Executive Meeting Minutes – September 2, 2020

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Executive Meeting Minutes

Date: September 2, 2020
Time: 4:30 p.m. PST
Location: Zoom
Note: These meeting minutes were reviewed and approved on September 16.

Attendees Present

  • President: Gina Vasquez
  • Vice President: Heather Leasure
  • Director of Communications and Compliance: Altessia Endencia
  • Director of Finance: Laud Williams
  • Director of Legislative Affairs: Samantha Fakharzadeh
  • Director of Marketing and Innovation: Alma Perez
  • Director of Resources, Equity, and Inclusion: Ariadna Escobar
  • Director of Student Events & Programming: Chelsea Rollins
  • Advisor: Andria Donneworth

Meeting Notes

Call to Order at 4:36 p.m.

Roll Call:

  • Gina Vasquez
  • Heather Leasure
  • Samantha Fakharzadeh
  • Tessa Endencia
  • Alma Perez
  • Ariadna Escobar
  • Andria Donneworth

Late arrival: Laud Williams

Reports

President’s Report

Working with bylaws with Samantha and Heather, making edits and poking holes for areas of improvement. Current status: working on finalizing before Resource Allocation Committee is put together, who will review the bylaws and approve.

Director of Academic Affairs vacancy. Morley, former Director of Academic Affairs, made decision to step down. Position posted on website as of Monday, August 31st. At least one applicant has applied and will be reviewed by the end of the month. We will be welcoming new member by October.

Vice President’s Report

Researching different societies that WSU currently has, and adding to reimbursements. Have contacted all seven, will be presenting four to be added to reimbursements. Been connecting with VP’s from different campuses. Appointed to SJC.

Director of Legislative Affairs Report

Creating legislative agenda. Reviewing SJC’s agenda and WSA agenda for continuity and to help things in motion.

Proposed legislative agenda:

  • Increase access to open source educational materials.
  • Protect student reproductive health by ensuring that pregnancy services are covered by student health insurance.
  • Cap graduate and professional student increase. Undergraduate students are protected, whereas graduate students and professional students are not. Currently, graduate and professional students have no representation, whereas undergraduate.
  • Remove ACT and SAT requirements in WA state. Temporarily, it was suspended in WA because of COVID-19; would like to make it permanent.
  • Increase WAFSA grand funding for undocumented students to be more inclusive and a safe space for immigrants.
  • Lowering work requirement and/or including the ability to substitute school hours for childcare benefit.
  • Also working on “Cougs Vote” and joining the Students of Color coalition.

Student ambassadors interested in Election 2020 series, potential opportunity for collaboration.

Director of Resources, Equity, and Inclusion Report

Working on meeting with team members to inform on what’s new. Resources look different in 2020 than it does in years before. Anticipating new scenarios that we will be facing, and working to communicate with team (particularly on temporary reimbursements).

Completed reimbursements training and processing Summer 2020 reimbursements.

Had meeting with Morley about newsletter project.

Working on web page updates for fall 2020 and making requirements more clear so that there is no room for confusion when students want to apply.

Outstanding item: confirming what we are planning on offering.

Working with Resources Chair.

Made poll on Teams for executive team on grocery reimbursement, and 100% of team believes that we should reinstate.

In contact with David about food pantry following meeting with Admin, potentially partnering with Walmart and other big brand retail stores.

Director of Finance Report

Working on budget to be useful for semester.

Readjust funds to accommodate for student community — reimbursements, such as hygiene and grocery. Finding that these reimbursements to be helpful. Meeting with Leslie on Friday to discuss and ensure that this kind of program is possible. Working on trying a running balance sheet to keep track of funds on a daily basis.

Also working on budget request form for internal team.

Need to vote on allocating funds to hygiene and groceries.

Director of Student Events and Programming Report

Worked on back to school giveaway. Picked two winners that followed us.

Finalized meet and greet, including agenda.

Meeting with Ramon from URec about setting up mental health/yoga night/webinar.

Meeting with Rebecca about ideas we can bring to making our events more study-based.

Spoke with Spokane campus about being inclusive and the inclusion committee.

Rival Trivia Night: September 23rd or 24th.

Looking to do one event a week, working on finalizing calendar.

Reminder to team to register for Meet and Greet, and promote on social media.

Timing on promotion: anticipating having approximately three weeks for time to promotion.

