Drake University Student Senate 35th Session - Fall 2021 End of Semester Reports
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Drake University Student Senate 35th Session
Fall 2021
End of Semester ReportsEnd of Semester Student Body President Report
Morgan Coleman
Fall 2021
As Student Body President of the 35th Session of Drake University’s Student Senate, Morgan
Coleman, serves as both the President of Student Senate and representative for the entire student
body. She also serves as the Chair of the President’s Emergency Committee (PEC), Chair of the
President’s Cabinet, and is a member of the President’s Committee on Commencement
(PCC). As Student Body President, Morgan Coleman also attends Business meetings of the
Board of Trustees, and meetings of the Teaching & Learning Committee.
Recreated and updated the Student Senate Bylaws and the Election Bylaws
• Worked with Vice President of Student Life, Connor Oetzmann
o After archive issues prevented our session from having access to both the
guiding Senate Bylaws and Election Bylaws, we took pieces of previously
edited versions of these documents to reflect changes made by the 34th session
and create a current version for our session. In addition to this, we also
submitted various amendments to reflect the current needs of our
organization.
Supported the Broadlawns Community Clinic
• Attended the virtual board meeting discussing the potential benefits of a
Broadlawns Community Clinic in the Drake neighborhood
• Coordinated with the Director of Community Engagement to present a statement
on behalf of the 35th session and the student body at the Broadlawns Community
Clinic event hosted on September 20th, 2021
Worked with the Archives Department
• Met with the Archives Department in September of 2021
o Submitted Student Senate photos, documents, flyers and other materials
that were created between the early 1980s and 1990s.
Assisted in events for the John Dee Bright College
• Participated in a roundtable discussion about DEI in the summer before the fall
semester
• Presented to the JDBC students about the upcoming elections of the First-Year
and JDBC Senators in the fall
• Served on a panel at the beginning of the semester, comprised of student leaders
and members of the Office of Student Life, to share my experience with the JDBC
students and answer some of their questions
• Presented to the JDBC students about The #PaintitBlack Project
Served on panel for OLLI• Panel discussing H.F.802 and its impact on DEI in education
o Shared my experience as a Black student, combined with context from the
experiences of other students of color on Drake’s campus. This was related to
the role of this legislation in collegiate classrooms, and K-12 schools across
the state of Iowa, and their ability to teach about racism, historically
marginalized communities, and DEI.
Served as the chair of the “BLM @ Drake” Planning Committee
• Expanded the membership of the Planning Committee
o Included the voices of more Black students, the current Equity and
Inclusion Senators, and a few Black faculty and staff.
• Planned the forums held by BLM @ Drake this semester
o Laying the Foundation: BLM @ Drake
§ Event held on October 29, 2021. This event was a surface level
refresher regarding the DEI issues discussed during last year’s forums,
and primarily centered on the “Racially Sensitive Classroom
Practices” Document.
o Decolonization & Belonging: BLM @ Drake
§ Event held on November 29, 2021. This event was a deeper dive
into the meaning of “decolonizing” the classroom, through syllabi and
classroom materials, as well as through dialogue.
Reviewed the Campus Climate Survey Results
• Reviewed the results of the most recent survey at the request of the Chief Student
Affairs Officer – Jerry Parker
• Discussed the results of this survey with the Chief Student Affairs Officer and the
University President
Held Fall Elections
• Ran the first election for the JDBC Senator in the inaugural year of the John Dee
Bright College.
• Ran the election for First-Year Senator
Halloween Hoops
• Attended and facilitated a game at the Halloween Hoops event with Student
Senators.
International Student Support
• Met with Annique Kiel
o After hearing from students about concerns regarding comments made in
the classroom and other related conversations on campus, this meeting was set
up to discuss how to provide mor support for international students and/or
other students who may not have English as their first language.
National College Consortium
• Met with other Student Body Presidents and leaders across the country regarding
student organizing, legislation, and issues that impact college students. This event
was held by the Georgetown University Student Association.National Student Debt Cancellation Letter
• Signed on to a letter with other Student Body Presidents across the country to call
for the cancellation of federal student debt, which was directed to the Biden-Harris
administration.
Standing Meetings and Commitments
• Met with Drake University President - Marty Martin
o Met with President Martin at least once a month during the fall semester to
discuss upcoming Senate business, student concerns, and pertinent news
related to changes in university policies and procedures related to COVID-19.
All of this was to create an open line of communication between students and
members of administration.
• Met with the Director of Public Safety- Scott Law
o Met with Scott Law once a month, along with the Vice President of
Student Life, to discuss upcoming changes to policies and procedures related
to campus health and safety.
