For questions or clarifications, please contact Senator Kelly Tsao at k.tsao@wustl.edu.
- Vivek’s Presentation: Robert’s Rules and Resolution Writing Demo
- What are Resolutions?
- written motion passed by a deliberative body
- submitted via motion
- voted on by entire body (depending on if quorum is present; for us, 8-9 senators)
- advocates or initiates something
- main way we advocate (laws of SU), as opinion of entire student body
- Types of resolutions
- Internal: from Senate to rest of SU
- External: from Senate and SU to the University Council
- Resolution Structure
- Whereas clause: presents relevant facts and background information of resolution topic
- Resolved clause: provides recommendations for policy changes
- Signatories: Senate sponsor(s), Speaker of the Senate, SU President
- Examples
- Reading past resolutions and discussing
- Features
- Discuss what peer institutions do to help make WashU a more competitive university
- How to Start a Resolution
- Don’t shy away from resistance!
- Research the background of your issue (peer institutions)
- Have an answer to everyone’s questions
- Be prepared!
- Meet with administrators/students/other relevant parties
- Have an idea of what you want to do, but do research through them
- Bring resolution to Senate before meeting administrators
- And ask Mike Hayes for help reaching admins
- Don’t do this!
- Talk to Tommy and committee chairs about how to craft the resolution (esp. formatting)
- Be professional,
- Write up the Whereas and Resolved clauses
- Have ConCouncil look over the document
- How to Pass a Resolution
- Present completed resolution to your committee
- Must pass vote by majority
- Present resolution to Senate Floor
- Presentation -> Questions -> Discussion -> Vote
- Pass by majority
- SU President signs/vetos resolution
- If vetoed, Senate can override with ⅔ vote
- Resolution goes to University Council
- Which has many très important people on it
- You can reach them without camping out in Brookings Quad
- With great power comes great responsibility
- Present completed resolution to your committee
- What are Resolutions?
- Following Up
- The full force of SU is with you
- Emma, Vivek, Tommy, Mike, and everybody else will push for you
- Make sure what you passed actually gets instituted
- Be respectful, but firm
- SU Resolutions impact university policy
- Questions/Answers
- Use your judgement to decide whether you can institute changes with or without resolution, but make sure when you do write one it is based on thorough research
- Conclusion: Put forth your best effort!
- Send out your resolution before the Senate meeting it will be discussed in so people are prepared
- Conversely, make sure you read resolutions before the vote
- Use your judgement to decide whether you can institute changes with or without resolution, but make sure when you do write one it is based on thorough research
- Robert’s Rules
- What are Robert’s Rules?
- Written in 1876 by Henry Martyn Robert
- Rules to keep order in meetings
- Motions made at any time
- Point of Personal Privilege – action to be more comfortable (ie: temperature, noise level)
- Point of Information – asking a question
- Point of Order – calls out breach of rules
- Point of Clarification – clarify statement, not a question; noticing a factual error and correcting it
- Move to Recess – ask for break
- Move to Adjourn – ready to leave
- Motions in Q&A
- Move to discussion
- Motions Made in Discussion
- Move to Table/Take from Table
- Limit/Extend Debate (Speaker can do this at his/her discretion)
- Amend
- Postpone
- Move to Previous Question – requires supermajority (⅔); a vote to go vote
- Vote
- Call for Division of the House – ask people to stand while voting to make vote clear
- Move to Roll Call Vote – Each Senator’s vote recorded in minutes
- Move for Secret Ballot
- Quorum Call – if you believe majority of Senators are not present, can ask for quorum call.
- Senate needs ½ the senators to be present to make a legitimate vote
- Motion Requirements
- Seconds
- Speaker asks for second, then a senator can second it
- Debatable
- only secret ballot, amend, postpone, or main motion
- Amendable
- Main motion can be amended
- No amendments to others
- Some motions only amendable by length of time debated (table, debate, questions)
- Various vote levels needed to pass certain motions
- Seconds
- What are Robert’s Rules?
- Updates
- Peer Institution Research
- Northwestern
- study abroad guide – potential project?
- Rice
- cooler website than ours 🙁
- Rice’s Page
- Rice’ Senate
- Brian will send out google doc. EVERYONE MUST RESPOND.
- Except our pictures will be cropped to the same dimensions
- Johns Hopkins
- Georgetown
- Treasury & Senate together
- bios, current, pending, past projects + their voting result
- message from the speaker
- Emory
- Wonderful Wednesday
- student organizations sign up and program small food/happy hour event
- same time and place every week
- Wonderful Wednesday
- Senators assigned student group; acts as consultant to each group; goes to a few meetings every month
- Northwestern
- Exec
- Presentation with Board of Trustees – Secretary of Board and Student Reps coming to ask them about possibilities for greater student voice (context Peabody protest)
- research things about board
- if particularly interested, contact student reps
- NOT here to talk about particular issues from last semester
- Vivek: Go to as many events as you can; may find a new project
- Presentation with Board of Trustees – Secretary of Board and Student Reps coming to ask them about possibilities for greater student voice (context Peabody protest)
- Treasury
- Advisor
- First Reel Talk tonight!
- Judicial
- Peer Institution Research
- Open Forum
- “Reel Talk Discussion Series” starting soon!!
- Talk it up!
- Tabling tomorrow for Ribbons of Hope from 11am-2 pm in DUC; again Friday
- in progress with meetings with Reslife/DUC
- “Catharsis” – Thursday, Graham Chapel, 6-8 pm- open mic to voice feelings/opinions on Ferguson
- Talk to Rahool if you have any questions for Dining Services
- SU Shirts
- Voting soon; google doc coming tonight from Tommy
- Tomorrow Rod Zebba (sp?) – Dodging Depression week – Simon Hall 7pm
- “Reel Talk Discussion Series” starting soon!!