San Diego State Associated Students is finalizing details for the restructuring of its government, according to their website.
In an effort to decentralize the current structure, A.S. proposed separating into three branches, similar to the federal government’s separation of powers. Currently, A.S. has a top-down structure where A.S. executive members make most of the decisions, according to A.S. Vice President of External Affairs Tom Rivera.
“There’s really going to be no A.S. council anymore in the proposed structure,” Rivera said. “It’s going to be much more separated, much more fair.”
Sometimes a potential conflict of interest can hinder efficient decisionmaking, such as when a member is voted out of A.S. council. A.S. Members must vote on whether to remove people who are their friends, creating an awkward conflict of interest.
Rivera also said communication channels among SDSU organizations and A.S. members will open up as a result of the restructuring.
“We want people communicating and talking to each other and the A.S. executive officers are that bridge,” Rivera said.
More branches mean more bridges to communicate different aspects of campus life, he added.
In the proposed structure, which is scheduled to go into effect in Fall 2013, there will be more A.S. positions available. This means existing members will hold fewer responsibilities, allowing council members to perform tasks more efficiently and effectively, according to A.S.
However, there’s controversy surrounding the change. Because the proposed structure splits A.S. council into three main branches, the weekly A.S. council meetings would be split as well. This leaves representatives from campus organizations without organization specific seats at meetings.
Rivera assures the campus organizations won’t be left out. He says the new structure will benefit campus organizations because the representatives won’t have to sit through tedious items on the agenda not pertaining to them.
According to the new structure, campus organizations can go to meetings relevant to their needs and receive more attention and representation from A.S. council members.
