Monday, April 1, 1996
Association leaders question presidents' office's involvementBy Patrick Kerkstra
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The students' association Board of Directors narrowly defeated a pair of proposals on March 22 designed to purge the board of political influence and excess members.
A controversial motion aiming to prohibit elected student officials from serving on the board failed by one vote, while another proposing a reduction in the number of alternates missed by two.
Proponents of the failed motions argued that elected student officials, particularly the undergraduate and graduate student presidents, are too political and busy for the board.
"Having observed the time commitments the presidents have, I think they're taking too much on; I think they're spread too thin," said graduate board member Dave Kopplin.
Kopplin also asserted that nonelected board members can serve and represent students as well as elected officials.
But Emily Day, an undergraduate representative who voted to defeat the motions, said there is little difference between an appointed member and an elected official serving as a board member.
Day, like the other undergraduate representatives, was appointed by undergraduate President York Chang.
"What's the difference between having York sit here, and York saying, 'Emily sit there?'" Day asked.
"In the sense of having a student constituency and student representative on the board, I'm as political as anyone," continued Day, who does not hold an elected position.
But an additional concern for some board members was the potential lack of interest shown by students who serve on the board by virtue of their elected positions. Both the undergraduate and graduate student presidents sit on the board.
"Even if you're going to appoint political representatives to the board for political reasons usually they will be interested in the board as such and that often the president won't be," said graduate representative Tim Beasley. "The president will have other items higher on his or her agenda than the board."
The board is likely to revisit the issue before the end of the year.
Although the board chose not to reduce its size or change its composition, it did extend the terms of its representatives and also gave itself more authority to censure members for misconduct or poor attendance.
"The aim is to get a leaner board than can more decisively and insightfully and address issues," Beasley said.
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Board members anticipated choosing a permanent replacement for temporary Executive Director Charles Mack by the end of the schoolyear.
Currently, the executive search firm McCormack and Associates is interviewing candidates for the job.
The ad-hoc search committee, which is working with McCormack and Associates to find candidates, expects to present at least three candidates to the board for review within a month, said graduate representative Dave Kopplin.
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The students' association will not begin construction on its North Campus coffeehouse until this summer, officials said. The cafe will offer fare similar to the Kerckhoff Coffeehouse and Jimmy's, and is scheduled to open in the fall quarter.
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Delays in Ackerman Union construction have raised serious financial concerns for the association. The expansion will not open until the beginning of winter quarter 1997, instead of fall quarter 1996 as originally planned.
The delay is expected to dampen the association's business at the beginning of the 1996-97 academic year, typically the period of greatest profits for the organization.Comments to webmaster@db.asucla.ucla.edu