The ASUO’s weekly Senate meeting was canceled last week, and the large two-day concert event associated with Mallard Madness concluded Saturday night, seemingly signaling an end to the work for this year’s student government officials.
But there is still work for the 2010-11 ASUO to do before the torch is fully passed to next year’s group at midnight on May 24.
This is because a major principle instilled in ASUO officials is working to ensure the transition of their post to the next elected candidate happens smoothly. The Senate holds transition meetings for the senators-elect and welcomes them to all the meetings after the elections so they can absorb parliamentary procedure.
Meanwhile, those on the Executive staff — those appointed by the ASUO president each year — leave behind information about the positions for those who will hold them next year.
ASUO Campus Outreach Coordinator Brian Allen specifically mentioned leaving behind information for those taking up his tasks next year. Allen was on the five-person team that worked to coordinate the Mallard Madness week of events.@@http://asuo.uoregon.edu/executive.php?a=12@@
“I would also like to create a good transition portfolio for the next Outreach Coordinator,” Allen said.
Though next year’s executive staff under President-elect Ben Eckstein will not have a specific person in that outreach position, Eckstein has said he wants his staff to each hold some of the responsibilities Allen has had this year. The purpose, Eckstein said, would be for each person on staff to connect with students on campus.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=*Eckstein@@
Ben Bowman, an ASUO legislative affairs coordinator, mirrored Allen’s sentiments about the transition to next year’s staff.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Ben+Bowman@@
“Working on a smooth transition for the next folks is a big part of (spring term),” Bowman said.
Bowman also said that the coordinators, Molly Bennison@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Molly+Bennison@@ and himself, have work left to do this year to put together advocacy about issues still being debated in the Oregon legislature.
“There are a few projects that we’re still working on,” Bowman said. “Tuition equity has a hearing on Wednesday … the DPS bill is still up in the air.”
Senate treasurer Brianna Woodside-Gomez@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Brianna+S+Woodside-Gomez@@ said she saw the ASUO’s end-of-the-year work differently. She said, as a senator, she thought Senate didn’t really have much to do during spring term.
The Senate didn’t meet last week because there was nothing new for them to talk about, something which had not been the case previously this year.
“Senate really doesn’t do anything; this is kind of our down time,” Woodside-Gomez said. “I was really surprised there wasn’t a meeting. I heard from a lot of groups saying they need money. This does really show that come spring term we only do special requests, and there weren’t any.”
Woodside-Gomez also mentioned the transition, but said she hasn’t been participating as much with it. She was elected to a two-year seat during last year’s elections and will return in the same capacity to next year’s Senate.