Changes considered for students’ association
Restructuring idea includes removing elected officials from
board of directors
By Rachel Kelley
and Patrick Kerkstra
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
In a move calculated to divorce political influence from
leadership within the students’ association, the organization’s
board of directors considered a proposal Friday that would prevent
elected officials from serving on the board.
"Any elected official … on the board can affect the focus and
direction of the board and the association. Therefore, this option
seeks to prohibit them from sitting on the board," the proposal
read.
Removing elected officials is only part of the restructuring
motion, which would fundamentally change the look of the board if
passed.
The motion calls for a smaller board, would give the board of
directors more authority to censure its own members and would
lengthen terms on the board among other options.
Presently, the undergraduate and graduate student presidents are
automatically members of the board, and other political officials
regularly serve as well.
Although the board has been considering and discussing these
actions since last quarter, opinions were still mixed Friday.
"Some of the graduate and undergraduate presidents that have sat
on this board have done excellent jobs, others have not. My opinion
is that the right person can do the job," said graduate board
representative Dave Kopplin.
After concluding that even more discussion over the
restructuring proposal was necessary in coming weeks, the board
agreed to vote on the issue next month.
* * *
The association’s search for a permanent executive director is
continuing, but the deadline for applications was pushed back two
weeks, officials said Friday.
The board has hired Joe McCormack, of the executive search firm
McCormack & Associates, to find qualified candidates for the
position.
The firm has already spent more than 48 hours speaking with
campus community members both inside and outside the association
about their expectations for an executive director.
* * *
January was not a prosperous month for the association’s food
services and student store.
Officials attributed the decline in merchandise sales to a lack
of business at the computer store. The computer store is
experiencing the effects of Apple’s customer dissatisfaction and
financial hardships, said Carol Ann Smart, the student store’s
director.
However, temporary Executive Director Charles Mack said
February’s revenues look more promising.
The Ackerman construction is also negatively impacting the
student store’s profits and contributing to the decline in food
service revenues as well, association officials said.
But Ackerman is not the only food service location that has been
experiencing financial difficulties. Eateries all over North Campus
have declined in popularity as well, said Food Services director
Kert Evans.
Evans said the smaller revenues were due mostly to less foot
traffic in North Campus.Comments to
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