• The Board of Trustees
o Attended the meetings held by the Board of Trustees between the months
of June 2021 and January 2022, to make myself aware of the issues impacting
our students and university as a whole.
o Provided a report at each business meeting on behalf of the student body.
o Attended the meetings of the Teaching & Learning Committee and
provided input where student voice was needed.
• Faculty Senate
o Attended the monthly meetings of the Faculty Senate held during the fall
semester.
o Provided updates on concerns from the student body, including student
mental health, COVID-19, and other academic issues.
o Provided a report at each meeting to relay information to faculty about the
business of Student Senate, upcoming policy changes and events.
o Represented the student body and Student Senate when asked about
student perspectives.
• Executive Officer Meetings
o Created the agendas and presided over the weekly officer meetings for
Student Senate, which include our advisor, Dean Hannah Clayborne
o Reported on the outcomes of these meetings at Student Senate Meetings
during the President’s Report
• General Student Senate Meetings
o Presided over each general Student Senate meeting of the 35th session.
• President’s Committee on Commencement (PCC)
o Served as the student voice, and voting member, on this committee during
the 2 meetings of the fall semester.
o Appointed another student designee, JDBC Senator Kat Fortin, to also
represent the students and coordinate responses regarding potential student
perspectives.• President’s Cabinet
o Convened 3 meetings for the President’s Cabinet, which includes
Presidents from various student organizations at Drake.
§ National PanHellenic Council (NPHC), Panhellenic Council,
Interfraternity Council (IFC), Student Alumni Association (SAA),
Residence Hall Association (RHA), Unity Roundtable, Student
Athletic Council, Community Action Board (CAB), Student Senate
Executive Officers
• New University Center Planning Committee
o Met with members of Drake administration, faculty, and other Drake
community members to help brainstorm ideas for features of the new
University Center.End of Semester Vice President of Student Life Report
Connor Oetzmann
Fall 2021
Increasing Transparency and Communication
• Implementing Starfish
o Student Senators are required to hold office hours each week, varying in length
depending on the position you serve in. In previous years, those office hours have
not been utilized by the student body. I think this is a variety of reason but largely
due to the office hours not being the most accessible with classes and other
organization meetings. We wanted to make office hours more accessible for
students this year so over the summer I worked with Laura Shell, the Access and
Success Coordinator, to discuss Student Senate using Starfish to increase
availability and access to senators. After a few meetings with Laura, she was able
to create a Starfish page for Student Senate that allowed any student to schedule
an appointment with any of the Senators. Now, students can see when every
Senator is available and schedule an appointment with them via Starfish. Student
Senate is the first organization to utilize Starfish which is very exciting!
• Updating the website
o Since the beginning of the year, we have had the website updated with everyone’s
correct contact information in case any student, staff, or faculty member was
hoping to get in contact with a Senator. Throughout the semester, I have been
updating it as much as I can. One thing that we have been updating throughout the
semester is posting the agendas and minutes of the current session on the website.
Our goal was to be more transparent with the student body which is why we have
been working to improve the functions of the website and ensure that our minutes
and agendas are put on the website.
o It is still a work in progress as there are certain features that we are hoping to add
to the website to make it easier to navigate, as well as increase our transparency.
Events
• Fall Elections
o Each fall, Student Senate holds an election for the First Year Senator and John D.
Bright College Senator positions. Leading up to this election and throughout,
President Coleman and I spoke with the John D Bright College students to explain
the position, and gauge interest for the position. Not to mention, the executive
board along with our Election Commissioner planned the candidate meeting,
election forum, and oversaw the election to make certain that it was a fair and
honest election. This year, we held the election in early October and successfully
elected a First Year Senator as well as the first ever John D Bright College
Senator.• Sip and Spill
o At the end of October, we planned this event to get better insight about what
students wanted to see from Student Senate and our campus. Students were able
to write their concerns, ideas, initiatives, and frustrations while also getting some
hot chocolate. This event helped us find areas we need to focus on, and we’re
excited to start some of those projects next semester!
Other Duties
• Created an agenda for each meeting
o Each week I wrote the agenda for our meetings. The agenda consisted of the
motions being discussed/voted on as well as all the Senator reports compiled into
one document.
• Planned & facilitated elected assembly’s multiple times each month.
o Elected assembly occurs on Wednesday nights at 7 pm when the VPSL feels that
one is needed. On average we had an elected assembly every other week. During
elected assembly this past semester we discussed the goals of our session, ideas
and initiatives, and RSO approval among other things.
• Fulfilled many of the positions of the ex-officio positions as well as the committees.
o We have students in all our committees which was one of our priorities this
semester. As well as many of our ex-officio positions are filled which strengthens
the functioning of our session.
