To the Editors of the Statesman,
We may have done a lot last year, but don’t mistake that for fatigue; this year’s Undergraduate Student Government is ready to govern.
This Summer, the USG focused on improving the experience of club leaders while planning events for the campus community. A major concern was club leaders would often be sent running between many offices just to get all the required paperwork in order.
We’re add-ressing this concern in three ways: firstly, clubs will submit A/V, events security and ticket office contracts directly to our Administrative Director, cutting the need to meet with three additional people; secondly, we have established a close working relationship with the Department of Student Activities in order to streamline the entire event planning process; and thirdly, we will be launching an electronic voucher system this October, ALLOCATE, which will move most of our paperwork online eliminating the need for most clubs to ever step foot into our office and establishing a more environmentally friendly process.
Last year, the USG made a historical change by passing the 2010 Establishment of Student Life Act. The Act overhauled the Student Activities Board (SAB), an organization that was relatively unchanged since its creation in 1964. We recognized that the old SAB structure was inadequate given the large increase in enrollment: 1,700 vs. 16,000. The changes focused on creating more USG oversight, targeting larger and more diverse populations of the student body, and giving the USG more flexibility in its event programming.
We will begin to see the results of the restructuring this year, and I think the events we have in store for you will be a pleasant surprise to the student body. The USG will also be sponsoring two fast growing Stony Brook traditions: Humans vs. Zombies and Rock Yo Face Case.
Our agenda as elected officials is to improve the experience of students here at Stony Brook University. Due to the diverse makeup of the USG, we sometimes we have differing opinions on the initiatives we each propose, but do not confuse this with a personal agenda.
We are not the Polity of a decade ago, but don’t just take my word for it; I invite the student body to our Senate meetings, every Thursday from 7:00pm – 9:00pm in SAC Ballroom B. If you can’t make it, just visit our office in SAC 202 and say hello. Any of the elected officials who are in the office will most certainly be willing to speak with you.
Best,
Alexander E. Dimitriyadi
USG Executive Vice President
Anonymous • Oct 4, 2010 at 12:05 pm
So it is “STONY BROOK STUDENTS FIRST!” What happened to respresenting the Students of Southampton at today’s(10/04/10) Stony Brook Council meeting? Instead of representing; USG was influenced by the pressure of the Administration and sold out the students of Southampton!
Instead of building bridges the USG President just put up a fence!
Anonymous • Sep 28, 2010 at 11:46 am
“Incompetance”- is when USG admittedly states that:
“Historically, the Events Management Agency has been corrupt, including employees and directors claiming fraudulent hours and cronyism.”
“At this time, there are no guidelines or rules for the events management agency.”
http://sbusg.org/files/2010/09/Establishment-of-Events-Management-Bylaws-Act.pdf
Does the corruption go beyond the Events Management Agency and where is the oversight?
Events Management is an Agency Of USG and according to your own Constitution:
USG Constitution:
General Duties and Responsibilities of Agencies:
Agencies are to perform according to the specific purpose for which they were established.
Specific duties and responsibilities are set in each agency’s operations manual. Those operations manuals are considered a part of the Executive Council policies and procedures.
So there are NO operation manuals, with guidelines and rules, this is pure neglect not only on USG’s part, but also on the Campus Designee’s!
Anonymous • Sep 26, 2010 at 11:05 am
Is USG bullying the Statesman? Reminding the Statesman that they are USG funded and how dare they delete comments submitted by USG; sounds like USG feels it is entitled to control public opinion. Obviously, if any comments or responses have been deleted by the Statesman they were deemed as “inappropriate” or “Spam,” in that case, the Statesman acted responsibly.
Again, USG needs to be reminded that they are ELECTED officials who have a responsibility to the student body who pay the student activity fee that also PAYS them to do their jobs.
“Incompetent”-lacking the skills, qualities, or ability to do something properly, sounds more like USG!
Obviously, others feel the same way:
“USG:Represent”- Think Magazine -February 2, 2010
http://thinksb.com/2010/02/usg-represent/
Shall I list the history of discontent with USG or have I made my point!
Eserf Elyag • Sep 25, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Here’s a question:
Why does the Statesman, a USG funded organization, delete the USG’s response to these Anonymous comments submitted by a disgruntled woman who is only angry because she was fired for her flagrant incompetence as an assistant to an accountant?
Editorial Board • Sep 25, 2010 at 11:49 pm
Statesman has not deleted any comments besides spam. If a member of the Undergraduate Student Government wants to write a comment it will not be deleted.
Anonymous • Sep 24, 2010 at 10:35 am
USG budgeted $2,000. for a Parliamentarian. Does $2,000. pay for a “PROFESSIONAL” Parliamentarian?
USG Constitution-(you know,the supreme law of the land.)
Executive Council Members Duties and Responsibilities
1. President:
Shall receive the names and qualifications of nominees for Parliamentarian from the University Ombudsperson. Shall appoint a Parliamentarian for the Senate, subject to the approval of the Senate, by the second Senate meeting of the Fall semester. THE PARLIAMENTARIAN SHALL NOT BE A PRESENT STUDENT AT STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY.
http://sbusg.org/files/2009/07/usgconstitution.pdf
Contrary to your Constitution,and the recommendations of your outside auditors, USG has been using students who were presently enrolled at Stony Brook as their Parliamentarian, isn’t that true?
