AS to appoint vacancies
Newly elected board members from the Associated Students began their term earlier this month, but already issues have risen with three vacancies from Director of Activities Kevin Shaw, Director of Sustainability Freddy Reyes and AS Secretary Van Tran. In a reply via e-mail, AS President Parker Jean commented on the vacancies.
“The Director of Activities had a personal conflict, the Director of Sustainability had an academic conflict.”
Tran has resigned in order to apply for a new position as the Director of Activities. Assistant Dean of Student Life Deyna Hearn addressed the reasons for the vacancies in an interview with The Corsair.
“As long as the elected officials maintain minimal academic eligibility they enter into their roles in the fall,” Hearn also states that “personal conflicts” can sometimes arise and lead to resignation.
According to the constitution of the Associated Students, vacancies are filled by a special process where the current board appoints members from public submissions.
This is in contrast to the process for the normal election where candidates campaign and are elected in the Spring.
At the meeting last week, Hearn warned that the appointing process shouldn’t be abused and that positions shouldn’t be filled by current members’ family and friends.
Former President Wills said in an interview Tuesday that had he known about the appointment process during his tenure, he would have lobbied against it.
“It’s not the most democratic process,” he said. “We could do a special election.”
The AS president serves as the chair of the committee and interviews the students, which is composed of other board members.
“You have nothing to lose if you apply, and everything to gain if you are appointed,” Jean said via e-mail.
“The board will be introduced to the candidates their candidates are asked to say something, talk about their background, why they are interested, and what they can bring to the table,” Hearn said.
Director of Publicity Jesse Ramirez gave instructions on how students who are interested can become candidates for the vacant seats.
“Go to the beginning page on SMC.edu, click on students services and you click on ‘Associated Students’ and then you click on ‘AS Board of Directors,’ it goes straight into letting the general population know that the AS is vacant in the three positions.”
Anyone who has paid AS fees in full is welcome to apply as long as the requirements are met for the desired job. Descriptions for the three vacancies can be read on the AS website.
Another way Ramirez plans to publicize the three vacancies is through a slide show he created which will be displayed across all the televisions on campus.
“As the director of publicity, [I] make sure our information is out there for everybody,” said Ramirez.
The AS deadline to publicize the three vacancies ended last Friday, three days after the confirmation. Hearn’s staff counselors will primarily check to see if the candidates meet the minimum academic requirements.
“Students must be enrolled in 8 units at SMC and have at least a 2.0 overall G.P.A and be on good academic standing,” Hearn said.
Students who plan to apply must turn in all necessary paperwork to room 202 at the Cayton center above the cafeteria before 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18.