Senate Discusses Excessive Absenteeism
Susan Pruitt
Editor-in-Chief
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| Photo by Susan Pruitt |
| Rules for Absenteeism- Zack Tucker, senate pro-tempore, explains the 24-hour grace period for reporting absences. Tucker said seven demerits remain the limit for senate members before the person's name is submitted to the Supreme Court for a hearing |
The University of Arkansas at Monticello senate discussed absenteeism and nominated new members Oct. 1.
Angelia Buford, senate clerk, proposed giving demerits to excessively absent members.
“We have already accumulated two absences, which is from one of our members, including our secretary. I would like to propose for someone to step in to take on the duties of assigning demerits if the secretary cannot be here,” Buford said.
Senate Pro-tempore Zack Tucker said if the secretary can’t do his job, then Mindy Holcomb, director of Student Programs and Activities, must assume the secretary’s responsibilities.
Tucker said demerits will be awarded to absent members starting at the next meeting Oct. 15.
“I want to remind senators, if you can't make a meeting, don’t worry. There is a mechanism so you will not receive demerits,” Tucker said.
Tucker explained a 24-hour grace period exists before the meeting and after the meeting. He said a form must be filled out during that period to excuse absentees.
He said, if a member misses a meeting and doesn’t fill out the form, one absence equals three demerits. When a member accumulates seven absences, the person’s name is submitted to the Supreme Court for a hearing. At the hearing, the Supreme Court decides the punishment.
Jonathan Greenlee, a speech communications major, said the two senators in Phi Lamb didn’t know about the meeting.
“I sent it to the student list. If they are a student on campus, they should have gotten the e-mail,” Marshelvia Collins Thompson said.
Tucker said he would conduct a demonstration on how to forward campus e-mail to a regular e-mail account at the next meeting. He said last year this was a problem, but not an excuse.
Tucker said most of the senators from last year have either graduated, moved to other branches of the government or have decided student government was just not for them.
Sandy Herring, Student Government Association president, nominated three members for senate.
The
nominated members include:
- Matthew Flemister
- Hunter Gillium
- Anthony Boykin
Tucker said the meeting
consisted of a quorum based on the number of members who wanted to be a member
this year.
Greenlee seconded the motion made by Tucker to accept the three nominations as senators.
Tucker reminded members how last year the Student Activities Board appointed its Supreme Court members.
Supreme Court members
include:
- Tiffany Reed
- Errin James
- Albert Snow, professor in the Education department
“I have
appointed Angelia Buford, Jessica Goodwin and Dr. Carol Strong from the
Political Science department,” Tucker said.
Herring appointed Hunter Gilliam, Anthony Boykin and Jim Horn, instructor of Military Science.
Tucker discussed re-elections for this year’s positions in the senate.
The filled
positions include:
- Zack Tucker, senate president pro-tempore
- Angelia Buford, clerk
- Troy Dillard, secretary
- Jonathan Greenlee, parliamentarian
“These are
all interim positions during the summer, during our transition period,” Tucker
said.
Official elections take place at the next meeting.
Greenlee asked if someone could contact Information Technology to remove the requirement to change campus e-mail passwords every three months.
“I don’t access my stuff, but maybe one time a month to reply to an e-mail, which I have to do it from the uamont stuff to a uamont account, so it doesn’t get mixed up in the Barracuda (spam),” Greenlee said.
Herring said she would contact Information Technology.
The next senate meeting takes place Oct. 15 at 12:30 in the University Center House Room.
For more information on the senate, please contact Mindy Holcomb at holcomb@uamont.edu.
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