• Meetings with Scott Law
o Scott Law invited President Coleman and I to meet with him each month to stay
updated on any changes happening to campus security as well as update him on
any concerns or frustrations students were having in regard to campus safety.
• Meetings with Kevin Grady
o At the beginning of every month Kevin Grady and I met in his office to discuss
Student Senate and any initiatives that we were working on. Kevin was also able
to update me on any changes that were happening in the Student Life Center or
anything in regard to student life.End of Semester Student Body Treasurer Report
Hunter Hildebrand
Fall 2021
As Student Body Treasurer of the 35th Session of Drake University’s Student Senate, Hunter
Hildebrand, also serves as the head chair of the Student Fees Allocation Council (SFAC) which
is responsible for allocating one-time funds on behalf of the University. Hunter is also
responsible for funding many registered student organizations (RSOs) on campus.
Streamlining Internal Documents
• Built one system for funding surveys
o All the surveys needed to gain funding, reallocations, or one-time funding from
the University were all built on Qualtrics. Previously, these forms were scattered
amongst many formats. Now, all these forms have been built out in Qualtrics
which makes the funding process seem more professional. Additionally, it is
easier for students to understand the process of receiving funds since they know
the forms will all be through one source (assuming they are familiar with the
funding process).
• Added funding information to Student Senate Website
o A page was added to the Drake Student Senate Website (https://drakesenate.com/)
that outlines funding information. This page includes the links to the reallocation
and one-time funding survey as well as a funding infographic to inform students
on the basic funding information. The ease of access to links and information was
the primary target on this goal.
• Developed funding infographic
o An infographic was developed that presents basic funding information. This
includes how to spend money, what it can be spent on, links for more information,
and the different accounts organizations can have through the university. This
infographic is displayed on the Student Senate website for all to see. The idea
behind this was to guide students in the right direction so their needs can be met.
Personal Finance Course
• Gauged student body on topics
o The personal finance course is still an initiative in motion. In general, the goal is
to give personal finance information to students in a simple manner that doesn’t
take up too much of the their time. A large email base was built based on studentsthat were interested in learning about topics. From there, we gauged them on what
they would like to learn about. These topics were considered and will be used
next semester.
• Tested Course with Alumni
o A test meeting was hosted with an alumnus in which insurance was discussed.
The meeting missed the target but gave good feedback as to how to best provide
this information to the students. Instead of hosting a live meeting, we will be
sending out small newsletters about the topics instead so that students can read
them in their own time.
Smooth Transitioning of Funding
• Developed fully functioning Student Fees Allocation Council
o Every Student Body Treasurer has the responsibility of building a balanced
Student Fees Allocation Council that will give out extra funding to students who
need it for events they are hosting. This session took a mix of strong previous
members of SFAC and built-in new members with strong critical thinking skills to
develop a well-rounded SFAC. We allocated roughly 25% of our total funds for
the year this semester while not significantly cutting any requests. We look
forward to funding more motions next semester for the student body.End of Semester Vice President of Student Activities Report
Maddie Haun
Fall 2021
As Vice President of Student Activities of the 35th Session of Drake University’s Student Senate,
Maddie Haun, also serves as the President of the Student Activities Board. SAB is the largest
programming board on campus, consisting of 20 programming and marketing co-chairs which
plan events for Drake University’s student body.
Programming
• Welcome Weekend Events
§ Each of these events allowed first-years to get to know each other, form
relationships, and create memories throughout Welcome Weekend. These
events were well attended.
o Tie-Dye Event
o Iowa Cubs Baseball Game
o Hypnotist Chris Jones
• Hurts Donuts
o Our first event for the general student body, led by the Spirit Co-Chairs. Students
were able to pick up Hurts donuts from the Olmsted Breezeway before the start of
their classes.
• Free Movie Friday
o Showed movies every Friday, ranging from musicals to Marvel movies to new
releases that students wanted to see.
• Casino Night
o Took place during Parents Weekend, allowed students to take their parents to a
free event in which they played classic poker games without the need for money.
• Fall Carnival
o Hundreds of students attended this event. The event took place in Helmick
Commons and had games, food, and many activities to offer.
• Suicide Prevention Pinwheels
o Pinwheels were made for Suicide Awareness Month. Students made these in the
Olmsted Breezeway and either kept them to put in their rooms or were placed on
the wall of the breezeway.
• Silent Disco
o An indoor event in which students picked from multiple DJs and danced to
different genres of music.
• Taste of Des Moines
o An event in which we invited local Des Moines restaurants and businesses to give
Drake students an idea of what the Des Moines food scene has to offer.
