In its final meeting of the year, the Minnesota State Student Association voted to approve residence hall rates and discussed the Cell Phone Personal Use Policy in regards to faculty and staff.
The MSSA asked Residential Life to continue implementing environmentally-friendly practices and technologies and to develop a long term plan to keep hall rate growth equal to or less than inflation.
"I think a motion like this recognizes the progress Residential Life has made in the use of environmentally- friendly technology," said MSSA President Ryan Anderson.
Anderson said MSU's practice of burning garbage to use as fuel was one example.
"They're doing a good job taking care of waste," he added.
One condition the senate gave Residential Life was to create itemized bills for its room and board rates so on-campus students can see where their money is going.
"Room and board rates have seen a considerable hike since the new residential halls came online," Anderson said. "The general student population doesn't understand why it costs more to live on campus than it does to live off campus. Itemized billing would be one of the clearest ways to show why."
The senate said it supported keeping flex dollar minimums at the lowest rate possible according to the university's food service contract.
"I remember that I never used my flex dollars and only did so I wouldn't lose them," said College of Arts and Humanities Senator Kelly Biers. "I don't see any reason to force flex dollars on students."
The Residence Hall Association voted to increase the amount of required flex dollars from $75 to $150.
"This would mean students would be required to spend a certain amount of money on Sodexho food," said Off-Campus Senator Andy Wilke. "We don't want to force students to spend money if they don't want to do so."
The senate discussed the possibility of a stipend for staff members with cell phones. When MSU faculty or staff are given a cell phone paid for by the university, they are only allowed it use it for school-related business.
In the past, faculty who used the university cell phone for personal use were able to reimburse the money, but that ability was taken away.
"MnSCU made this a policy because of a federal law," Wilke said.
There is currently no policy on the table that would ask for a stipend for personal cell phone use, but it is a future possibility.
The senate will have three open seats at the start of next semester when Off-Campus Senator Andrea Buecksler and College of Social and Behavioral Science senators Yonis Gabow and John Busch graduate at the end of this semester.
Dannie Higginbotham is a Reporter staff writer
