[40] in UA Senate
Re: Welcome to the Senate!
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Paul Baranay)
Sun Oct 4 23:35:55 2009
In-Reply-To: <71c951390910032236g5329ddd1v79bede570749a49a@mail.gmail.com>
From: Paul Baranay <pbaranay@MIT.EDU>
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2009 23:35:18 -0400
To: ua-senate@mit.edu
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Hi Senators,
The full agenda has been placed online at
http://web.mit.edu/ua/senate/UAS41/agendas/2009-10-05.pdf
If you have time, please consider sending out an email to your dorm or FSILG
introducing yourself as a Senator and mentioning the agenda. Inviting other
students to the meeting with the deans (7:30 - 8:30) is especially
important.
As another reminder, please do your best to look over the relevant documents
for the meeting -- links are given in the agenda. You can direct any
questions about the Institute-wide budget cuts or the budget to me, and I'll
answer them to the best of my ability (or direct you to the appropriate
member of the UA).
I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!
Sincerely,
Paul
On Sun, Oct 4, 2009 at 1:36 AM, Paul Baranay <pbaranay@mit.edu> wrote:
> Dear Senators,
>
> Congratulations on being elected to the UA Senate! I am very excited to
> work with all of you this year, which is bound to be pivotal both for the UA
> and the student body as a whole. We have many difficult issues to face
> ahead of us -- ranging from Institute-wide budget cuts to changes with MIT
> dining -- but I am sure that all of you are up for the challenge.
>
> My name is Paul, and I am the Senate Speaker -- the person who runs Senate
> meetings, coordinates the Senate's agenda, and serves as the overall
> spokesperson for the Senate. I'll be working closely with each one of you
> to help you implement your personal goals and projects for this year. One
> of the major aspects of my job as Speaker is to serve as a resource for all
> of you -- about the UA, the MIT administration, and anything else. If you
> ever have any questions, do not hesitate to ask me.
>
> I'm assisted in my duties by Tim Stumbaugh, the Senate Vice Speaker; Liz
> Denys, the Secretary-General; and Alex Dehnert, the UA Treasurer. Of
> course, the Senate also works very closely with the UA's Executive branch,
> so you will also be seeing a great deal of UA President Mike Bennie and UA
> Vice President Maggie Delano. If all these names and positions sound
> confusing, don't worry -- it will all become clear very soon.
>
> This semester's first Senate meeting will be this upcoming Monday
> (tomorrow) on *October 5 at 7:30 PM in the Senate Chambers *(W20-400).
> Please arrive a few minutes early if possible. The agenda for this meeting
> consists of three major items: discussion with our special Senate guests,
> Senator Orientation, and discussion of the UA's operating budget for Fall
> 2009. If you are unable to make this meeting for any reason, please email
> me as soon as possible. The full Senate calendar is posted at
> http://ua.mit.edu/senate. (The date of next week's meeting is up in the
> air due to Columbus Day Weekend; it will be finalized at Monday's meeting.)
>
> On the subject of dates, please also hold Saturday, October 24 - Sunday,
> October 25 in your calendars. That weekend is the annual UA Retreat, which
> is a prime opportunity for building friendships with others in the UA,
> learning about some of the UA's major successes (and missed opportunities)
> over the past few years, exploring your personal vision of how MIT ought to
> be -- and also having a lot of fun. Short of major existing commitments,
> attendance at the retreat is expected. Let me promise you in advance that
> the retreat will be highly beneficial to you as Senators and as student
> leaders in general.
>
> Our guests for this meeting are three of MIT's most prominent deans -- the
> Dean for Student Life, the Dean for Undergraduate Education, and the Dean
> for Graduate Education -- who will be meeting with us to discuss the recent
> proposed budget cuts. You can find the full text of the report at
> http://ideabank.mit.edu, and you can view the UA's summaries of a few
> important recommendations at http://ua.mit.edu/taskforce. *Please do your
> best to familiarize yourselves with the report and the UA summaries before
> tomorrow's meeting.*
>
> Finally, to answer one very common question in advance: what *is* the
> Senate, anyway? My personal opinion is that the Senate is what you make of
> it -- no more, no less. The Senate would be nothing without great Senators
> who are driven to make relevant, positive changes for the MIT community.
>
> That said, the Senate does have some specific roles within the UA and MIT
> in general. First of all, the Senate is the representative body of
> undergraduates -- whenever you speak in the Senate, you are really speaking
> on behalf of constituents from your dorm or FSILG. As such, the Senate
> serves as one of the primary discussion grounds for any and all issues
> relating to the quality of student life and education here at MIT. Second,
> the Senate has the power and the responsibility to set the policy of the UA
> Executive branch, by writing, discussing, amending, and enacting
> legislation. (Legislation will be one of the primary topics of Senate
> Orientation, as well as the UA Retreat.) Finally, the Senate holds "the
> power of the purse" for the UA and is responsible for disbursing the
> $250,000+ of funds that the UA receives each year.
>
> Once again, this is going to be a very important year for MIT. I look
> forward to working with all of you to help make a difference for the student
> body!
