The Observer, November 3, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 9
USG Briefs
This week, President Neil Ursic' discussed the current plans for the USG office renovations. Also, Ursic mentioned that the Presidential Search Committee for the next University president has come down to its final list, with a candidate likely to be selected around February. He is trying to get a student on the University Planning Committee, with full voting rights.
VP of Student Life Myles Nickolich discussed the ongoing survey regarding the Greenies on campus. Also, he discussed a meeting the Student Life committee had with Bon Appetite last week. They discussed dining options at both L3 and on the Quad.
VP of Finance David Gasser reminded the General Assembly that mass funding started this week. Requests will be due by this coming Friday. The Finance Committee will review requests submitted by groups and allocate money based on current regulations. If any student group does not like the level of funding they receive, there will be a review process involving a review by the Finance Committee, and after that a direct request from the General Assembly.
Parliamentarian Josh Hollabaugh discussed with the General Assembly attendance issues regarding members. USG representatives are allowed three absences, and after that their membership will be brought up for review. Three members who had excessive absences were determined by the Judicial Board as not having satisfactorily represented their constituencies, and their seats were subsequently vacated.
Open forum involved a discussion regarding recent efforts to restrict or ban smoking on campus. Members discussed the feasibility, appropriateness, and fairness of such a ban. Some comments that were circulated regarded concern that a full ban would cause students to leave campus entirely to smoke, which might be unsafe. Also, there was concern that this would violate smokers' rights. A lot of talk regarded the unpleasantness some people experience being in first floors of residence halls when smokers frequent the area outside.
