Oct. 14, 2024

 

GPSA logo

The UNLV Graduate & Professional Student Association

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE MEETING 44-07

Friday, October 11, 2024

4:00 PM

HYBRID PUBLIC MEETING:

IN PERSON: Graduate Commons, LLB 2141

4505 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89119, USA

VIRTUAL: https://unlv.zoom.us/j/7028952261  

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE AGENDA AND PUBLIC MEETING NOTE:

PERTAINING TO VIRTUAL MEETINGS:

Public Comment may be submitted via email to gpsa@unlv.edu.

Messages received by 9:00 AM on the day prior to the meeting, may be entered into the record during the meeting. Any other public comment form submissions and/or voicemails received prior to the adjournment of the meeting will be transcribed and included in the permanent record.

Members of the public wishing to listen to the meeting may do so via: https://unlv.zoom.us/j/7028952261

CONTINUED:

Below is an agenda of all items scheduled to be presented and considered at the meeting. Notification is hereby provided that items on the agenda may be taken out of the order and presented, two or more agenda items may be combined for consideration, and an agenda item may be removed from the agenda or discussion relating to an item on the agenda may be delayed at any time.

Some agenda items are noted as having accompanying reference material. Copies of the reference materials that are distributed at the meeting may be requested by emailing the Chair at gpsa@unlv.edu. Copies of any such materials will also be made available at unlv.edu/gpsa on the “Agendas and Minutes” folder of the appropriate meeting. Reasonable efforts will be made to assist and accommodate persons with a disability attending the meeting. Please email the GPSA Manager at gpsa@unlv.edu in advance so that arrangements may be made.

This meeting’s agenda has been posted in accordance with NRS 241.020. Agendas may also be also be available online at unlv.edu/gpsa/agenda in the appropriate session and meeting number folder.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

Public comment will be taken during this agenda item. No action may be taken on a matter raised under this item until the matter is included on an agenda as an item on which action may be taken. Comments will be limited to three minutes per person. Persons making comment will be asked to begin by stating their name for the record and to spell their last name. The Board Chair may elect to allow additional public comment on a specific agenda item when that agenda item is being considered. In accordance with Attorney General Opinion No. 00-047, as restated in the Attorney General’s Open Meeting Law Manual, the Chair may prohibit comment if the content of that comment is a topic that is not relevant to, or within the authority of, the Body, or if the content is willfully disruptive of the meeting by being irrelevant, repetitious, slanderous, offensive, inflammatory, irrational or amounting to personal attacks or interfering with the rights of other speakers.

WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Blanca Peña, Chair, William S. Boyd School of Law

Lila Hearn, Vice Chair, College of Liberal Arts

Devin Lopez, GPSA Treasurer, College of Liberal Arts

Hoor Ain, Committee Member, College of Liberal Arts, EXCUSED

Daniella Nikoloska, Committee Member, College of Engineering, EXCUSED

Amruta Godbole, Committee Member, School of Public Health

 

All other members present will be available in the meeting minutes and listed below.

Members of the Public Present:

Chris Forepaugh - Proxy for GPSA President Teresa Marie

AGENDA

  1. CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order by Chair Peña at 4:09pm.

  1. PUBLIC COMMENT                                                                            INFORMATION ONLY

(See foregoing notation regarding public comment)

No public comment.

ROLL CALL

  1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES                                                                 FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

Request is made for approval of minutes of previous meetings.

3a) Minutes for the September 13, 2024 (44-06) Ways & Means Committee Meeting as posted to the public GPSA Drive.

Motion to approve the minutes from last meeting by Hearn.

Seconded by Godbole

Passed unanimously 3-0-0.

  1. REPORTS & RECOMMENDATIONS                                              INFORMATION ONLY

4a) GPSA Treasurer Report

Treasurer Lopez shared the budget with the Committee. The Treasurer is trying to change how Treasurer reports are given to the council moving forward. He is trying to make the budget reports more digestible and easier to read, that will include the revenue, the expenditures, and the net activity for each month a report is given. He will also include a running tally of spending per category, and other helpful information for understanding the status of the budget each month.

4b) Ways & Means Committee Chair Report

Chair Peña met with Business Manager Smercina to discuss the GPSA and how Ways and Means will function moving forward, including restarting RSO funding.

4b) GPSA Manager & Advisor

Business manager Smercina was not in attendance at this meeting and gave no report.

  1. UNFINISHED BUSINESS                                                                    FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

Unfinished Business is any motion or action item that was under discussion and was postponed or moved to this meeting at the discretion of the public body as approved by the chair.

5a) No Unfinished Business as of the posting of this Agenda.

  1. NEW BUSINESS                                                                                    FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

New business is any motion that is new to this meeting. All items will be for possible action unless otherwise stated.

Motion to open new business by Hearn.

Seconded by Godbole.

Passed unanimously 3-0-0.

6a) Discussion and Approval of the Creation of an Official Policy for the GPSA Budget Process

Treasurer Lopez requests the Ways & Means Committee to discuss and approve the Creation of an Official Policy for the GPSA Budget Process.

Treasurer Lopez went over the process of creating and approving the GPSA operating policy each year. He provided a run-down of the rather informal existing process, and how that process can be improved, restructured, and formalized. This is a long project and Lopez hopes that for the next fiscal year, the new process will be ready to enact. Today, he asks only for the committee to approve the project of creating this policy.

Hearn motions to approve the project of creating an official policy for the GPSA Budget Process through Ways and Means.

Seconded by Godbole.

Passed unanimously 3-0-0.

6b) Discussion and Approval of Appropriations Amendments to the GPSA FY25 Budget

Treasurer Lopez requests the Ways & Means Committee to discuss and approve Appropriations Amendments to the GPSA FY25 Budget.

Item is postponed until the November Ways & Means meeting. General discussion occurred, but officially.

6c) Discussion and Approval of a Funding Request for a Campus Security/GPSA Town Hall

President Marie requests the Ways & Means Committee to discuss and approve a Funding Request for a Campus Security/GPSA Town Hall.

Chris Forepaugh is a doctoral student in Criminal Justice, and our CCSS representative. The CCSS is seeking feedback relating to the university’s ongoing campus safety protocol. To that effect, a Town Hall has been scheduled to give grad students an opportunity to share feedback and suggestions. Because the Town Hall is being hosted in the Student Union, Forepaugh is requesting funds (to the amount of $200) be allocated to hosting this event and providing refreshments.

Hearn motioned to allocate $200 to the CCSS for the Town Hall from the GPSA funds available for appropriation, budget cell 29 D.

Seconded by Godbole.

Motion passed unanimously 3-0-0.

Agenda item was closed at 4:19pm.

6d) Call for New Business Agenda Items

Chair Peña requests a call for New Business agenda items. Agenda items not previously posted to this agenda may be raised for discussion for either the present or subsequent meeting.

No new business was brought up, but agenda item 6b will move into unfinished business for the next meeting.

  1. ANNOUNCEMENTS                                                                            INFORMATION ONLY

No announcements.

  1. PUBLIC COMMENT                                                                            INFORMATION ONLY

(See foregoing notation regarding public comment)

No public comment.

  1. ADJOURNMENT                                                                                  FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

Meeting adjourned by Chair Peña at 4:30pm.