MCSG Legislative Updates
Check out the work of Macalester College Student Government
Stay Involved & Contact Us
Make sure to follow MCSG on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Be sure to check out the MCSG website for meeting minutes and other information and email us with any questions, comments, or concerns (mcsg@macalester.edu).
Email: mcsg@macalester.edu
Website: https://www.macalester.edu/mcsg/
Location: Weyerhaeuser Boardroom
Phone: 6516966485
A Note from Macalester College Student Government (MCSG)
What is the Purpose of MCSG?
This information is provided in the MCSG Constitution.
Overview of MCSG Positions
Members
At-Large Members are students who apply to be members of various MCSG standing committees. They do all the work of an elected member of that committee but they cannot vote within the Legislative Body (LB). Committees that require at-large members include the Student Services and Relations Committee (SSRC) and the Financial Affairs Committee (FAC).
Standing Committees
There are five (5) standing committees of MCSG. They consist of the Academic Affairs Committee (AAC), the Student Organizations Committee (SOC), the Financial Affairs Committee (FAC), the Student Services and Relations Committee (SSRC), and Program Board (PB). Each committee is chaired by a member of Executive Board. Click here for more information.
As stated in Article V Section 7 of the MCSG Bylaws, the purpose of the President's Cabinet of issue-based Officers is to efficiently recognize and respond to key issues facing the Macalester community, to implement projects which address these issues while advancing the mission of MCSG, and to facilitate communication and collaboration between MCSG and other issue-based groups on campus.
Board of Trustees (BoT) Liaison & Campus Committees
The BoT Liaison represents the student perspective and voice to the Board of Trustees.
Campus Committees are divided into five (5) categories that allow students to work with faculty, staff, and administrators on important aspects of college governance and operations.
Ad-Hoc Committees
- Compensation Ad-Hoc chaired by Katie McCarthy (kmccart3@macalester.edu)
- Addressing Discrimination Ad-Hoc co-chaired by Eric Yu (eyu@macalester.edu) & Ayana Smith-Kooiman (asmithko@macalester.edu)
- Bon App Ad-Hoc chaired by Katie McCarthy (kmccart3@macalester.edu)
Contact Ad-Hoc chairs to get involved!
What Governs MCSG?
Constitution & Bylaws
The MCSG Bylaws are specific guidelines that govern day-by-day decision-making for MCSG.
The MCSG Election Code governs all elections for all elected offices and student body referendums within MCSG.
The Financial Code of MCSG outlines the procedures for MCSG funding, general budgeting and accounting procedures, and financial guidelines for all Macalester College Student Organizations.
The Program Board (PB) was established by Legislative action in 2000. Per this legislation, the PB controls and maintains its own set of bylaws that govern how they spend their allocation from the student activity fee.
Click here to read more about our Constitution & Bylaws.
Mythbusting @ Mac
What is the Endowment?
The endowment is a long term investment fund made up almost entirely of private gifts made to the College over the past 100+ years. The endowment provides stable and sustainable financial support to the College to benefit current and future generations of students. The 5% draw from the endowment each year provides one-third (1/3), or $30 million, of the operating budget. The operating budget this year is $120 million.
The endowment is composed of ~800 different accounts. All of those accounts come with restrictions from the donors (~91% of endowment funds are restricted). Income from the endowment supports scholarships for students, academic programs, and salaries for faculty and staff. As of March 31, 2021 the endowment was $825 million.
Because Macalester is a nonprofit, money brought in each year is spent within the year. Two-thirds (2/3) of college spending is on people (pay and benefits). One-quarter (1/4) is on programming. The remaining funds are spent on debt service (loans and interest/mortgage payments) and capital and projects (renovations, classroom furniture, etc).
The Board of Trustees (BoT) delegates oversight of endowment management to the Investment Committee. Overseen by the Investment Committee, Investment Office Staff are responsible for implementing the College’s endowment investment program under the College’s endowment governance policies. An investment consultant, Cambridge Associates, is retained to assist in asset allocation and other policy matters. 85% of the assets are managed externally, by approximately 45 different investment firms; 15% of the portfolio in treasuries and cash is managed in-house.
For More Information: Check out the Investment Office website and the Financial Model Overview pdf and webinar on the Strategic Plan website.