Three bills pass Operations committee

Posted to On Campus by Campbell Massie at 11:34 p.m., Nov. 18, 2008

Bills regarding the effect of hiring freeze on student employees, correcting a budget error for the MSA/GPC Craft Studio and a possible town meeting to gage reactions to changing plus/minus grading passed through the Operations committee Tuesday night.

Bill 48-25 passed the Operations Committee stipulating that $3,713.28 be transferred from the New Student Center Equipment Fund to the MSA/GPC Craft Studio’s Budget for the Fall semester of 2009.

The Craft Studio was allocated $11,059 from the equipment fund on materials such as movers, furniture and new equipment for their moving from Brady Commons. The Craft Studio moved into Memorial Union this year and used $3,713.28 during that time, but through a miscommunication about the account to transfer the funds to, the funds were not transferred. Now the studio is in danger of being over-budget if the transfer is not made. The bill acts to correct this error.

Operations passed Bill 48-26, which was filed in response to UM system President Gary Forsee enacting a system-wide immediate hiring freeze on administrative, staff and faculty positions due to the country’s economic downturn.

Speaker Jonathan Mays said though the official position is unclear, due to different people within the administration’s differing answers, the freeze may also extend to student employees.

Although the status of student employment is unclear, the bill is meant to make the Senate’s stance clear: that they want Chancellor Brady Deaton to grant an exception to the freeze for all student employee positions on campus.

Operations approved Bill 48-27, a resolution asking for a town hall meeting between students, faculty and interested parties to examine the issue of plus/minus grading. The meeting would discuss what effect any changes would have on GPA’s and grading policies.

The bill also resolves that Senate should work with the Faculty Council to plan the event, to be scheduled for February or earlier.

All bills passed Operations and will be presented to full Senate tomorrow night.