SDC discusses it’s future

Delegates share campus reports.

By Rachel Cooper

sac-ranger@alamo.edu

The Student District Council met March 24 to share a college and student trustee report, discuss the next student activity fee survey, licensed concealed campus carry and the council’s constitution.

Student Government Association and student trustee elections are in progress.

At this college, packets are in SGA’s office on the second floor of Loftin Student Center and must be turned in by 10 a.m. April 3 in Room 260A to Mark Bigelow, according to a SAC-PR email sent to students March 24.

Palo Alto College has two out of nine officers coming back to SGA, Palo Alto SGA President

Kytheranialynn Fambrough-Brown said.

Northwest Vista College’s SGA is in the process of getting constitutional approval and getting it signed by NVC President Ric Baser and director of student life, Marie Morgan, said NVC’s SGA vice president Salah Ismail.

In regards to the survey, President of Northeast Lakeview’s SGA and chairmen of SDC, Richard Wells said the student activity fee survey that went out this semester would be a guide for collecting data in the next survey.

SGA treasurer at this college, Christopher Scoggins said the data from this year will be outdated a year from now.

“Some of those students would be graduated and no longer with Alamo Colleges,” Wells said.

Wells said there were issues with the data because some students said they were not in favor of the fee and a few questions down clicked that they were for either the $2 per credit hour or $15 flat rate increase in the student activity fee.

Since they were two conflicting answers, those surveys did not count.

In the future SDC should collaborate with student activity directors because it affects their department and their salaries, Wells said.

SDC had two weeks to put out the flier and survey.

“We need to understand that this needs to be a slow meticulous process to make sure that we get good results and good data,” SGA vice president at St. Philip’s Ravi Martinez said.

Martinez suggested the flier for next year explain why the survey is going out again.

Wells said each campuses’ SGA should bring it up in meetings and PR mass emails would be a better option so it would not take up space on the flier.

“If we move forward with this, the first SDC meeting of the new school year should be dedicated to making sure everything is uniform; fliers, surveys, just so we have enough time to work with our student life directors and the administration,” Daniel Guarnero, vice president of Palo Alto’s SGA, said.

All campuses voted on moving forward with the new student activity fee survey for next semester.

Fambrough-Brown proposed a timeline for next year’s SDC delegates so that they have a foundation.

The timeline would include what is recommended for time management based on their experience so they are able to collect data in time to show to the board.

Wells spoke on behalf of student trustee Emmanuel Nyong, who could not make it to the meeting.

“SACSCOC Alamo Colleges is trying to push to have review earlier than Dec. and

SACSCOC denied that. It will be reviewed in December and we will find out then how to move forward with accreditation,” Wells said.

Wells handed out packets for concealed carry that was presented to the board of trustees meeting March 21.

Wells suggested the SGA delegates bring the packets to their meetings, bring questions back to SDC and decide if they want to have consultation with students.

Licensed concealed campus carry goes in effect Aug. 1 at Alamo Colleges.

In other business, The PAC fest included an elected king and queen, “not without controversy,” Guarnero said.

Some students had campaigning done in front of the student center where the share center is located and where people go in to vote for king and queen, Fambrough-Brown said.

“Some people felt that it wasn’t right and going forward the guidelines should be more clear, and there should be more guidelines in place,” Fambrough-Brown said.

This year, the guideline prohibited giving away food, but some groups offered candy and water.

During the last few days of voting, the PR office took a photo of two students campaigning and it was posted on the office Facebook page, she said.

The two students who were photographed won.

PR said they did not have any ill intentions, she said.

On another topic, all delegates of the SDC were in favor of amending the constitution.

“Some delegates who are required to come can’t make it for various reasons,” Wells said of the SDC meetings.

Wells suggested the SDC look at a process for if a delegate can’t fulfill their duty.

Wells mentioned the secretary has voting power in SDC while the chairman does not have voting power.

The SDC is looking at including the executive board so it includes the chairperson of SDC, secretary and student trustee in the executive board.

“That entity, which is the executive board, will only have a vote when there is a tie among the campuses,” Wells said.

This would mean if there were a 2-2 VOTE with one abstaining or someone not present.

In the April 7 meeting, SDC will look at specific amendments.

In the April 21 meeting, members will vote on the amendments themselves.

St. Philip’s SGA decided they will adopt an executive meeting similar to SDC, Martinez said.

Rodell Asher, coordinator of the student leadership institute, sits in as the SDC liaison on behalf of Dr. Adelina Silva, the district’s vice chancellor for student success.

SDC has an executive meeting the first of the month, goes back to the student body and comes back on the second meeting of the month to vote on what was discussed.

The Texas Freedom of Information Handbook states that an executive meeting should only take place when there is consultation with attorneys in regard to litigation, discussion in a sale of real property, hearings for personnel issues and several other requirements.

Asher said the handbook does not apply to SDC because “they are not publically elected officials.”