>
> Sincerely,
> Paul
> ---
> Paul Baranay
> Speaker of the UA Senate
>
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Hi Senators,<br><br>The full agenda has been placed online at <a href=3D"ht=
tp://web.mit.edu/ua/senate/UAS41/agendas/2009-10-05.pdf">http://web.mit.edu=
/ua/senate/UAS41/agendas/2009-10-05.pdf</a><br><br>If you have time, please=
consider sending out an email to your dorm or FSILG introducing yourself a=
s a Senator and mentioning the agenda.=A0 Inviting other students to the me=
eting with the deans (7:30 - 8:30) is especially important.<br>
<br>As another reminder, please do your best to look over the relevant docu=
ments for the meeting -- links are given in the agenda.=A0 You can direct a=
ny questions about the Institute-wide budget cuts or the budget to me, and =
I'll answer them to the best of my ability (or direct you to the approp=
riate member of the UA).<br>
<br>I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!<br><br>Sincerely,<br>Paul<br><br=
><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Sun, Oct 4, 2009 at 1:36 AM, Paul Baranay <s=
pan dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:pbaranay@mit.edu">pbaranay@mit.edu</a=
>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, =
204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">Dear Senators,<br=
><br>Congratulations on being elected to the UA Senate!=A0 I am very excite=
d to work with all of you this year, which is bound to be pivotal both for =
the UA and the student body as a whole.=A0 We have many difficult issues to=
face ahead of us -- ranging from Institute-wide budget cuts to changes wi=
th MIT dining -- but I am sure that all of you are up for the challenge.<br=
>
<br>My name is Paul, and I am the Senate Speaker -- the person who runs Sen=
ate meetings, coordinates the Senate's agenda, and serves as the overal=
l spokesperson for the Senate.=A0 I'll be working closely with each one=
of you to help you implement your personal goals and projects for this yea=
r.=A0 One of the major aspects of my job as Speaker is to serve as a resour=
ce for all of you -- about the UA, the MIT administration, and anything els=
e.=A0 If you ever have any questions, do not hesitate to ask me.<br>
<br>I'm assisted in my duties by Tim Stumbaugh, the Senate Vice Speaker=
; Liz Denys, the Secretary-General; and Alex Dehnert, the UA Treasurer.=A0 =
Of course, the Senate also works very closely with the UA's Executive b=
ranch, so you will also be seeing a great deal of UA President Mike Bennie =
and UA Vice President Maggie Delano.=A0 If all these names and positions so=
und confusing, don't worry -- it will all become clear very soon.<br>
<br>This semester's first Senate meeting will be this upcoming Monday (=
tomorrow) on <b>October 5 at 7:30 PM in the Senate Chambers </b>(W20-400).=
=A0 Please arrive a few minutes early if possible.=A0 The agenda for this m=
eeting consists of three major items: discussion with our special Senate gu=
ests, Senator Orientation, and discussion of the UA's operating budget =
for Fall 2009.=A0 If you are unable to make this meeting for any reason, pl=
ease email me as soon as possible.=A0 The full Senate calendar is posted at=
<a href=3D"http://ua.mit.edu/senate" target=3D"_blank">http://ua.mit.edu/s=
enate</a>.=A0 (The date of next week's meeting is up in the air due to =
Columbus Day Weekend; it will be finalized at Monday's meeting.)<br>
<br>On the subject of dates, please also hold Saturday, October 24 - Sunday=
, October 25 in your calendars.=A0 That weekend is the annual UA Retreat, w=
hich is a prime opportunity for building friendships with others in the UA,=
learning about some of the UA's major successes (and missed opportunit=
ies) over the past few years, exploring your personal vision of how MIT oug=
ht to be -- and also having a lot of fun.=A0 Short of major existing commit=
ments, attendance at the retreat is expected.=A0 Let me promise you in adva=
nce that the retreat will be highly beneficial to you as Senators and as st=
udent leaders in general.<br>
<br>Our guests for this meeting are three of MIT's most prominent deans=
--
the Dean for Student Life, the Dean for Undergraduate Education, and
the Dean for Graduate Education -- who will be meeting with us to
discuss the recent proposed budget cuts.=A0 You can find the full text of
the report at <a href=3D"http://ideabank.mit.edu/" target=3D"_blank">http:/=
/ideabank.mit.edu</a>, and you can view the UA's summaries of a few imp=
ortant recommendations at <a href=3D"http://ua.mit.edu/taskforce" target=3D=
"_blank">http://ua.mit.edu/taskforce</a>.=A0 <b>Please do your best to fami=
liarize yourselves with the report and the UA summaries before tomorrow'=
;s meeting.</b><br>
<br>Finally, to answer one very common question in advance: what <i>is</i> =
the Senate, anyway?=A0 My personal opinion is that the Senate is what you m=
ake of it -- no more, no less.=A0 The Senate would be nothing without great=
Senators who are driven to make relevant, positive changes for the MIT com=
munity.<br>
<br>That said, the Senate does have some specific roles within the UA and M=
IT in general.=A0 First of all, the Senate is the representative body of un=
dergraduates -- whenever you speak in the Senate, you are really speaking o=
n behalf of constituents from your dorm or FSILG.=A0 As such, the Senate se=
rves as one of the primary discussion grounds for any and all issues relati=
ng to the quality of student life and education here at MIT.=A0 Second, the=
Senate has the power and the responsibility to set the policy of the UA Ex=
ecutive branch, by writing, discussing, amending, and enacting legislation.=
=A0 (Legislation will be one of the primary topics of Senate Orientation, a=
s well as the UA Retreat.)=A0 Finally, the Senate holds "the power of =
the purse" for the UA and is responsible for disbursing the $250,000+ =
of funds that the UA receives each year.<br>
<br>Once again, this is going to be a very important year for MIT.=A0 I loo=
k forward to working with all of you to help make a difference for the stud=
ent body!<br><br>Sincerely,<br>Paul<br>---<br><font color=3D"#888888">Paul =
Baranay<br>
Speaker of the UA Senate<br>
</font></blockquote></div><br>
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