Associated Student Government senators voted against a proposed bylaws amendment Wednesday night after a heated debate. The amendment would have provided for one student group senator representative on the financial vice president selection committee.
The selection committee chooses a candidate to head the Student Activities Finance Board, which determines funding for A-status student groups. An A-status student group receives funding from SAFB, while B- and T-status groups do not.
Debate centered around the need for another member on the selection committee. The amendment stated that one student group senator needed to be elected to give student groups a greater voice in determining how much money they receive.
Currently the financial vice president is selected by six committee members, including one ASG senator selected at large.
The selection committee will meet for the first time this Friday. If the amendment had passed, the selected student group senator would have been present at the meeting.
Off-campus senator Darin Smith-Gaddis, a Weinberg senior, was elected to serve as the at-large representative on this year’s FVP selection committee. Goodrich-Foster House senator Anastasia Usova and Rachelle Faroul also were nominated for the committee position.
The debate over whether to add a student group senator representative to the financial vice president selection committee lasted until 10 p.m. and included a heated discussion over the appropriate time to implement the position.
SAFB member Jenny Kim said if passed, the amendment to place a student group senator on the committee should take effect for Winter Quarter 2006.
“You shouldn’t be able to change something you are currently part of,” said Kim, a Communication sophomore. “You never know what people’s motives are,” she said, citing the importance of considering national policies of delayed implementation.
But some senators strongly supported the proposed amendment, saying more student group representation when picking the head of the SAFB was important.
In other news, two Academic Committee bills passed will allow a poll on HereandNowto measure student interest in printed registration packets and review suggestions students and faculty made regarding CAESAR and CTECs.
In new business, an expected 2005-06 ASG operating budget was released to senators. The budget outlines projected spending for the next fiscal year.
The projected budget was prepared by looking at past trends last year and part of this year to predict what ASG will likely spend next year.
Senators will be asked to vote to approve the budget, currently estimated at $81,600, before it becomes official.
Reach Michelle Ma at [email protected].
