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R.12 Resolution Regarding the Direct Election of the Student Assembly President and Executive Vice President
| Originally Presented On: | Wednesday, January 31, 2008 |
| Sponsors: | Mark Coombs, Vince Hartman |
| Subject of Resolution: | Regarding the Direct Election of the Student Assembly President and Executive Vice President |
| Status/Result: | - |
Whereas, the Student Assembly President and Executive Vice President are not directly elected as such by the student body, but � like other assembly officers � are selected to serve in these positions sub rosa by their cohorts in student government behind closed doors;
Whereas, these two officers differ greatly from those in subordinate positions in that it is they who serve as the primary spokespeople for the assembly, and, by extension, the greater student body;
Whereas, the members of this assembly seek to make the elections process both more open and more democratic, confident in the belief that those who are to speak for the people are best chosen by the people;
Be it therefore resolved that Article III, Section 1 of the Student Assembly Charter be amended to read as follows:
The SA will consist of 23 voting members who are registered undergraduate students at Cornell University. Eleven voting members of the SA will be elected by and from the student populations of the colleges and schools, one from each: the College of Architecture, Art and Planning; the School of Hotel Administration; the College of Human Ecology; and the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Two each shall be elected from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Engineering; and three shall be elected from the College of Arts and Sciences. In addition, eight voting members will be elected at-large by and from the University undergraduate student population as a whole; two at-large seats are to be reserved for candidates seeking the offices of President and Executive Vice President of the Student Assembly and must be explicitly designated as such. Four shall be elected by and from new students entering in the fall. The SA may allocate not more than two of its eight at-large seats to any one constituent group (or groups) of students which it determines to be underrepresented. Should the Assembly determine to allocate a seat or seats to specified groups of students, such allocation shall be in accordance with procedures promulgated by the SA and contained in its procedures and/or bylaws. Should there be no candidate running for a given seat, the seat shall be considered vacant. The seat will be filled, under Article 3, Section 4, after the newly elected SA takes office.
Be it further resolved that Article IV, Section 1 of the Charter be amended to read as follows:
The SA will, as soon as possible after the spring election, hold an organizational and planning meeting. The SA shall elect a President and Executive Vice President and any other officers it deems important to the normal operations of the SA at some time prior to June 1st. Each nominee for the respective offices shall be subject to two-thirds approval of the SA voting members. After such internal election, the newly elected officers will undertake the immediate responsibilities of their positions after completing a test of this charter. The SA will also elect two of its voting members to the UA. Self-nomination will be in order in each of these elections.
Respectfully submitted,
Mark Coombs ‘08
Director of Elections, ‘07-‘08
Executive Vice President, ‘06-‘07
Vince Hartman ‘08
Arts & Sciences Representative
