Thumbs up/Thumbs down
Complacency, miscommunication resulted in EVP ouster
Thumbs down to the Undergraduate Students Association Council and administrative representative Lyle Timmerman for not following procedures required by the USAC bylaws. Timmerman misinterpreted USAC bylaws in the process of removing External Vice President Portia Pedro. Yet council members, especially President Elizabeth Houston, are also at fault for their complacency. Council members have an obligation to be more vigilant to ensure the bylaws are not misinterpreted.
Under USAC bylaws, an ineligible officer should have been removed from office “within five school days of notification to USAC.” When Timmerman learned of Pedro’s ineligibility, he notified Houston and gave Pedro five school days to prove her eligibility. Though elsewhere in the bylaws, “USAC” clearly refers to the entire council, in this situation, Timmerman loosely interpreted “USAC” to mean only the president. Both Timmerman and Houston are at fault for not alerting the council of the issue as soon as they became aware of the situation.
Timmerman also overstepped his bounds as an administrative representative by offering his opinion in an e-mail message written to the council.
By characterizing Pedro’s actions after being declared ineligible as “misguided” and “selfish,” Timmerman leaves little doubt the bylaws were not applied neutrally. Personal bias, especially by the administrative representative, should not influence the removal of a student-elected representative.
Still, this does not excuse the council’s complacency when they did learn of Pedro’s ineligibility. Members failed to question Timmerman’s and Houston’s actions though they should have shown more concern when they were finally notified. Council members should have examined their bylaws and questioned the procedure because they must ensure proper procedures are followed. It is their duty as elected student representatives to take an active role in USAC, and question any removal of another elected officer.
Houston, too, needs to realize her responsibility as president to uphold procedures outlined in the bylaws and to include the student-elected council in matters of this magnitude. Likewise, Timmerman needs to have a clear idea of how far the boundaries of his job extend and should avoid personal bias and loose interpretation of USAC bylaws.
L.A. no longer supports Boy Scouts
Thumbs up to the Los Angeles City Council for breaking ties with the Boy Scouts of America last week after deciding the city should not support the Scouts’ discriminatory policies.
This action comes in light of the Supreme Court decision earlier this year allowing the Boy Scouts to exclude homosexuals.
The Boy Scouts program surely serves to benefit many boys in the community. It is unfortunate these young boys are ultimately the ones punished for their leaders’ intolerant and homophobic attitudes. The organization’s leaders should realize their bigotry only hurts the boys they serve and denies them positive, tolerant role models. Fortunately, the City of Los Angeles refuses to support the Scouts’ discriminatory views.
Written evaluations make the grade
Thumbs up to UC Santa Cruz for rejecting a proposal that would have ended written evaluations accompanying students’ grades. UCSC remains the only UC campus that requires professors to write evaluations of their students at the end of each term.
Such a grading system ensures students receive direct feedback on their class performance and fosters an environment where students are personally addressed, rather than treated as a number. Evaluations encourage students to learn for learning’s sake, rather than simply working for the highest letter grade possible.
Though it is unrealistic for a school the size of UCLA to require professors to write an evaluation of each student in their class, we’re glad other schools small enough to support such a system are doing so.
Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down represents the majority opinion of the Daily Bruin Editorial Board. Send feedback to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.
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