Constitution change raises concerns
The ASUSU Executive Council addressed student concerns regarding graduate-student and regional-campus representation and passed a bill allocating $1,500 toward the purchase of new pingpong and foosball equipment at its Tuesday meeting.
Joshua Taylor, business senator candidate, expressed concern that under the newly revised ASUSU constitution, graduate students would not be able to vote for their academic senators.
Hannah Blackburn, ASUSU Public Relations director, said though the constitution does not discuss graduate-student representation at length, a bylaw clarifies that graduate students can vote for academic senators as well as the graduate student senator.
Taylor’s concern came in response to a recent ASUSU decision to dissolve the Graduate Student Senate. This decision was made, because of a consistent lack of interest in the Graduate Student Senate positions, as a way to streamline the legislative process, said Cami Jones, Graduate Studies vice president.
All students — graduate and undergraduate levels — will now be represented by their respective colleges’ academic senators. Both graduate and undergraduate students can run for academic senator positions.
Taylor also said he was concerned students at regional campuses would not have adequate departmental representation.
“At the Brigham City campus, most of the students are either in the business or education colleges,” Taylor said. “Decisions made by those colleges affect them. What is their representation in the Academic Senate?”
He went on to say he thinks regional campus and distance education students should be allowed to vote for their college senators. Blackburn said she understands the concern, although, there is no way to rewrite the current voting software to allow for regional campus students to vote for their college senators before elections next week.
“It’s a legitimate concern, and it will probably be addressed again next year,” she said.
For now, regional campus and distant education students will have to take their concerns to their regional campus council, which will then relay the concern to the Logan main campus through the ASUSU regional campuses and distance education representative, said Erik Mikkelsen, ASUSU president.
This year will be the first year regional campus and distance education students will be able to elect their own regional campus executive council, said Justin Watkins, regional campuses and distance education representative. In the past, similar positions were appointed, said Jordan Hunt, ASUSU administrative assistant.
The ASUSU Council also passed a bill giving $1,500 toward the purchase of new pingpong and foosball equipment for the third floor of the Taggart Student Center.
The funds will be taken from the Capital and Support Fund, which accumulates money not spent during the previous fiscal year. The funds will not be allocated from this year’s student fees.
Zach Larsen, Programming vice president and the bill’s sponsor, said the current pingpong and foosball tables were last replaced three years ago and were of poor quality. He said the ones that will be purchased using the funds from this bill are of a much higher caliber.
“These ones are more heavy duty,” he said. “You could sit on them without breaking them.”
Kirsten Frank, ASUSU executive vice president, said the equipment could be used to advertise various involvement opportunities for students.
In other business, the council reviewed audit procedures for the upcoming ASUSU elections. All candidates must submit audits for their campaign expenditures.
Candidates for Academic Senate positions are allowed to spend up to $200 and candidates for Executive Council positions are allowed up to $400. Candidates are allowed to accept donations with an estimated value of up to half of their allowed budgets.
– rouchellebrockman@gmail.com