Companies like Dough Co., Freidrich’s Coffee, and Zombie Burger offered free
samples to students at no cost.
• Marching for Mammogramso A collaborative event with the Coalition of Black Students and SAB where
students walked the Bulldog Mile to raise awareness for Breast Cancer Awareness
Month.
• Burnout Event
o SAB hosted a speaker who spoke about skills to combat burnout in college. The
event took place right before midterm exams which students appreciated.
• Spook and Groove
o A collaborative event with Drake Wellness where students could take a
Halloween themed hip-hop class.
• A Nightmare in Olmsted
o Our annual Halloween event which consisted of many collaborations, a haunted
tunnel, several games, and food. Hundreds of students attended the event and
allowed for the Halloween spirit to come to campus.
• Dueling Pianos
o An event planned by our Bands Chair. This event brought a piano duet act to
campus that was lively and took recommendations from the audience, leading to
an immersive experience for viewers.
• Paint n’ Sip
o Students were able to create their own painting of Griff II while sipping on hot
chocolate, lemonade, and water. Also at this event, we took clothing donations for
the Central Iowa Shelter.
• Does DEI Work at Work?
o A collaborative event between SAB and Drake Student Human Resource
Association. For this event, the Global Inclusions chair of Principal Financial
Jennifer Rhoads was brought to campus to speak about DEI in the workplace.
• Cramming with Cookies
o An opportunity for students to study in Olmsted for finals while eating cookies.
Initiatives
• Passed new SAB bylaws
o Fully updated SAB bylaws which hadn’t been updated since 2018
§ Consisted of changing meeting time to 5PM on Mondays, updating
language, and placing Spirit Co-Chair position on same rotation cycle as
the rest of the board (from calendar year to academic year)End of Semester (Vice President of Student Organizations) Report
Joseph Owens
Fall 2021
As (Vice President of Student Organizations) of the 35th Session of Drake University’s Student
Senate, (Joseph Owen), also serves as the (President of the Organizational Council). (The
Organizational Council shall exist as a forum for all student organizations. It shall seek to
promote organizational advancement and development and shall facilitate cooperation and
communication among student organizations).
Fall RSO cultivation
• The Organizational Council accepts applications for RSO status until the fourth
Friday of the fall semester. Last two weeks of September are for review of application
materials. First week of October is for meeting with potential RSOs. Second week is
for compiling materials and sending them to the Student Senate. Organizations will
be brought in front of Student Senate for confirmation at the last two meetings of
October.
Cultivation of the sustainability and necessity of RSOs
• Worked with organizations to which is the probability the potential RSO will
sustain past 2-3 semesters. Working to see if the university have the facilities and
resources to support the organization While ensuring the membership span across
multiple year classifications on Drake’s campus. Also, ensuring that the testing to see
if the RSO is able to exist and thrive without RSO status.
Implementation of the enforcement for 10-member rule
• Enforcing the new implementation of the 10-member rule adopted to see if it was
efficient to have as a requirement. Here RSOs must allow all university policies and
procedures, including the Student Code of Conduct and Non- Discrimination
Statement and adhering to all local, state, and federal laws both on and off campus.
While also, maintaining a minimum of 10 active students. These names must be
submitted at the beginning of each semester. Should a RSO have less than 10 active
members, the group will have one semester to recruit students to reach 10 members.
Working with inactive RSOs to achieve RSO status again
• Here I worked with previously deemed inactive RSOs in order to reach RSO
status again. Here I evaluated the effectiveness, necessity, and sustainability, of the
organization to reach a conclusion. An organization can become inactive for failing to
meet any of the criteria for maintain active status. The process for an inactive RSO to
regain active status shall be determined by the VPSO and a representative of the
Division of Student Affairs.
RSO approval & denial Fall 2021
• Introduced 8 Temporary RSOs to the Organizational Council and considered all
legislation brought to it by its members. Then introduced 4 of the 8 organizations to
Student Senate with legislation, where 3 of the organizations were passed by a
majority vote to the Student Senate.End of Semester Equity and Inclusion Report
Ruwayda Egal and Avasar Sheth
Fall 2021
As Equity and Inclusion Senators of the 35th Session of Drake University Student Senate,
Ruwayda Egal and Avasar Sheth, also serve as the Co-Presidents of Unity Roundtable. The
governing body for multicultural organizations in Drake University.
