Senate Bills: Weeks 1 – 4
- No legislation passed.
Week 2: 13th September – 20th September
-The Delay of Game Act: The bill called for a delay of the freshmen elections from Thursday, September 22nd, to Thursday, September 29th.
Vote Count: 13-2-1
Week 3: 20th September – 27th September
- No legislation passed.
Week 4: 27th September – 4th October
- Homecoming Grant Act: In an effort to better expand Homecoming to the entire W&M community, the bill allocated up to $10,000 from the Student Activities Reserve for four Greek organizations to host campus-wide events.
Vote Count: 8-6-0
-Deep Roots Act: The bill allocated up to $950 from the Primary Off-Campus Account for the purchase of 175 Deep Roots T-shirts in order to promote the Deep Roots Campaign.
Vote Count: Unanimous Consent
- Freshman Election Act: The bill allocated up to $3,140 from the Student Activities Reserve to pay Votenet for eBallot and to reimburse Jake Schnieder $10.50 for the election information session fliers.
Vote Count: 12-2-0
SB 318-073: Keep Activities and Events Thriving Act
318th Student Assembly,
Senate Bill 318-073
A Bill
To ensure that student clubs and organizations receive the money they need
Keep Activities and Events Thriving Act
An Act of the 318th Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary,
Sponsored by Senator Stefanie Felitto of the Class of 2012
WHEREAS, Student Organizations’ Activities and Events color the identity and culture of the College of William and Mary;
WHEREAS, Allocating money to student clubs and organizations is arguably one of the most important functions of the Student Assembly;
WHEREAS, There exists a perennial quandary within the Executive Appropriations Committee, within the leadership of the Executive and the Senate and within the Senate Finance Committee when it comes to allocating the ideal amount of funding for Special Events, Activities and Improvements fund for the upcoming year;
WHEREAS, There is currently a lack of codified language pertaining to a scenario where the allotted money in the Special Events, Activities and Improvements fund are depleted.
Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary –
(1) Changes all instances of the wording “Consolidated Reserve” within the Code of the Student Assembly, to “Student Activities Reserve” to avoid confusion with the account’s name change in the Office of Student Activities.
(2) Adds the following language to section 3.3-5.5, Subsection 2 of the Code of the Student Assembly to read as follows:
§3.3-5.5. Student Activities Reserve Fund
- The Department of Finance shall be charged with estimating revenues generated by the Student Activities fund, and any monies that are appropriated through the budget process and not used, shall be placed in a fund named the Student Activities Reserve Fund. At the end of the academic year, before any monies that are appropriated through the budget process and not used are placed in the Student Activities Reserve Fund, any monies in the Student Activities Reserve Fund in excess of $100,000 shall be given to the Fund for William and Mary to be endowed to generate interest for the College in perpetuity. The Student Activities Reserve fund may be used for emergency funding or special projects that the Student Assembly deems beneficial to the campus as whole.
- The Student Activities Reserve Fund is meant for larger purchases that will benefit most students at the College. More particular funding requests should be addressed to the Special Events, Activities and Improvements Fund.
a. If the Special Events, Activities and Improvements Fund is depleted during any part of the academic year, monies will be replenished in increments of $1000 from the Student Activities Reserve, which will continue upon event of the Special Events, Activities and Improvements Fund depletion until the Student Activities Reserve has been depleted.
SB 318-072: The Student Protection Act
318th Student Assembly
SB 318-072
A Bill
to clarify that the medical amnesty program is in the interests of all students
The Student Protection Act
Sponsored by Senators Zach Marcus (‘12), Adam Stokes (’12), Dallen McNerney (’14), Stefanie Felitto (’12), Mike Young (’11), Shep Walker (’11), Chase Koontz (’14) and Carlos Quintela (’12)
WHEREAS, all students are protected from dangerous situations by the medical amnesty program;
WHEREAS, the program is already confusing to many students;
WHEREAS, using medical amnesty requests in the hiring process for Orientation Aide and Resident
Assistant positions, and for consideration for study abroad opportunities, further complicates the policy;
WHEREAS, using medical amnesty requests as part of a hiring process clarifies that the program is not
currently being used as intended; and
WHEREAS, the student body expects that when they request medical amnesty no records will be kept of
their use of this protection.
Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary-
- Requests that Medical Amnesty requests not be used or reported to anyone, as this defeats the purpose of the program;
- Informs Dean Gilbert that the student body expects and demands that private information about any potential medical amnesty requests not be revealed to anyone.
- Asks that all records altered in regards to medical amnesty be expunged.
SB 318-070: Campus Safety Assurance Act
318th Student Assembly,
Senate Bill 318-070
A Bill
To ensure campus safety walks continue in perpetuity
Campus Safety Assurance Act
An Act of the 318th Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary,
Sponsored by Mike Young (’11), Ryan Ruzic (JD ’11)
WHEREAS, Campus safety walks are important to do every year so that communication can exist between administrators and students to problem areas and other safety issues on campus.
