The Student Association held its eighth meeting of the semester Tuesday evening. The number of senators needed to make quorum was satisfied.

One new senator took the oath of office on the SA constitution and was sworn in to the senate.

The minutes from last week’s meeting and the agenda for the current meeting were both approved.

There was one guest to the senate. Donald E. Albright briefed the senate on his reading of financial statements. He said he would go over SA’s audit financial reports for 2013 and 2014 and will speak to SA Finance Director Elena Sanchez for further questions.

In executive reports, SA President Tucker Sholtes then spoke to the senate. The big topic for the week was planning for the SUNY Student Assembly Conference Oswego State is hosting Nov. 7 to 9. There is a town hall meeting Friday evening and a Saturday breakfast with Oswego State President Deborah Stanley, followed by a formal dinner Saturday evening. SA senators will also be attending Saturday’s hockey game.

Sholtes said he attended SUNY ACT conference last weekend, which featured a lot of presentations. He also said he learned a lot about budgeting and that the conference leaders did an overview of all capital projects in Oswego and highlighted Rice Creek and Shineman Center. Sholtes also went to SUNY Con Conference, where he learned how to drive change for collective impact in higher education and plans to put together a committee that will drive large-scale changes.

Sholes added that he purchased “Growing Cities,” a documentary about urban gardening and he wants to have a public showing of it with a potluck dinner with Auxiliary Services and local businesses.

There’s been more headway with the alternative Bridge Street Run concert. Sholtes said a name for the event is still being looked at. He is looking to possibly call it “OzFest.” Bids for artists were also put out last week.

Oswego State is planning to make its own version of an “It’s On Us” video, a sexual assault prevention measure that was launched in September by the Obama administration. The Oswego State administration hopes to launch its own video by Nov. 18.

Sholtes reported he is working with Sen. Emily Nassir on making student discount cards for local businesses and working with Assistant Director of Student Affairs Katie Weber to buy new signage for local businesses to encourage students to behave properly when off campus and keep the college’s image positive.

SA Vice President Neely Laufer reported that she is looking to bring senators back to campus the weekend before the beginning of the spring semester to do senator trainings. If that happens, Laufer said every expense will be paid for. Laufer also reminded senators to log their office hours on Laker Life. Sen. Jillian Kranz checks them regularly.

Finance Director Elena Sanchez then took the floor to speak to the senate. She told senators to come ask questions if anyone did not understand something auditor Albright explained. Sanchez said she has been updating insurance and making a huge binder of information for her successor. She is open to the Finance Committee’s input. She also asked anyone who was interested in joining the budget council to let her know. Anyone already on the budget council should send her their class schedules for the spring semester once they are finalized.

Sholtes’s Chief of Staff Ryan Hopf then addressed the senate. Hopf said all new directors have been hired but a new graphic design director is needed as the former one resigned last week. Hopf also acknowledged the assistant director of Greek affairs, which would work on a positive image campaign for Greeks with the Greek council and is working to go to local business and alcohol awareness programs.

Hopf also discussed how he has been talking with the director of academic affairs on wanting to change the way teaching assistants are chosen, and some TAs are not doing anything for credit or doing a lot for no credit. They have also discussed attempting to make it mandatory for all majors to have an internship program of some sort to encourage “learning outside the classroom.”

Hopf said he talked with Sholtes about starting an academic registration survey to see how students feel about the current registration process and possibly make means to change it.

In committee reports, Student Involvement Committee Chair Shantol Williams said the committee talked about “Meet Your Senator” posters, presence on social media, the “Miss-a-Meal” event and several directors came to talk. Finance Committee Chair Tyler Jodeit said he needs bills to examine during meetings.

There were no hall council reports.

In senate research forum, the topic of student discount cards for local businesses was discussed again.

There were no special or general orders.

There was no new legislation this week.

There were no senator issues.

The SA senate meets every Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Lanigan 102. All meetings are open to the public.