With a budget of over $3M dollars, USG should be able to afford a “PROFESSIONAL” Parliamentarian.
You get what you pay for and sometimes the eyes of an outsider see things in a different light.
The Undergraduate Student Government at Stony Brook University
Management Letter
June 30, 2005
Management agrees. Both the Council and Senate Presidents have been informed of the need to provide more detail in meeting minutes. A “PROFESSIONAL” Parliamentarian will be training the Council and Senate on proper procedures, which will include taking minutes.
Sheenan & Company, C.P.A., P.C.
Link to 2005 Management letter:
http://sinc.sunysb.edu/clubs/usg/docs/mletter.pdf
Do you have an Audit Committee as recommended in this Management Letter?
What you don’t know and what you don’t do, will harm the future of USG.
“Checks and Balances”,transparency, accountability, responsibility and follow the Chancellors Guidelines and your own Constitution and By-laws,and those recommendations made by the external auditors and you may triumph. Until then, USG is just another dysfunction government following the same path year after year.
Those who have served on the USG Executive Board have voiced their own criticisim, its time to listen and change.
Anonymous • Sep 23, 2010 at 6:38 pm
“STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FIRST”
Would you have changed your LOGO if you still “REPRESENTED” the Southampton campus?
A little sensitivity training with respect to who you are supposed to be an advocate for (all undergraduate students), would be nice!
le • Sep 23, 2010 at 2:27 am
Hey USG. Welcome back. Thanks for the update but you might have included a couple of words to acknowledge the extra 300 or so Southampton students who have suddenly found themselves “relocated”. I noticed the date on your letter was Sept 14. By then you surely had heard that their “relocation” was illegal. So its kind of glaring to see that the students’ own govt representatives didn’t even notice them or what has been done to them. I hope the USG did notice the utter failure of the university’s “oversight” body, the SB Council, who didn’t even know what their role and responsibilities are and didn’t care enough to find out. What they allowed to happen in this case is something to be very concerned about. What else will be allowed to slip thropugh the cracks by this corwd? They are the governor’s appointees. I feel the USG should be notifying the gov of their incompetence and inability to do the job of oversight. Send him a copy of the SB Press’ editorial. In order to protect all SB students, the USG should be demanding that the Council be replaced before it can do or allow any further harm
Anonymous • Sep 17, 2010 at 9:25 am
By the way, if USG spent more time representing the student government and less time recreating the USG LOGO and ignoring its own policies and procedures, something might actually get done!
Reinventing the LOGO, doesn’t change who you are or what you represent, but it makes USG look like another club on campus. What the students need is a functional student government and what they have been getting is a consistently dysfunctional one. Please, this year prove me wrong! “Pleasantly surprise us”,as USG is already off to a bad start!
Anononymous • Sep 16, 2010 at 11:48 am
Great job USG, you just pulled a “STANLEY.” Just like President Stanley by-passed the council with his decision about Southampton, the USG paperwork will by-pass the agencies that provide the service and will receive pre-approval by your Administrative Director. By doing this you are violating your Constitution, the USG Codes and curtailing the system of checks and balances that are outlined in the SUNY policies and Procedures.
USG Constitution:
General Duties and Responsibilities of Agencies:
Agencies are to perform according to the specific purpose for which they were established.
Specific duties and responsibilities are set in each agency’s operations manual. Those operations manuals are considered a part of the Executive Council policies and procedures.
Where are these operation manuals, were they revised and did the campus designee appove these changes?
SUNY Procedures: Student Activity Fee Programs – Mandatory, Fiscal and Accounting Procedures for:
Develop an internal control program. This is a system of checks and balances that ensures the security of assets, SERVICES and resources of an organization. The internal control guidelines must be written by the student government and approved by the campus designee.
http://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=525
Timely and regularly disseminate information to the student body regarding the budgeting process including a list of funded activities, current allocations and expenditures.
The “DISSEMINATION” of your 990 Forms, which are open for public inspection are said to be found on your website for public view. So where are they?
Looks like USG took advantage of their power over the summer; when no one was looking!
Just like USG repealed the Southampton Statues Act, you are now repealing the system of checks and balances and giving too much power to your Administrative Director.
How much knowledge and experience does the Administrative Director have with the jobs of those who run the service agencies? It is not just approval of paperwork, these service agencies are there to ensure that events are successful and to let the students make choices with the resources that are available to them. Can the Administrative Director answer technical A/V questions or offer up cost saving suggestions?
Keep ignoring your constitution, by-laws, USG codes and the Chancellors guidelines and you will be repeating history. USG is on the same path as Polity was, and may face decertification for failing to protect student funds if this continues.
Keeping the students out of the USG offices is not only impersonal, but deters interaction with the needs of the student body. You are supposed to represent, not close the doors and pull in the welcome mat!
Is it really your “AGENDA” or someone elses?