Some uncertainty arose among many of the Associated Students University Council representatives as they discussed their function in student government during their biweekly meeting this past Wednesday.

A.S. University Council Chair Morgan Chan asked the representatives to evaluate the role they play in student government as well as their goals for the rest of the year.

Representatives from the College of Business told the council they are often confused or uncertain as to what their role is outside of the council. College of Business representative Sean Zaher told the council he and his fellow representatives often feel they are doubling jobs done by other committees and have little influence outside of the council.

“Not to phrase this incorrectly, but what should our role be?” Zaher asked Chan and the rest of the executive officers.

Zaher’s concerns were echoed by several other representatives on the council who told the executive officers of similar redundancy issues outside of the council. Some were even confused as to what powers members could exercise in the other committees they sat on.

A.S. President Josh Morse stepped in to reassure the council members of their external role.

“As voting representatives of your colleges, you have influence and it is well within your boundaries to use it within those committees,” Morse said.

Morse and Chan went on to explain that, instead of duplicating the functions of other positions, they should be coordinating with those committees so that the concerns of their college can be fully voiced within the A.S. University Council.

Chan said since the 2012 restructuring of A.S., many of the positions and roles have been in a state of flux, which can make things especially difficult for many of the new representatives who have no prior experience in student government.

“We want to know what the reps think so we can see if there are any issues we still need to address,” Chan said.