SWAG items to be added to balance sheet as assets, and Andria has sent list of what we currently have in the office. Giveaways are currently most sought after items, however, they are beneficial for driving engagement.

Can send out postcard for November/December.

Director of Marketing and Innovation Report

Working on promoting Chelsea’s events, including creating graphics (shout out from Chelsea in regards to graphics — they look beautiful!).

Need to do one more director introduction. Most liked photos on Instagram.

Finished giveaway and coordinating details with winners.

Emphasis on continuing to support team’s initiatives and working on promoting events and initiatives as they come up.

Director of Communication and Compliance Report

Primary focus has been on improving the website, with emphasis on navigation and ensuring that resources are easy to find.

Gina and Heather gave shout to team for their amazing work, emphasizing that they are available for support.

Items Discussed

ASWSUG Director of Academic Affairs Vacancy

Morley has decided to step down as of Monday. Position has been posted with one applicant so far. Anticipating it to be filled by first meeting of October. Gina and Heather to take on responsibilities, open for help from team.

Bylaws

Gina, Heather, and Samantha have been working, with Samantha has experience from SJC and being a major resource.

Look at it in a way so that no one can poke holes in it later. Anticipating having it done by next meeting.

Seven members of resources and allocation committee to review when they start.

Legislative Agenda

“Coug Day at the Capital” is time for students to come to the capital. This helps students register to vote and bring awareness to what we’re doing.

Samantha will be at the capital during duration of legislative session. We need stories from disadvantaged and in regards to WA state legislation affecting education (regardless of residency, though specifics depending on issue). This will help provide testimonies to lawmakers and help advocate for change.

Samantha would like support from marketing and communications to talk about what a DoLA is.

Potential ideas for support:

  • Introduce DoLA, ask students what they want to see changed and hearing their stories. Letting them know that they are being heard.
  • Breaking down constitution in layman’s terms — e.g., constitution terms on wearing a mask vs not wearing a mask.
  • Sending survey to people that have requested for reimbursements to hear stories and acquire feedback.
  • Take agenda and why’s about they are important to post on website — e.g., about 500 to 1000 words. (To be revisited once legislative agenda is finalized.)
  • Also potential collaboration opportunity with “Cougs Chat with Cougs,” which can help hear testimonies. As an example, this format helped undocumented students obtain student loans.
  • Collaboration with Diversity Committee (Laud).

Executive Board Vote on Reimbursements for 2020/2021 School Year

$50,000 has been set aside for grocery reimbursement from budget (travel, activities not happening due to COVID). Amount contingent on what Leslie approves on Friday.

Motion to reinstate grocery reimbursement for Fall 2020 brought forth by Heather Leasure.

Seconded by Samantha Fakharzadeh.

7 Yes’s, motion passes.

Budget request process

If internal team would like funds allocated, form would be created to say exactly what it is and the amount.

Things we have currently will be on balance sheet. Preferable to use existing assets rather than purchasing new ones.

Heather Leasure and Laud Williams to connect on budget request form.

ASWSUG-Sponsored Events

Potential Ideas:

  • Rival Trivia Night
  • Bingo Night
  • Pet Party/Pet Photo Contest
  • Art Contest
  • Karaoke night
  • Spa night
  • November: Beard contest.
  • Breast Cancer Awareness in October
  • Halloween — art contest/costume contest.
  • Resources: Coug Chat, UREC Health and Fitness, Mental Health.
  • Healthy budget friendly cooking class.
  • Steady streams — 20 minutes of calm music, and 10 minutes of pop music/social.

In interest of making events inclusive, Chelsea would like to focus on events that are free and accessible. Any event we have should have a resource attached to it.

Other ideas:

Laud —

  • Share financial challenges and how we coped with them to help other students.

Ariadna —

  • Received document what food pantry would look like. Students can apply for a $30/week voucher, which can be used to purchase a certain list of food from Walmart, which can fall in line with healthy budget friendly cooking class.

Motion to table topics for next meeting by Heather Leasure.

Seconded by Tessa Endencia.

5 yes’s.

Topics to Be Tabled for Next Meeting

  • Increasing our social media engagement
  • Newsletter strategy
  • Laud meeting with Leslie on Friday, open invite to ASWSU Global Executive Team.

Motion to end meeting by Chelsea Rollins.

Motion passes.

Meeting adjourned at 6:04 p.m.

Next meeting to be held on Wednesday, September 16th at 4:30 p.m. via Zoom.