The staff senate held its first meeting of the semester on Sept. 18. to establish the organization’s agenda for the school year. The senate elected a new president and secretary in April, so Wednesday’s meeting marked the beginning of a new administration.
Before the staff senate reconvened, President Dana Mejia attended a meeting with ULM President Ronald Berry and Mark Arant, the provost and vice president of academic affairs, concerning the responsibilities and budget of the staff senate.
According to the Staff Senate Handbook, the organization aims to be “a liaison between the unclassified staff and the university president on substantive matters impacting the quality and excellence of the institution.”
According to the Staff Senate Constitution and Bylaws, senators receive recommendations from and consult with the university president.
Mejia expressed her desire to have a place on the executive council — the faculty senate executive committee. The committee regularly meets with Arant to discuss university policies and procedures.
“[Berry] was very clear in the statement he made yesterday that faculty has a seat at the table,” Mejia said. “It’s understood that faculty has a seat at the table, but we don’t.”
Mejia told senators her focus for this year is connecting with delegates in the senate’s division to secure a position on the executive council. Mejia said she received an invitation to attend the executive council’s next regular meeting. She admitted to feeling uneasy about her presidential responsibilities and interactions with other administrations.
“I’m very much a back of the room, in the corner kind of person,” Mejia said. “Sometimes, when I get a seat at the table, I don’t know what to do with it. It’s very nerve-wracking for me.”
Last year, Mejia, who works as the housing operations manager, served as president-elect under former President Drew Hardee, the assistant director of residential housing. This year, Hardee is president-elect, advising Mejia on her responsibilities and duties as president.
During the meeting, Hardee gave Mejia several directions concerning matters of procession, including when to call a vote and adjourn the meeting.
When it was time to vote on the proposed budget, Hardee informed Mejia the president must call the roll before voting on monetary matters. Mejia repeated Hardee’s direction to Secretary Wesley Welch.
“He’s giving me my cues,” Mejia said, drawing laughs from senators.
On another front, the senate approved its budget, which Berry and Arant reduced by some $3000 from the previous year. The staff senate executive board — composed of the president, president-elect, past president, secretary-treasurer and parliamentarian — formulates the budget each year.
The annual budget includes funds for T-shirts, nametags and miscellaneous awards, according to Hardee.
Mejia announced that she appointed Erick Burton to the seat of parliamentarian on the executive council. Burton, who was not present at the meeting, serves as the senior enrollment services specialist in the recruitment department.
In other news, senators voiced several requests concerning Arant’s proposed plan to update the Professional Learning Center. Senators provided feedback on the proposal to author Joanna Hunter.