Meetings
• This semester we had 7 meetings:
o August 30th, 2021 (which was also our retreat)
o September 13th, 2021 (Anthony Pawnell one of the founders of Unity
Roundtable was at this meeting alongside Jennifer McHarvey and Jazline
Coley-Smith)
o September 27th, 2021
o October 4th, 2021
o October 25th, 2021
o November 8th, 2021
o November 29th, 2021
Changing Bylaws
o In this session, both Ruwayda Egal and Avasar Sheth worked to update the
bylaws of the Unity Roundtable. These bylaws have not been updated in a while
and need to include everything we practiced during meetings.
o We updated it by adding things such as:
§ Descriptions of each job so we can hold officers accountable
§ Discussing what to do in case of a vacancy
§ Adding that bylaws have to be reviewed every year by the executive
board and that review shall take place in the fall semester
§ Specifying attendance for representatives
§ This change of bylaws was passed
Multicultural Activities Fair
• In the fall we hosted a Multicultural Activities Fair. This activities fair were for every
organization that is apart of Unity Roundtable. Over the course of the semester we
noticed that there was a lack of attendance in each respected organization and a lot of
organizations were worried about this. Due to this we had the activities fair. This
activities fair was in the breezway and allowed for passing people to see what these
organizations were and how to get involved.All Funding Request
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.: National Convention
• International Student Association: Food for International Night
Other Involvement
• Presidents Cabinet
• Provosts Student Advisory Board
• Student Wellness Advisory CommitteeEnd of Semester College of Business and Public Administration Report
Mercedes Hendricks
Fall 2021
As College of Business and Public Administration Senator of the 35th Session of Drake
University’s Student Senate, Mercedes Hendricks, also serves as the committee head of
Leadership Council. Leadership Council consists of student leaders of organizations within the
CBPA, class representatives, and members of the undergraduate office.
Restructuring Career Services and Assessing Campus Resource Usage
• Held meetings with staff of various campus services
o Annette Watson, Assistant Director of Career Services
§ Annette expressed that students are making use of her individual
appointment slots but is struggling to get student engagement with
events. We are looking for new ways to advertise events and figuring
out how to introduce students to these resources at the beginning of
their Drake experience. We are also trying a more specialized events
approach where Annette speaks in front of groups who specifically
request a presentation instead of hosting the events through Career
Services.
o Laura Shell, Access and Success Coordinator
§ Laura is seeing a huge uptick in individual appointments but is
struggling with participation in webinars. We are considering a more
targeted outreach approach for the Spring to help with hesitations from
students who may not feel comfortable seeking help themselves. We
have been approved for a statistics tutor which will help tremendously
with students in those classes. Laura and I plan to partner on a survey
or focus group in the early Spring to gauge the overall student attitude
towards resources.
o Kailee Springer, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs & Charitie
Schaer, Administrative Assistant
§ Assistant Dean Springer and Charitie spoke with me on behalf of
the CBPA Undergraduate Office. Although the college was without a
Success Coach, the office was able to successfully navigate the
semester. They perform the bulk of their outreach through Starfish and
hope to increase student engagement through the Starfish platform. We
spoke a lot about the bi-weekly CBPA newsletter and implemented
some changes that we hope will increase the engagement rate which
included shortening the email drastically. A success coach is expected
to start in the Spring semester. We also plan to increase the CBPA
social media presence by identifying which platform is most effective.Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Updating the CBPA website
o Conversations about adding a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion webpage to
the CBPA site have been initiated. A CBPA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
statement will be formed and published early in the Spring semester.
Additionally, the webpage will provide university data, CBPA commitments
to DEI, and resources.
• Student organizations
o Student organizations within the CBPA are encouraged and will continue
to be encouraged to form their own DEI mission statements as they see fit.
College Specific
• Masks
o Concerns about mask wearing in Aliber were expressed throughout the
semester. New signage and student monitors have been implemented.
• Social Event
o The end of semester social event has been postponed to next semester due
to COVID-19 concerns. This event hopes to provide students, faculty, and
staff with an opportunity to converse and get to know one another outside of a
classroom environment. This event aims to alleviate some of the negative
perception towards the business school.
• Service Event
o The service event has been postponed to next semester due to time and
budget constraints. This event is intended to provide students with an
opportunity to gain volunteer hours to count towards their Honor Roll for
Social Impact submissions. Collaborations with DMARC, Sprout Garden, and
the Boys & Girls Club are in place.
Leadership Council/National Advisory Council
• Leadership Council meetings
o Held 3 meetings throughout the semester
§ September 17th
§ October 22nd
§ November 19th
o Invited and heard from Dean Hernandez on September 17th about his
newly launched Honor Roll for Social Impact. Students completing 20 or
more community service hours and a reflection session will be placed on this
honor roll as recognition of their commitment to making a positive societal
impact. Invited and heard from Renee Sedlacek Lee from the Office of
Community Engaged Learning on October 22nd about service opportunities for
student organizations. Invited and heard from Dianna Gray, Director of
Graduate Admission and Engagement, about accelerated graduate programs.
