Rocky Top Wrap-Up

Student Government Association

Fall 2015

@UTKSGA

2211 Dunford Hall

Introduction
One of our primary goals during the 2015-2016 year is to increase communication and
transparency of SGA. This document contains highlights of several accomplishments
from the fall 2015 semester. Please feel free to visit our website (sga.utk.edu) for more
information and updates throughout this coming semester. Continually listening to the
student voice and helping address student issues is and will continue to be a main
priority of your SGA. If you wish to provide feedback or have concerns, please contact
your senator, contact us on social media, or reach out to one of our executive officers.
We want to serve the student body to the best of our ability, which is why your feedback
is essential. Best of luck in the spring semester!

Executive Cabinet
Position

Name

E-Mail

President

Will Freeman

sga1@utk.edu

Vice President

Madison Kahl

sga2@utk.edu

Student Services Director

Mariah Beane

sga3@utk.edu

Chief of Staff

Bethany Vanhooser

sgacos@utk.edu

Executive Secretary

Mitch Baker

sgasec@utk.edu

Executive Treasurer

Kenan Smith

sgatreasurer@utk.edu

Director of External Relations

Miranda Gottlieb

mgottlieb@utk.edu

Director of Communications

Beverly Banks

sgacomms@utk.edu

Graduate Student Senate President

John Keny

gss@utk.edu

Board of Trustees Representative

Jalen Blue

bot@utk.edu

Notable SGA Accomplishments

1. The majority of students chose option 1 for student programming
a. 85% of all students opted to allocate their Student Programming and Services Fee
towards student-organized programming
b. 92% of students enrolled in six or more hours at the university chose option 1
c. SGA worked with other campus organizations to encourage students to indicate
option 1

2. Presidents Roundtable
a. In an effort to hear student leader voices and connect with the student body SGA
hosted 7 roundtable discussions across campus with student organization
presidents
b. Leaders shared concerns about effective member communication, administrative
support, and funding availability
3. All Campus Survey
a. 5,537 students participated in the survey
b. Top issues raised by students Parking, Dining and Construction
c. SGA plans to prioritize future policy and initiatives based on expressed student
concerns
4. Established a Fort Sanders Task Force to address safety concerns
a. The task force is broken into 4 subcommittees to focus on:
i. Current policies and practices, including safety programs
ii. Safety resources/technology additions
iii. Student liability concerns and education
iv. Student/police communication and jurisdiction
b. Updates from the task force are as follows:
i. The University of Tennessee Police Department has developed a mobile
safety application called the Rave Guardian App.
ii. The UT Alert system has been discussed and conversations regarding
when a UT Alert is sent will continue to be discussed.
iii. Student liability awareness for on and off campus events and methods to
resolve confusion among students was another issue raised.
5. Launched the Student Services Health and Wellness Committee
a. The Committee conducted an Active Shooter Awareness Preparation

Student Senate
Legislation passed
1. Bill to Recommend the Adoption of Student Senate Bylaw Revisions of Articles I
and II (Bill 01-16)
a. This bill requests the adoption of the revised Articles I and II of the
Student Senate Bylaws, which will update the bylaws to be more relevant
to the business of Student Senate.
b. Presented by Senators Jennings Hardee, Morgan Chance, Lori Eller,
Tristan Smith, and Matthew Morris
2. Bill to Requiring Instructor Contact Information Display on Blackboard (Bill 0216)
a. This bill requires all instructors to post their UTK email in the contacts tab
of every Blackboard course portal that they have access to.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

b. Presented by Senator Ross Martin

Bill Advising the Reconsideration of an Undergraduate Research Fee (Bill 03-16)
a. This bill strongly encourages and implores the University of Tennessee,
Knoxville, to reconsider the proposed Undergraduate Research Fee as
stated in Bill 16-15. Student Senate Bill 16-15 called for the implementation
of a $5 fee per semester for undergraduate research.
b. Presented by Senators John Dooley, Sam England, Jennings Hardee, and
Louis Varriano
Bill to Promote Sustainable and Transparent Food Policies on Campus (Bill 0516)
a. This bill states that the Student Government Association Student Senate
demands the following to address concerns over food justice,
sustainability, nutrition, and transparency:
i. Annual increase in procurement of real food, culminating in at
least 20% real food on campus by the year 2020
ii. Transparency in contracts and purchasing details, including use of
the student-run Real Food Calculator
iii. To fulfill policies stated on all Aramark websites
Bill Endorsing Educational Efforts and a Preferred Pronoun Policy Concerning
Gender-Neutral Pronouns (Bill 06-16)
a. This bill resolves that the Student Senate officially endorses the article
written by Donna Braquet, the Director of the Pride Center, which called
for increased awareness and education about the use of gender-neutral
pronouns. The bill also requests that an option be added to the MyUTK
Banner Service that would allow students to specify their preferred
pronoun to be used in a classroom setting.
b. Presented by Senators Tristan Smith, Jennings Hardee, Travis Wilson,
Sam England, and Don Black
Resolution Encouraging the University of Tennessee System to Opt-Out of any
Facility Services Outsourcing Plan (RES-02-2016)
a. This resolution recommends that the University of Tennessee System
administrators decline to opt-in to the governors privatization plan,
specifically refusing any efforts to outsource all campus facility
management positions to to a third-party corporation.
b. Presented by Senator Tristan Smith
Resolution in Support of Reducing the Solid Waste Generated by the University
of Tennessee (RES-03-16)
a. This resolution expresses support for the reduction of solid waste,
specifically styrofoam containers and plastic grocery bags, generated in the
Universitys merchandising stores and dining locations.
b. Presented by Senators Don Black and Ross Martin