WHEREAS, In order to ensure that these walks happen every year the Code of the Student Assembly needs to explicitly be amended so this is a responsibility all of its members share.
Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary –
(1) Amends the code to read as follows:
Chapter 4: Department of Health and Safety
§3.4-1. There shall be an Executive Department of Student Health and Safety. The Department shall manage, coordinate, and advocate for Assembly actions on student health, campus safety policy, and other related issues.
The Department shall have the following roles:
1. Coordination of and advocacy for Campus Safety Activities, including a campus safety walk to be done jointly with the college administration, student life committee, and other student organizations on a yearly basis.
2. Coordination of and advocacy for Sexual Assault Policy and Procedures
3. Working with the Student Recreation Center to coordinate student health, Intramural
Sports, and Club Sports activities.
§3.4-2. Within the Department of Health and Safety there shall be a Secretary of Health and Safety who shall control the Department. There shall also be Assistant Secretaries and other Deputies for the roles assigned to the Department in §3.4-1, as the President shall deem necessary.
§3.4-3. The roles prescribed in §3.4-1 may be expanded through the direction of the President.
SB 318-058: Drunk Driving and Sexual Assault Prevention Act
318th Student Assembly,
Senate Bill 318-058
A Bill
to post safety numbers in the campus bars.
Drunk Driving and Sexual Assault Prevention Act
An Act of the 318th Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary,
Sponsored by Senator Ryan Ruzic (JD ’11)
WHEREAS, the Student Assembly has created a list of safety numbers including the contact number for Campus Escort, Campus Police, Steer Clear, Sexual Assault Peer Advocates, and Student Legal Services.
WHEREAS, the Student Assembly has previously attempted to distributed these numbers by placing a number of emergency numbers on the back of ID cards.
WHEREAS, many students have ID cards with few numbers on the back.
WHEREAS, many students are unaware they have ID cards with any numbers on the back.
WHEREAS, many of these numbers would be helpful to a student leaving a bar.
WHEREAS, having these numbers on or near the exits of the campus bars would not only provide interested students the numbers, but also remind intoxicated students that these resources are available to them.
Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary –
(1) Appropriate up to $150 to purchase materials with the following numbers on them and Brought to You by the Student Assembly.
a. Steer Clear: (757) 221-3748
b. Campus Escort: (757) 221-3293
c. Student Legal Services: (757) 253-4146
d. Sexual Assault Peer Advocates: (757) 645-8367
(2) Charge the sponsors of this bill and the Department of Health and Safety with coordinating with local businesses to have these numbers as prominently displayed near the exits as possible.
SB 318-068: The Legislative Priorities Act
318th Student Assembly,
Senate Bill 318-068
A Bill
To Set the Legislative Priorities for the Student Assembly for this General Assembly Session
The Legislative Priorities Act
An Act of the 318th Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary,
Sponsored by Senator Michael Douglass (2011)
Supported by Secretary of Public Affairs Emily Gottschalk-Marconi and Undersecretaries to Richmond Katie Deabler and Thomas Chappell
WHEREAS, William & Mary students regularly lobby the General Assembly for a variety of causes; and
WHEREAS, it is important for the Student Assembly to support that lobbying as much as possible by showing the sense of the student body.
Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary makes the following statements on behalf of the student body at William & Mary–
(1) We believe that the current ratio of in state to out of state students encourages diversity at the College of William and Mary. Out of state students also provide an opportunity for the state of Virginia to attract elite minds to the state. As the amount of state funding has decreased, the College of William and Mary has come to depend on the funding that comes from out of state tuition.
(2) In state undergraduate tuition and fees increased $1,088, or 9.8% for the 2010-11 academic year. This is largely due to the fact that state provided funding has decreased by 32% over the course of the past two years. The College of William and Mary is a world-class university, and it requires funding to stay that way. In order for William and Mary to remain financially accessible to a diverse body of students, this funding cannot come from tuition increases. We believe that state funding is essential to preserve the quality and character of the College.
(3) We believe that while an institution of higher learning should be concerned with the safety of its student body, students’ privacy must and should be preserved. Students who commit crimes should be answerable primarily to the law enforcement and judicial bodies that adjudicate their crime.
SB 318-067: Extended Orientation Reform Act
318th Student Assembly,
Senate Bill 318-067
A Bill
To reform Freshman Extended Orientation
The Extended Orientation Reform Act
An Act of the 318th Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary,
Sponsored by Senators Dallen McNerney (‘14) and Chase Koontz (’14)
WHEREAS, Extended Orientation is a permanent establishment of the College administration to help facilitate the freshman transition into the College environment;
WHEREAS, the current system of Extended Orientation is not optimal for freshman, interfering with schedules that at times make it more difficult to adapt to college life; and
WHEREAS, the messages that Extended Orientation programs would like to convey are diluted by placing extra stress upon freshman.
Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary-
- Supports a system of limiting extended orientation so that it ends before midterms.
- Supports allowing students to independently schedule extended orientation sessions.
- Charges the sponsors of this bill to discuss these changes to the Extended Orientation system with the Dean of Students Office as well as explore more ways to improve the current system by actively discussing viable alternatives with both the student body and the administration
SB 318-066: Keep Swem Open for 24-Hours During Finals Act
318th Student Assembly
Senate Bill 318-066
A Bill
To keep Swem Library open for 24 hours during the final exam period
Keep Swem Open for 24-Hours During Finals Act
An Act of the 318th Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary,
Sponsored by Senator Stef Felitto, 2012
WHEREAS, last year’s “Keep Swem Open During Finals Act”, and “The Swem Final Exams Reauthorization Act” proved to provide very successful services for students;
WHEREAS, the program was clearly popular enough to be continued;
WHEREAS, efforts are still ongoing to make this program a permanent part of the College’s budget.
Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary –
- Allocates up to $4380 from the Student Activities Reserve Fund to pay for Swem to fully extend its hours of operation through the night on the evenings of December 5-9 and December 12-14, 2010, with the money divided up as follows:
- $3180 will be used to pay a one-time fee for additional security;
- Up to $1200 will be used to pay a one-time fee for additional cleaning operations.
- Charges the sponsor of this bill with:
- Continuing to work with Swem and the William & Mary Police Department to ensure the actions of this bill are carried out smoothly and as intended;
- Drafting a line item to fund this program to be inserted in the 2011-2012 budget, and encourage such line items thereafter until the College agrees to fund this program permanently;
- Working with administrators such as the President’s Office, Interim Dean of Libraries and the Chief Financial Officers Office to encourage the College to pay for this program each semester to create a more sustainable program, that students can count on.
SB 318-063: The Free Massages During Finals Act
318th Student Assembly,
Senate Bill 318-063
A Bill
To provide free massages for the Fall 2010 exam period
The Free Massages During Finals Act
An Act of the 318th Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary,
Sponsored by Senator Erin Mee (‘11)
WHEREAS, eight massage chairs are being installed in Swem Library at the end of November by Campus Massage;
WHEREAS, this service received overwhelmingly positive reviews when it was tested during the Spring 2010 final exam period. One massage chair received 550 uses and 70% of survey respondents said they would pay for the service themselves;
WHEREAS, the number one reason for the use of counseling centers on college campuses is stress;
WHEREAS, studies have shown that using massage chairs reduces stress.; and
WHEREAS, reducing stress and promoting mental health are priorities for the Student Assembly.
Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary-
1. Allocates $4,000 from the Student Activities Reserve to provide free massages on the eight massage chairs during the Fall 2010 exam period starting December 6th, 2010 and ending December 15th 2010.
2. Allocates additional monies from the Student Activities Reserve based on the number of uses the chairs receive. For every 700 uses recorded, Campus Massage will receive an additional $1000. This additional payment will be limited to a maximum of $4000 in the event that more than 2800 uses are recorded.
3. Charges the sponsors of this bill and Campus Massage to advertise the availability of free massages during the exam period
4. Charges Campus Massage to post “Provided by Your Student Assembly” on the massage chair units.
5. The Student Assembly shall not be responsible for downtime, maintenance, or any malfunction. Chairs that malfunction shall be replaced within 48 hours at no charge. Any time the machines are not running, the Student Assembly will be reimbursed by Campus Massage.
SB 318-061: The 2011 Senior Class Gift Assistance Act
318th Student Assembly
Senate Bill 318-061
A Bill
To make improve a critical William & Mary tradition and make the 2011 Senior Class Gift possible
The 2011 Senior Class Gift Assistance Act
An Act of the 318th Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary,
Sponsored by Senator: Matt Paganussi (’14), Curt Mills (‘13) and Stef Felitto (’12)
Supported by Senior Class President Michael Tsidulko (’11), and Senator Michael Anthony Young (’11)
WHEREAS, The Senior class gift is facing more institutional stipulations than ever before;
WHEREAS, The Class of 2011 has faced particular troubles with increasing turnover in leadership; and
WHEREAS, Class of 2011 leaders have plans to significantly revamp the Senior Class gift process in order to prevent further financial issues in the future.
Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary –
- Allows for a one-time allocation, because of a unique circumstance, of $4,000 from the Student Activities Reserve to the Class of 2011 to allow the Senior Class Gift to function throughout the remainder of the school year, to run the year-long fundraising campaign, to put on events and incentives for donors, and to strengthen ties to the College of William & Mary in its time of financial need, as pursuant to the Finance Code.
- Charges the Finance Committee, the Finance Department, the Undergraduate Council, and members of the Senior Class Gift Committee with exploring sustainable solutions to this issue.
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