Throughout summer, Associated Students conducted several meetings to present its restructuring plans. A lack of checks and balances on representatives, an overly centralized system and job overlapping were the main issues with the current structure.
The new structure promises to decentralize the power, shifting and dividing it among four different spheres or councils.
Yesterday, the A.S. council voted on a restructuring committee. The committee will be responsible for reviewing and discussing the preliminary bylaws drafted during summer, as well as come up with the rest of the bylaws and functions of the structure, according to Arts and Letters Council representative Tom Rivera.
“I was very fascinated and thought it was a great idea that we would be restructuring,” Jonathan Davidi, a representative from the Jewish Student Union, said. “Obviously there needs to be tweaks and that’s why we’ll have the committee.”
The committee consists of 10 members, five college representatives and five organization representatives.
Two elections were held to determine the committee’s members, one for each type of representative. A.S. members first nominated the college representatives, though self-nominations were also accepted. Most representatives nominated declined the positions though, and those who accepted became members of the committee by default.
The college representatives who accepted and were instated on the committee are: Professional Studies and Fine Arts Council representatives Kristin Sword and Nick Warner, Business Administration Council representative Cord Claffey, Arts and Letters Council representative Elizabeth MacKinnon and Science Student Council representative Alex Arena.
During the summer, several groups said they were concerned about the small number of seats on this council that would be available to student organizations. The election for the five organization representatives who would join the AS council representatives on the board came down to a vote to decide between nine potential candidates.
“Even though we ask you for what perspective you will bring to the committee, you aren’t solely representing that group,” Afrikan Student Union representative Channelle McNutt told the nominees. “You will be responsible for communicating with every single organization in the college council.”
Before the actual vote, each nominee explained why they would be an adequate candidate and what perspective would be brought to the committee by their election.
“I want to build an A.S. a lot of people would want to be part of,” Residence Hall Association representative Jasmine Henderson said.
The elected organization representatives are: Davidi, International Student Association representative Ashley Pakozdi, Afrikan Student Union representative Brandon Williams, Asian Pacific Student Alliance representative Michelle Ong and Andres Bonifiacio Samahan Representative Ronald Halili.