Other updates
1. Attended luncheon with Chancellor Cheek and other administration to discuss
updates and current initiatives
2. Hosted Meet Your Senator Week, which allows senators to interact and gather
feedback from constituents
3. Received updates from Dean Shivers on the current status of previous legislation
that was passed
4. Hosted a development day for senators to brainstorm ideas for legislation
5. Senate sessions are now recorded and streamed live

Student Services
1. Environment & Sustainability Committee
a. Participated in the 2015 Tennessee Valley Authority Integrated Resource
Plan process
b. Food Justice Week panel on Smokeys Pantry and food insecurity
i. Collaboration with Oxfam America and Beardsley Farm
c. Hosted Real Food Challenge regional organizers
d. Worked with the Tyson House to launch Smokeys Pantry in spring 2016
e. Real Food Challenge
i. Wrote an open letter to Aramark and attained over 1,000 signatures
from the student body in support of the Real Food Challenge
ii. Passed a bill for SGAs support of the Real Food Challenge
f. Waste Reduction
i. Passed a resolution for SGAs support in reducing waste on campus
2. Traditions Committee
a. Hosted multiple Big Orange Friday celebrations throughout the semester
b. Helped host All Vol Tailgate to provide a safe and inclusive tailgating
opportunity for over 500 students
c. Hosted the annual Homecoming Bonfire with over 400 student attendees
3. Academic Affairs Committee
a. Hosted Hot Chocolate and Chill as part of the librarys De-Stress for
Success during finals week
b. Participated with Multicultural Student Lifes Vol Walk of Life: New Vols
Edition
4. Government Affairs Committee
a. Hosted a voter registration drive in conjunction with the Secretary of
States Office
b. Represented students in Nashville during a Senate Higher Education
Subcommittee hearing regarding diversity issues on campus

c. Hosted a debate between College Republicans and College Democrats

d. Facilitated Cheek Speak for students to engage in discussions with
Chancellor Cheek
5. Health & Wellness Committee
a. Hosted an Active Shooter Alert Preparedness with UT Emergency
Management and the University of Tennessee Police Department
b. Planned for mental and physical health initiatives for the spring semester
6. New Student Life Committee
a. Hosted a Transfer Student Social in collaboration with the Center for
Student Engagement and Tennessee Transfer Connect
b. Facilitated a finger painting events as part of the librarys De-Stress for
Success event during finals week
7. Diversity Affairs
a. Worked on initiative for university maps to include places of worship and
gender neutral restrooms
b. Participated in the College of Communication & Informations Diversity
Week
c. Worked on legislation regarding the importance of diversity and inclusion
at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Administrative Committees
1. Students helped to approve funding for various student organizations and
projects
2. Student representatives provided feedback on potential dining establishments for
Phase 2 of the Student Union
3. Committee members discussed ways to address student concerns surrounding
parking, bus routes, and other issues with campus transportation
4. Students participated in discussions surrounding the implementation of a HOPE
tracker on MyUTK and potential improvements to the Big Orange Tix
5. Members participated in positive discussions on how the library can continue to
meet student needs and improve upon services provided
6. Several committees were involved in discussions in support of the Office for
Diversity and Inclusion
7. Continued discussion surrounding a designated veterans space and an
orientation for veterans
8. Student representatives approved various sustainability project proposals to
receive funding throughout the semester

Other Accomplishments
1. SGA met with representatives from other UT System schools to discuss issues
and ideas that could benefit all campuses
2. Student Conduct Response
3. Hosted various Welcome Week events for incoming students
4. Created Have Your Say With SGA, which is where SGA tables to provide
opportunities for students to discuss concerns
5. Established a Communications Committee within SGA to aid in increasing both
internal and external communication
6. Created and implemented a Student Advisory Board for the Vice Chancellor of
Finance and Administration
7. Hosted a student forum to provide an opportunity for students to participate in
an open dialogue relating to the discussions surrounding the Office for Diversity
and Inclusion

First Year Council Update

1. Elected officers to their Steering Committee
a. Ovi Kabir, Chair - okabir@vols.utk.edu
b. Craig Collins, Vice-Chair - ccolli64@vols.utk.edu
c. Carly Brown, Secretary - hqm346@vols.utk.edu
d. Ira Lee, Parliamentarian - ilee5@vols.utk.edu
2. Passed a bill to recommend the amendment of First-Year Council Bylaws to be
more inclusive (Bill FC-01-16)
a. Presented by Thomas Cortez, Dominique Barron, Matthew Meyers, Rachel
Klein, and Xavier Greer
3. Participated in a Fall Retreat filled with ice-breaking activities, committee
breakouts, and legislation brainstorming
4. Hosted a First Year Forum to provide an opportunity for first year students to
express concerns

Judicial Branch
1.
2.
3.
4.

A Chief Justice and six Associate Justices were selected for the Judicial Branch
Authored and implemented a set of bylaws for the Judicial Branch
Established a method for hearing requests to be submitted
Heard a case regarding the constitutionality of the passage of a piece of
legislation by Senate
5. Will serve as the Ethics Committee for SGA elections

Graduate Student Senate Achievements

1. Implemented Ombudsperson legislation from the spring of 2015
2. Directed $240,000 in travel awards to graduates presenting research at
conferences
3. Hosted multiple socials for graduate students throughout the semester

Spring Goals
1. Help to implement a roommate search system for incoming students or students
who wish to continue to live on campus
2. Release SGA survey themes based on written student feedback
3. Continue to update the SGA website to provide clear communication and
transparency
4. Establish an online portal for administrative committee meetings on website to
increase transparency and awareness
5. Continue to serve as an active participant in the conversations with state
legislators regarding diversity and inclusion on campus
6. Release the Fort Sanders Task Force recommendations in an effort to increase
safety and communication in the Fort Sanders neighborhood
7. Participate in events to raise awareness for sexual assault