Executive Meeting Minutes – September 16, 2020

Logo: ASWSU Global.

Executive Meeting Minutes

Date: September 16, 2020
Time: 4:30 p.m. PST
Location: Zoom
Note: These meeting minutes were reviewed and approved on October 21, 2020.

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: Vacant
  • Director of Student Events & Programming: Chelsea Rollins

Meeting Notes

Call to Order at 4:34 p.m.

Roll Call:

  • Gina Vasquez
  • Heather Leasure
  • Samantha Fakharzadeh
  • Laud Williams
  • Tessa Endencia
  • Alma Perez
  • Andria Donneworth

Absent: Director of Resources, Equity, and Inclusion

Meeting Minutes from September 2 Approved by Board.

Items Discussed

Increasing Social Media Engagement

Heather would like to see us more present on social media. She’s been posting every few days on Facebook Group. She would like to see more posts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

ASWSU accounts are specifically for student government. The Facebook group is not necessarily for student government — as its for all global students.

We should see more posts, but we should also try to create more engaging posts.

What can we do to increase engagement?

  • Follow sprees
  • Giveaways
    • Encourage students to tag other people
    • Encourage to go like the Facebook page.
    • Post every day or every other day on Facebook
  • Instagram: post less frequently because of grid format.
  • Go on a “liking” spree, looking for #WSU tags.

To get engagement, we need to give engagement. Alma has been keeping a lot of our content on stories. We are in need of photos, as most of our posts are texts. Alma to start reaching out to Events and Communications for additional coverage.

Chelsea raised concern that prizes are taking longer to get to recipients due to COVID-19, as staff is not allowed to be on campus. Global Connections typically does a lot of giveaways throughout the month and does it once a month. Next mailing date (pending office opening due to smoke) is Tuesday, September 29th.

Newsletter Strategy

We are focusing on events, reimbursements, and committee meetings for this month.

Some ideas:

  • Getting the most out of your classes, such as writing portfolios, letters recommendations, study tips, etc.

Encouraged to use planner tasks if we need help, and we can create tasks if we need help. Gina and Tessa just added to a communication teams with Vicki. That way, we can see what else is on the calendar. We are requested to limit our communications to two extra emails a month. Global Connections emails are sent out every two weeks.

Grocery Reimbursement

Motion to move $10,000 for grocery reimbursement by Heather.

Seconded motion by Samantha.

This allocation is for this year. Last year, we only used about $9,000 for grocery reimbursement.

Amended motion to move $10,000 from catering to grocery reimbursement for Fall 2020.

Motion passes.

Last year, students were able to do a $50 one-time reimbursement. This year, we’re looking to do $75.

Motion to make reimbursement from $50 one-time reimbursement up to $75 one-time reimbursement.

Amend motion for reimbursement from $50 one-time reimbursement to $150 one-time reimbursement, per student.

Motion passes.

Reports

President’s Report

Working with Heather on virtual food pantry, and we will be sending a proposal to Kroeger and Walmart so that students can access food prior to reimbursement. Heather is doing research, and Gina is organizing so that we can get ahead of the curve and anticipate questions. Bylaws are done, and the goal is to have them ready for review by next week.

Hiring updates: we opened up the application for Director of Academic Affairs, and the person who applied served on the S&A Committee last year. Gina will post her resume on Teams, along with her answers. An interview will be scheduled next week. Ariadna resigned due to a family emergency and was thus unable to continue with us. In the meantime, Heather and Gina will be taking over processing reimbursements and taking on her communication duties. Her position was posted on Monday.

Vice President’s Report

Mostly helping with food pantry situation and figuring out a voucher program (outside of a reimbursement or in addition to reimbursement). Heather has also been working on getting information for the NSLS reimbursement fund, and she currently has a pitch to add to the reimbursement. She would also like to do another meet and greet, since the first one was not as successful as we had hoped for.

Heather also coordinated the WSU VP meetings.

Director of Legislative Affairs Report

Working on Cougs Vote Efforts. Chelsea and Samantha just attended a webinar with WSA about National Voter Registration Day.

What four aspects create a successful campaign:

  • Creative engagement
  • Giving students what they want (having them involved in the planning)
  • Prizes
  • Action (getting them active and participating)

Social media contest holding a sign on why they vote. Students who share the post and comment a photo are entered to win a prize — or comment on the photo and share the post.

Will be holding Cougs chat to talk about the DoLA position. Legislative session will be held online.

Director of Resources, Equity, and Inclusion Report

Ariadna was working with Rebecca Vandevord to make Blackboard space more accessible and inclusive. She was also working on the food pantry project (Heather and Gina working on now).

Director of Finance Report

Working on Budget Request Form. Chelsea has used budget request form and had positive feedback for gift cards (thorough and organized).

He has a Budget Request Form available on his Teams’ channel (under Budget and Finance —> Budget Request Form). This should be used to request funds and also request usage of swag. We need about three weeks notice for gift cards. Laud has also pinned the running balance sheet on Teams. Once you fill it out, it will send an email to Laud right away.

GCSP: Global Cougar Success Program is no longer around, however, we have all this swag for it. Likely getting rid of it.

If we promise Swag, we should start keeping track — what the students won, their address, and what has been claimed.

Director of Student Events and Programming Report

Trivia Night will be held October 1st at 7 p.m.. Chelsea is working with other campuses to get their involvement as well. Pullman has offered gift cards. This is an all campus event, and it is open to everyone. Pullman, Spokane, Global Connections are all advertising.

Working on Trivia Night promotion and first Events Committee, to be held 4:30 p.m. PST. Met with Rebecca on including academic-focused events, including study nights and Zoom rooms. Working URec to do yoga night and/or mental health.

Yoga Night to be held October 11th.

We need to vote on gift cards as prizes.

Rock the Vote: We can’t incentivize for voting, but we can spread awareness.

Pet photo contest for Halloween.

Veteran’s Day Bingo sponsored.

Cooking night in November.

Director of Marketing and Innovation Report

Trivia Night was put up on the website and will be promoted for social. Alma working on tracker for events to help coordinate social. Would like to have Canva premium to prevent quality dropping. Alma to fill out budget request form.

Director of Communication and Compliance Report

Focused on web updates, including updating the navigation, “About” pages, and Events. Been negatively impacted by wildfires, so been a little on updates.

Topics to Be Tabled for Next Meeting

  • Alumni involvement discussion tabled.
  • Prize discussion tabled.
  • OR/WA Wildfires — discussed during office hours.

No committee updates.

Meeting adjourned at 6:01 p.m.