We’ve frequently taken issue with the GUSA Senate since its inception three years ago. The creation of specialized committees, like the Student Commission for Unity and the Student Commission on Technology, give us a reason to hope. The commissions allow a smaller group of passionate senators and non-senators to focus on a specific issue and make recommendations to the senate based on their research.
The current controversy in the student association’s senate regarding the Student Commission for Unity and whether a non-senator should be allowed to chair it has brought to light the question of how much control a non-senator should be given in a GUSA commission.
The tentative agreement between the senate and the executive branch, on which the senate will vote on Wednesday, states that Brian Kesten (COL ’10) will chair the SCU until January and the SCU will then have a co-chair system in which one chair is a senator and one is a student. Whether other commissions will adopt this co-chair model remains to be seen. The GUSA bylaws also explicitly state the controls the senate as a whole has over the commissions. For example, any non-senator officers that commissions name will have to be approved by the senate before they go into effect. GUSA has struck a prudent balance between leaving room for more student involvement in GUSA initiatives and maintaining oversight. Making sure that non-senators will be able to have an active role in GUSA is crucial, not just to keep the SCU going, but for the future of GUSA.
GUSA will only reach its full potential if it utilizes the creativity and skills of our talented student body. The commissions provide an opportunity for everyone to get involved with the campus issues which concern them, without their having to be a senator, of which there are only 35. Bringing in outside help and expertise is necessary if the variety of issues GUSA concerns itself with are going to be properly addressed. This set-up also allows for a greater degree of specialization, so a student who only cares about one specific issue can still find a way to contribute.
For the commissions to be effective, students must get involved. Feel tied to your desk because your dorm room doesn’t have wireless? Help out the Student Commission on Technology as it works for more wireless Internet access on campus. Spend most of your time in Leo’s complaining about the food? Voice your opinion through the Student Commission on Dining Concerns.
At the end of the day, it is up to us, the student body, to make GUSA an effective mechanism, and it is in our best interest to join, since it is, for better or for worse, the voice of the student body.
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