Student officers revise charters
The USU Student Association Executive Council passed two bills and a revised charter Tuesday.
Both bills passed were proposals to amend charters of student government positions.
Brittney Garbrick, Graduate Studies senator, wrote legislation to change each of the senatorial charters to include a certain position. Part of Garbrick’s charter includes the responsibility of finding graduate students to comprise a committee to review scholarships and grants awarded within the college.
The bill would require each academic senator to appoint a graduate representative from their respective college to make up the committee.
“This will help facilitate graduate student involvement,” said Trevor Olsen, co-sponsor of the bill and USU/SA Administrative Assistant.
He said Garbrick had a difficult time recruiting students for the committee this year. He said representatives from each college will add diversity to the scholarship and grant selection board.
When the bill was discussed among senators, the only concern was finding the graduate representatives. Olsen said it would be part of the Graduate Studies senator’s responsibility to help find those students.
The second bill proposed was also an amendment to charters. Student Advocate Vice President Daryn Frischknecht wrote legislation to add a phrase in each executive officer’s charter specifically addressing myVoice.
She said she believes the answering of myVoice concerns by officers should continue in the future.
The amendment states “it will be the duty of this officer to represent student feedback and concerns through timely and professional responses to student myVoice submissions within the category assigned by the Student Advocate VP and the student body president.”
Frischknecht proposed changes to her charter, an option all the officers have near the end of the year.
She proposed doing away with the Student Voice Committee outlined in the current charter and replacing it with a myVoice committee. She said instead of doing a student voice committee this year, she worked with the president’s cabinet about myVoice instead.
The purpose of the student voice committee is to “aid the advocate with their respective duties.” This includes representing the student population, distributing surveys for student feedback and execute student initiatives.
Committee members should consist of one representative from each college and students at large.
“My personal opinion is to have that committee be officers or not have a committee,” said Doug Fiefia, USU/SA president.
Casey Saxton, Public Relations and Marketing director, said it would be a good idea to keep a committee whose main responsibility is to gather student feedback, but the bulk of myVoice responses should be left to the officers.
All three proposals passed. Future charter revisions will be presented at the Executive Council meeting Tuesday, April 8.
— daniellekmanley@gmail.com
Twitter: @daniellekmanley