• National Advisory Council (NAC)o Sat on NAC as a student representative during the October 27th meeting. Provided feedback and input as necessary.
End of Semester SJMC Academic Senator Report
Madeleine Leigh
Fall 2021
As SJMC Academic Senator of the 35th Session of Drake University’s Student Senate, Madeleine
Leigh also serves as the co-chair of the Board of Student Communications (BSC). The BSC is the
budgeting oversight body for Drake University’s student-run publications, including The Times-
Delphic (TD), Periphery, Drake Magazine, Drake Political Review (DPR), Drake University
Independent News (DUiN), and Drake Broadcasting System (DBS).
Board of Student Communications
• Holding an election for Editors’ Representative.
o During the first three weeks of school, I ran an election, via email, for the Editors’
Representative of the BSC. The Editors’ Representative is one of four voting
student members; candidates for this position are nominated by the Editors in
Chief of the publications, and then the Editors in Chief vote for candidates, with
the SJMC Academic Senator serving as a tie-breaking vote if necessary. While
several candidates were nominated throughout the process, by the time the final
vote was tallied, only one candidate had not withdrawn their name. Autumn Osia
now serves as the Editors’ Representative.
• Approving Yearly Printing Budgets
o After Drake’s headcount is announced, the BSC approves final budgets for all six
organization for the year; this took place on our 9/24 meeting this semester. All
six budgets were approved unanimously, and were as follows:
§ DBS: $18,702
§ DPR: $18,444
§ Drake Magazine: $23,655
§ DUiN: $13,115
§ Periphery: $13,000
§ TD: $44,361.72
• New equipment
o DBS and the TD have made one-time funding requests to get new camera
equipment, and DBS made a one-time funding request for new livestream
equipment. All requests were approved.
• Pin-up
o On Nov. 17 from 6-8 p.m., Drake Magazine, DPR, and DUiN hosted
simultaneous pin-ups in Meredith Hall. Their whole spread for their Fall editions
was printed and laid out for visitors to go through and provide copy/content edits
and suggestions, so the publications could take them into account before sending
things off to the printers. This event was well attended, and the organizations got
a lot of suggestions.End of Semester CPHS Academic Report
Olivia Wersinger
Fall 2021
As academic senator for CPHS of the 35th Session of Drake University’s Student Senate, Olivia
Wersinger, also serves as the chair for Student Governance Association. SGA is the governing
body for the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to be a liaison between the college and
the students within CPHS.
Revision of SGA Bylaws
• Met with SGA bylaws revision group three times this past semester
• Updated language to bylaws
o Added MAT program to be included in the bylaws so they have representation on
SGA
o Updated roles of SGA members responsibilities and expectations
Career Advising
• Met with Leah Berte to discuss career advising services
• Making information more available to studentsEnd of Semester School of Education - Academic Senator Report
Kennedy Ihrig
Fall 2021
As the School of Education - Academic Senator of the 35th Session of Drake University’s Student
Senate, Kennedy Ihrig.
• Suggestion Section for the SOE
o Met with the Dean’s Advisory Council of the SOE
o Created a QR Code, that students could just scan and be taken to the Google Form
o Posted the QR Code on all floors of the SOE building, so that students have
access
o Check it every Sunday of the week
• Peer Mentor Program
o Met with the Dean’s Advisory Council of the SOE to hear what they would like to
see out of it
o Video of the program overview recorded and uploaded to the SOE 200
Blackboard page
o Interest Google Form sent out through the SOE 200 Blackboard page
o Plans to form groups over break and fully implement into the SOE in Spring 2022
o May have DEA/KDP take over program, to hopefully see it continue
• Teacher Education Program Workshop
o Had the Associate Dean of the SOE film a workshop video that is posted within
the SOE 200 Blackboard account for students to have clarification on how to
apply.End of Semester Bright College Senator Report
Katherine Fortin
Fall 2021
As Bright College Senator of the 35th Session of Drake University’s Student Senate, Katherine
Fortin, also serves as the representative of the student body of Bright College and serves as the
academic senator. Bright college is its infancy is the opportunity to bring the community of Des
Moines to Drake University.
