. ASWOU adopt a supportive stance on the issue of the DREAM Act and that a copy of
26. this resolution be sent to President John Minahan, Vice President Dr. Gary Dukes
27. and the Western Oregon Journal.