Fee committee quorum violation invalidates votes

In its second open meeting Feb. 2, the Student Activity Fee Committee awarded $5,721.97 to four student organizations and denied two proposals after the director of student life ruled that three student members of a nine-member committee constituted a quorum.

Two student members and an alternate and the nonvoting chair, student life Director Jorge Posadas met in the health promotions office in Loftin Student Center. The two faculty members on the committee were not present. Another two faculty positions are vacant.

However, Eddie Cruz, ethics and compliance officer for the district, told The Ranger today that there has to be a minimum of three student members and two faculty members present to constitute a quorum.

District procedure F.2.3.1 says, "For the purpose of this committee, a quorum consists of any combination of members with a plurality of student members present."

Cruz said decisions are invalid if the committee meets without a quorum.

Posadas announced that President Robert Zeigler and Dr. Robert Vela, vice president of student affairs, recommended increasing the student activity fee to $2.

This recommendation came after a meeting of district vice presidents of student affairs at which it was reported that student activity fee committees were exploring doubling the activity fee to $2 per semester hour.

The Ranger reported Dec. 1 that the committee at this college voted 5-0 in favor of increasing the student activity fee to $3 per semester hour from the current $1 fee established in 2006.

In the Feb. 2 meeting, this college's committee revisited the increase and voted 3-0 to change the committee's recommendation to $2 per semester hour.

The Alamo Community College District board of trustees must approve the increase.

In other business, the committee unanimously voted to deny $789.75 to the Students United for the DREAM Act. They requested funds to attend the 37th annual conference of the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education Feb. 1-4 in Galveston.

The committee rejected the request because the event had already occurred.

Jacob Wong, psychology sophomore and Student Government Association president, said the organization submitted an incomplete application for funds to attend the conference.

The committee next reviewed two applications from Mexican-American Engineers and Scientists.

It approved $1,595 for the club to attend the Texas A&M Regional Engineering Conference Feb. 10-11 at Texas A&M University in College Station, but denied the organization's request for $1,590.50 for a Feb. 15-18 MAES National Leadership Conference in Houston because of errors in a budget summary.

The proposal listed a $400 registration fee for four students, one adviser and travel costs, but Wong said the committee investigated the conference and found the registration fee was $375.

Wong told The Ranger Friday that the committee does not discuss proposals before its open meetings.

When contacted today to clarify whether the committee reviewed the proposals prior to its recently opened meetings, Wong, who said Feb. 8 Student Government Association will not agree to interviews with The Ranger, said he will not talk to The Ranger even as a member of the Student Activity Fee Committee.

Wong is not a member of the committee but was sitting in as an alternate for one of the student members.

Students In Free Enterprise submitted a request for $2,056.10 to attend the SIFE USA Regional Competition April 12-14 in Dallas.

Nursing sophomore Daniel Having moved to grant SIFE'S request on the condition the organization submits a revised dissemination plan to share the group's experience with the campus when they return.

The motion passed unanimously.

Beta Nu Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, requested $1,270.87 to attend a Phi Theta Kappa Texas Regional Conference March 8-12 in Odessa.

Wong moved to approve the request on the condition that PTK returns to the committee with a dissemination plan to inform the college community of what they learn at the conference. The motion was approved unanimously.

At a previous meeting, the committee awarded $500 for digital design students in the department of media communications to participate in the ADDY Awards, honors for advertising professionals and students, but they did not receive funds in time, said Mark Bigelow, assistant coordinator of student leadership and activities.

The committee approved carrying over the original $500 award and increasing it to $800 for 40 student submissions to the eighth Annual National Student Show and Conference April 12-14 in Dallas.

The show in Dallas is more prestigious than the ADDY Awards, Bigelow said.

Four committee members did not attend the Feb. 2 meeting.

They are Charles Falcon, theater and speech communication professor; Deidra Flynn-Dobson, American Sign Language instructor; Leonard Herbeck, speech communication sophomore; and psychology sophomore Rebecca Ross.

Student life secretary Mary Schlabig said Falcon was absent from the meeting to prepare for the opening night of "Steel Magnolias."

Schlabig said she could not provide by press time reasons the remaining members were absent.

The Ranger reported Bigelow said Nov. 29 philosophy Professor John Visintainer and student development Professor Dehlia Wallis resigned from the Student Activity Fee Committee.

Zeigler said in a phone interview Monday that he is in the process of making appointments to fill the vacant faculty positions.

Having and Michael Martinez, anthropology sophomore and Student Government Association commissioner, were student members present along with Wong.

The policy states, "Up to four student alternates may be appointed by the college President."