Initiative/Program/Project
• Making the academic regalia of Bright College the same to the standards set by
Drake University when the regalia was going to be juristically different.
o Recently the regalia of Bright college was brought into question. Morgan
Coleman the Student body president so kindly asked me to join her in the next
meeting. To our surprise the meeting we were attending was not the
discussion of the regalia but more so the decision between two samples. I
attended with one motive, to make sure the students I’m representing are
given a chance. I went in there with one aspect, if inclusion is a choice, chose
it. I spoke honestly and realistically. The class of 2023 of Bright College are
mostly if not majority students of color, wearing a complete opposite color of
regalia would look distasteful. Furthermore, these students deserve to be
accepted in the university they attend. Regardless of the degree, Bright
College students are some of the most wise and influential people I have ever
met. In the end the members of PCC excluding one opposing faculty member
voted “yes” to keep the regalia black. Although I couldn’t share the amazing
news with my classmates the victory hold a place in my heart.End of Semester Academic Affairs Report
Amber Guzzo
Fall 2021
As Academic Affairs of the 35th Session of Drake University’s Student Senate, Amber Guzzo, also
serves as the Academic Affairs Committee as the committee that makes up the all-academic
senators.
In First Generation Student Organization start-up
• First Generation Student Organization start-up
o This semester I have worked with the first-generation student organization
that is forming on campus. They were looking towards becoming a registered
student organization and I met with the group and discussed with them their
concerns and worries on campus.
o I helped provide feedback on their constitution and documents
Grade appeal policy
• Met with the Academic Affairs Committee and Melissa Sturm-Smith
o Out committee gave feedback to the proposal by Faculty Senate from a
student aspect.
o The proposal will be given to Faculty senate and if approved, will create
more clarity and uniformity across colleges.
John D. Bright College
• Discuss curriculum in JDC cohort with the Dean of Students, Dr. Owens of the
Bright College
• Talked to Provost Mattison about John Bright College curriculum works.
• Goal is for Dr. Owens to come speak with the entire Student Senate and to get
student feedback to see if there would be some aspects that would benefit Drake
University as a whole to change the curriculum similar to JDC.
Bulldog Foundations Concerns
• Listen to students on campus about what went well and what went wrong with
Bulldog Foundations.
• Will(have) help(ed) direct students to focus groups hosted this January/February
to direct concerns with the class.
Next Semester Plans
• Academic Affairs dinner
• Help students get more connected to student organizations on campus
o First year students did not sign up for as many student organizations on
campus and there is a concern, they are not fully connecting to Drake Student
Life because of this.
• Get student senate involved with a push to get students registered for classes
• Work with Faculty senate/ JEDI to include more diverse readings in classrooms
and on syllabi.End of Semester Community Outreach Senator Report
Brian Orellana
Fall 2021
As Community Outreach Senator of the 35th Session of Drake University’s Student Senate, Brian
Orellana also serves as the Community Outreach Committee Chairman. The Community
Outreach Committee oversees coming up with ideas and action steps to continue to improve the
relationships between the Drake Student Body and the Drake Neighborhood.
4-hour Volunteer Requirement
• One of my first initiatives was the pass a four-hour volunteer requirement for all elected
student positions on Student Senate which will continue to create a relationship with
Drake Student Leaders and the Des Moines community/Drake Neighborhood.
Leadership Positions Around Campus
• I continued to try to promote leadership positions around campus to promote it through
Student Senate to bring these opportunities to the student body.End of Semester Civic Engagement Senator Report
Nicholas Trout
Fall 2021
As Civic Engagement Senator of the 35th Session of Drake University’s Student Senate, Nicholas
Trout, also serves as the Chair of the Drake Political Action Committee (DPAC). DPAC
oversees the political organizations and activities on campus.
Encouraging participation in the Des Moines Municipal Elections
● Gathering/Distributing Information
● In my position I made efforts to stay informed about the electoral process and the
candidates running for Des Moines City Council and School Board. I made
myself available to students who had questions and tried to encourage them to
participate in the election.
Voter Registration Drive
● Tabling in Helmick Commons.
● The week of the elections, I set up a table in Helmick Commons to register
students to vote in the Des Moines city elections. Students were able to leave the
forms with me to turn in on their behalf. I also used the opportunity to alert
students who were already registered that an election was taking place.
DPAC
● Convening DPAC
● Throughout the semester I stayed in contact with the leaders of political
organizations on campus to stay cognizant of their concerns and goals. I made
sure to keep members of the committee updated in case we needed to meet to
address the political climate on campus, however the need did not arise.
● Ensuring Representation
● As chair of DPAC, I made an effort to ensure all political organizations on
campus were able to designate a delegate to the committee, and much of my time
was spent getting into contact with various organizations and learning about their
goals and outlook.End of Semester Facilities and Technology Report
Senator Rhent Addis
Fall 2021
As Senator-at-large of the 35th Session of Drake University’s Student Senate, Rhent Addis, also
serves as the head of the Facilities and Technologies Committee. This committee oversees issues
concerning the relationship between the student-body and the University’s infrastructure.
