SGA vote could end class officers
ISSUE: 02/28/07 > news > sga vote could end class officers
The Student Government Association will soon vote on a possible constitutional amendment to eliminate class officers. At their next meeting March 13, Congress will hear about the amendment for the second time.
Lack of interest in class officer positions and undefined responsibilities are cited as the main reasons for the possible change.
“In the process of trying to come up with ways to improve [SGA], we saw there was a weakness in the class officer system,” senior class president Ben Palos said. “I started brainstorming ways to fix this and wrote up this amendment as a draft.”
“... people find leadership positions in things they’re more interested in.” - Ben Palos |
Now there are eight sponsors of the bill, and several of them are class officers themselves. It has been two years since the last constitutional amendment, Palos said.
The possible amendment will do away with class officers and instead have elected class representatives on Congress. Currently, the president and vice president of each class serve on Congress. Their responsibilities also include planning events throughout the school year. Under the new amendment, class representatives on Congress will have no extra responsibilities and will not have a separate budget as they do now. Also, there will not be a board of officers for each class.
Last year the junior and senior class offices ran uncontested. Palos said there seems to be a consistent lack of interest.
“The freshmen always get involved and do great,” Palos said. “Sometimes that carries on to the sophomores. As you get older, you get more involved and people find their niche. Those people find leadership positions in things they’re more interested in. The attention is away from class officers.”
SGA president Will Cromer said class office jobs are not clearly defined. However, one thing the junior class officers have run is the Mistletoe Ball, a formal in December. He suggested the SGA events committee or Program Board could take over that event.
If the amendment is passed by Congress, the student body must approve it as well. The choice will appear on the online student body election ballot March 21-23. If either Congress or the student body does not approve it, class officers will be determined in the fall.
Cromer thinks the amendment will pass.
“My understanding is that the majority of current class officers are on board,” Cromer said. “The Student Affairs Office agrees. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are changes made to the actual amendment.”
The amendment is still in its first stages. He said it may not pass, or it may be changed dramatically.
Palos said the amendment is not going to pass without a lot of promotion to students.
“They have to vote on it, so we’re really going to have to make the student body aware of what this amendment means to them and how it will affect them,” Palos said. “If we get that done, I think it will pass.”
Photos&Videos
