Despite expressing reservations about the ASUO Executive’s hiring process, the Student Senate confirmed four new members June 13 in an emergency meeting.
ASUO President Emily McLain and Vice President Chii-San SunOwen both defended the Executive’s decision not to interview all applicants for the various positions, including former Senate President Sara Hamilton. Hamiliton applied for a seat on the EMU Board, a position she was forced to vacate earlier this year because of a grievance accusing Hamilton of non-fulfillment of duties. The Executive instead appointed Billy Hatch to the EMU Board seat.
“Just because you have sat at this table doesn’t make you the best candidate for it,” McLain said. “Billy brings fresh, new eyes.”
Hatch later said, “There’s not going to be issues because of this. We can get together and get a lot of good work done for the students of the University.”
McLain later said, “There is no process laid out for us. I could call somebody up and ask them if they wanted to be appointed.”
Senate had taken issue last year with the Executive’s hiring methods, and Sen. Athan Papailiou said the new Executive had reduced the number of elected Senators on the hiring committee.
“People are being denied out of Senate because of political reasons,” Papailiou said.
The only Senator on the hiring committee, Donnie Kim, argued Hamilton could not be selected because the ASUO Constitution Court had not ruled on Hamilton’s appeal of her removal. The court has decided Hamilton was rightfully removed from her seat, but the court ruled on May 6 nothing barred Hamilton from appointment.
McLain said, “We interviewed those we felt were qualified.”
Sen. Neil Brown said, “I think we could have a more qualified candidate and I think we should look for one.”
Hamilton later said she was frustrated with McLain’s decision.
“She’s choosing to play politics instead of doing what’s best for students,” she said. “Right now everyone in the ASUO is playing the power-grab game. In the end, only the credibility of the institution loses.”
McLain said she did not want to exclude anyone from the process, pointing out Hamilton has served student government for two years, and said “we chose to interview the students we liked the applications from.”
The Senate initially voted to not confirm the appointment of Diego Hernandez, who was the Executive appointment to a Programs Finance Committee seat. Hernandez ran for EMU Board Senate seat 6 and lost to Sen. Samantha Brodey in the election. Hernandez is a strong advocate for student unions.
Sen. Papailiou pointed out to Hernandez that “the incidental fee is not just affecting groups,” but the entire student population.
Two appointments were confirmed with little discussion. Representing education and journalism majors is Patrick Boye and serving in another Programs Finance Committee seat is Steven Wilsey.
After gaining two new Senate members, Sen. Nate Gulley opened the agenda to add Hernandez back on as a new appointee.
On the confirmation of both Hatch and Hernandez, SunOwen cast a tie-breaking vote. All the new appointments, except Wilsey, will serve on the summer senate committee.
The Senate also heard the Executive’s offer to give $6,000 for new drums for the Oregon Marching Band. Senate had allocated money for an entire drumline, but the move was vetoed because Senate did not have the funds available in an over-realized account.
The Executive asked Senate for an additional $414.62 to fulfill the cost of a new drum set, but Senate instead authorized spending $20,689 from its surplus account, which will make up the difference between the Executive’s allocation and the drumline’s $26,689 purchase price.
No one took minutes during the meeting, a violation of the Oregon Public Meetings Law and Student Senate rules as laid out in the Green Tape Notebook. Senate was confused about whether decisions made at the meeting could be voided because of their failure to take minutes and called, then canceled, another emergency meeting.
An e-mail addressed to students said, “This problem is being addressed through a collaboration of student leaders recreating the discourse of the meeting through new minutes.”
McLain said after consulting with the University’s general counsel, student leaders determined they were not in actual violation of the law and could recreate the meeting through former Sen. Jonathan Rosenberg’s vote counts and senator recollections.
“It’s not recreating in the sense of changing,” McLain said.
McLain said the full Senate, when it returns to work in fall, will be charged with ensuring the accuracy of the minutes and ultimately approving them.
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