Senator Addis also serves on the RSO committee for the 35th Session.
Initiative to improve the standard for accessibility and livelihood for those Bulldogs that
have disabilities on campus
• Initiated preliminary action, with the goal to implement the initiative next semester.
o A Drake University student raised concerns regarding ADA compliance with
several buildings on campus. While after further evaluation all buildings are
indeed compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, there are
admittedly improvements that can be made.
o Will be a joint project with Senators Sheth, Ihrig, and Wersinger.
o One area of concern brought up is Hubbell dining hall and how students are able
to receive their food. Other areas of concern still TBA, more information needs to
be gathered at this point in time.
o Costs and nature of project still TBA.
Registered Student Organizations (RSO) Committee
• As a member of the RSO committee, it was my duty to examine the applicant pool
from an unbiased perspective, deciding to the best of my ability and with the powers
vested unto me by the 35th Session of the Drake Student Senate, to vote for and send
those organizations who strictly fulfilled the guidelines and requirements to the
Senate floor.
o Carefully examined various constitutions of temporary RSOs that successfully
fulfilled application process in a timely manner. Those who do not fulfill such
requirements were postponed until the Spring 2022 semester for proper
examination.
o Examination based on the new RSO requirements set forth and implemented this
year for the 35th session.
o Examination also included presentations from organization leaders and an in-
depth Q&A interview processSprout Garden
• Was updated on predecessor’s project and the long-term goals, any initiatives are
still in preliminary stages. If any action is taken here, it will be done next semester
or in a future session.
o Toured the garden and received a detailed explanation of future expansion, likely
to be complete in the coming years.
o Fairly solid gardening system already in place from my observations.
Big thing for success here will come down to a joint effort between multiple student orgs on
campus, as well as a wholehearted effort from admin.End of Semester University Services Report
Sa’Daiveon Newell
Fall 2021
As University Services Senator At-Large of the 35th Session of Drake University’s Student
Senate, Sa’Daiveon Newell, also serves as the University Service Committee Chair.
University Services Committee
o My predecessor told me that the work she did would have been greatly uplifted if
she was provided with a University Service Committee. I made it my first goal
this semester to make sure that this committee did have members and continues to
grow. The committee has worked incredibly hard thus far and we plan to continue
to do that and so much more. ervice Compact
o I recognized that many students aren't aware of the services provided on campus.
o I plan to create a compact that plainly provides students with a description of each
service and information on how to take advantage of them.
o I’ve worked with the University Service Committee to create this compact. We
are continuing to meet with the Director or Chair of each service on campus to
make sure we provide all necessary information in the compact. We plan to be
complete early in the spring semester.
Hubble Forum
o I realized that many students including myself have had numerous problems with
the service and food provided at Hubbell Dining Hall. As this is arguably the
largest service provided to students I felt the need to find a medium where
students can at the very least voice their concerns with Hubbell. I reached out to
many students on campus and on Student Senate inquiring about their experience
and received many statements and suggestions.
o I met with Skylar Hayden who is the Food Service Manager regarding the
concerns and learned the concerns need to be condensed into a single platform
forum and need to be brought to someone higher up in the Hubbell staff.
University Service Request Form
o I plan to soon publish a google form that will allow any Drake student to submit a
form directly to me with concerns or questions they might have regarding any
student service provided on campus.End of Semester First Year Senator Report
Mac Muehlberger
Fall 2021
As First Year Senator of the 35th Session of Drake University’s Student Senate, Mac
Muehlberger, also serves as chairman of the First Year Interest Committee. This committee is
dedicated to the wants and needs of first year. It has considered complaints and ideas and
discussed plans as to how to address them.
Inquiring in to the Confusion Regarding Flooding in Freshman Dorms
• Front Desk workers will now be properly trained in how to report specific service requests.
o In early-mid October, Drake experienced heavy rainfall. This rainfall was experienced the
same time Drake switched its air conditioning from cooling to heating. Immediately following
this certain rooms on the ground floors of the freshman dorms flooded. It took over a week for
service workers to inspect the issue or do anything about it, after the carpet had already dried. It
is not certain whether or not the flooding was due to heavy rainfall or possible pipe bursts from
the AC switch. First, I was in contact with Senator Newell of University Services. Second, I
brought this up at a Senate meeting one Session and explained that I will be looking in to it.
Dean Clayborne got in contact with me after the meeting and I further explained the situation to
her. She then got in contact with Dean Sowden, Assistant Dean of Students & Director of
Residence Life. I had a phone call with Dean Sowden regarding the issue. She came to the
conclusion that it is possible that the service requests regarding the flooding put in by front desk
workers were not reported the proper way.You can also read
