Murky Waters: Student Assembly flounders one year after the end of Student Senate

As the 2022-23 academic year came to a close, so did one club’s journey on campus. After 98 years, Student Senate did not hold elections for the next academic year. Instead, a new structure of student government held elections: Student Assembly.

At the end of spring 2022 semester, a few weeks after a heated Student Senate meeting, a small group of students proposed a new structure of student government called Student Assembly.

“There was a general sense among students, specifically of color, that they weren’t being well represented by Senate,” third-year economics and political science major Gabriel Karl said. Karl held the position of elections chair in Student Senate at the time of the new structure change proposal. The student body voted for a transition committee to be formed to create a formal constitution for Student Assembly.

The committee worked on creating the constitution for roughly a year, getting feedback from Student Senate and other areas of campus. Eventually another vote went out to the student body on whether to keep the current structure that was Student Senate or transition into Student Assembly. The transition to Student Assembly was solidified.

Major structural changes included shrinking membership from 60 members to 44, replacing class senates with class clubs and switching meetings from weekly to twice a month. So during its first year, what has Student Assembly accomplished?

“Less than I was hoping,” Karl said.

For one Student Assembly member, who remained anonymous due to fear of backlash, a lack of meetings is a primary cause for this failure.

“I would rather have a check-in or touch-up even if the meeting only lasts 15 minutes,” they said.

When the Assembly did meet, Karl said it primarily focused on the constitution.

“It's been disheartening that the entirety of our time has been taken up with discussing the constitution,” Karl said. “The intended goal of restructuring was supposed to be pushing everything that happened in the body towards an advocacy lens, and that hasn’t really happened because we’ve been way too caught up in messing with the constitution.”

There were some major changes to the constitution this year, including a rules package introduced by Karl. It was an idea that Student Assembly was working on since the transition committee.

“I felt it didn’t necessarily deserve a place in the hard to change, concrete constitution,” Karl said.

During the same meeting as Karl’s proposal, third-year mathematics education major Griffin MaClaren introduced the role of parliamentarian. The parliamentarian works to ensure that meetings run in accordance with the constitution. Conflicting wording in MaClaren and Karl’s proposals drew a need for debate to allow for both the role of parliamentarian and the rules package to coexist, which was eventually accomplished.

Another major constitutional change seen during the first year was the removal of the Institutional Traditions Committee. The committee works to advocate, plan and execute campus traditions including Homecoming and Tree Lighting. The committee is now housed under the Student Life division and is open for all students to run for positions, regardless if they are in Student Assembly.

Moving forward, not only does Student Assembly want to work to fill vacant seats they currently have, but work to be a voice for students. Student Assembly’s mission is clearly stated in their constitution: “Develop student leaders, empower our student body to utilize resources equitably, support diversity and inclusion initiatives, engage in civic opportunities and foster growth in the well-being of all students.”

While its first year may have fallen short, Student Assembly members remind themselves why they joined student government.

“I joined to support those who are afraid to speak in that room, because I’m not afraid to speak in that room,” the anonymous Student Assembly member said. “I’m not afraid if people don’t agree with my views because I’m not there to make friends with everyone in that room, I’m there to make change.”

Student Assembly meetings are open to the entire campus community and are held at 3:45 p.m. the first and third Thursday of each month in Hoover 212.