Members of Student Government Association do not foresee problems with conflict of interest with the Elections Board that was approved Wednesday.
Last February, SGA removed the Elections Board after discovering the board members and one of the presidential slates were connected to Theta Chi fraternity. That won't happen this year, Elections Board Chairwoman Kiersta Barnes said.
"I asked them before I chose them if they knew of any conflict of interest," Barnes said. "They were all unaware of any."
The Election Board members are involved in many campus organizations, she said. SGA President, Asher Lisec said she is sure this year's board will represent a wide range of students.
"There are three minorities, three greeks, four non-greeks, people with history in residence halls and histories of people living off-campus," Lisec said. "I think they will motivate a wider range of students to vote."
Barnes said students considered for the board were recommended, former SGA members or campus leaders. Barnes filled out an application for her position, but she appointed the other members. Barnes said she asked them to bring resumes in case senators wanted to look at them.
The board will meet next week to work out details for the spring elections.
"I'm just really impressed with the Elections Board she was able to find," Lisec said.
After the Elections Board was appointed, senators discussed and approved two pieces of legislation.
The first was about changes to application bylaws. The Credentials Board now has a checks and balances system for considering applications. The whole board, not just the chair, will look at applications to ensure applicants completed them correctly.
The former chairman resigned several weeks ago after concerns about how applications were being handled were brought up.
"We want to make sure if there is a problem with the application that it is not just going on the shoulders of the chairman," Matt Lacy, at-large committee chairman said. "Now everybody on the credentials board is responsible for that problem."
According to SGA bylaws, legislation is read five times before it is voted on by senate. This piece was read four times, and senators voted to suspend the fifth reading for the sake of time, which made some senators uneasy. The bylaw requires the legislation to be passed through the agenda committee and the rules and constitution committee before it is voted on, Credentials Board chairman Kyle Ellis said.
"We needed to suspend the bylaws to make sure that this legislation passed [Wednesday]," Ellis said. "We would've had to start at the bottom of the process and now we don't have to do that."
If it had not passed Wednesday, it would have been put on hold until Spring Semester.
Lacey and Ellis aid they are relieved the legislation passed because SGA is taking a stand to stop problems with the Credentials Board.
"I'm glad that Senate saw the benefits of this legislation and they acted in the best interest of the student body," Ellis said.
The senators also approved legislation supporting the inclusion of ISBN numbers on the Course Planner Web site. Making ISBN numbers available online will give students the opportunity to shop around for the least expensive textbooks. Ellis said he is unsure when the numbers would be placed on the Web site.
"The next step is having a meeting with the University Computing Services, as well as the director of Academic Systems," Ellis said. "And we will make sure that we learn the necessary steps to make sure the ISBN numbers are listed on the Course Planner Web site."
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