Two weeks ago, the Student Assembly passed Resolution 12, which states that the president and executive vice president of the S.A. will be elected by the entire student body. Previously, only S.A. members voted for the top two executive officers. The S.A. is currently awaiting approval for the new resolution from President Skorton.
Article 2, Section 3 of the S.A. charter reads: “Amendments dealing with legislative authority belonging to the S.A. and with the membership and amendment procedure are subject to the approval of the President.”
Skorton has 30 days from Feb. 7, the date Resolution 12 was passed, to support or reject the policy proposal. Although some S.A. members have had doubts over whether he will approve it, Tommy Bruce, vice president of University Communications, said Skorton will definitely approve the resolution in time.
“The administration applauds the S.A. for engaging the entire student body in the election of its officers and fully supports Resolution 12,” Bruce said.
“This is something that has been in the works for quite some time. By having the president elected by the student body, it makes the student president more representative of the needs of the students,” said Vince Hartman ’08, Arts and Sciences representative and a co-sponsor of the resolution. “In that sense the S.A. will be more active and representative.”
S.A. President C.J. Slicklen ’09 stated in an e-mail that although the S.A. has yet to hear anything from Skorton, it has only been about two weeks since the resolution was passed. Skorton is allowed to ask for clarifications or reconsideration.
“Hopefully, Resolution 12 will emerge from Skorton’s office unscathed and he’ll give it the go-ahead. This is important to the students and to the Cornell community in general,” said Director of Elections Mark Coombs ’08, a Sun columnist and co-sponsor of the resolution.
If Skorton approves the resolution, it will take effect in the elections during the 2008-2009 school year. It will not have an effect on the upcoming elections this spring.
“The administration should like the S.A. president to be elected because it will be more representative of the student body, and [students] will know the president is someone who is representing student concerns,” said Hartman.