This week, ASUO Sen. Max Barkley and senator representatives on the Senate Personnel Committee will be receiving the final applications for freshmen who want to hold a non-voting role within the Senate.
Former ASUO President Emma Kallaway created this position with a ballot initiative in last year’s ASUO elections that passed, changing the ASUO constitution and creating the position. Now, three months into the school year, Barkley and the Senate are starting to nail down specifics of what the position will look like.
Barkley wrote a special request for some of Senate surplus money to fund a $125 per month stipend for the position which was later amended to $150 last week and passed in Senate with 13 votes in favor and two senators abstaining.
Because senators at the meeting advocated for similar responsibilities surrounding attending budget hearings and holding office hours, they advocated for the stipend which matched a normal senator stipend.
“There are so many resignations because people don’t know what they’re getting into,” Sen. Brianna Woodside-Gomez said during Wednesday’s Senate meeting. “They should realize we have a lot to do.”
Similarly, Barkley said he advocated for the position to give freshmen a role in on-campus debate.
“I want them to reach out to the first-year freshmen, to make sure that their demographic has people representing them,” Barkley said.
Previously, freshmen who wanted to be involved with ASUO had just two options: apply for open seats when senators resign or wait until the next election cycle every spring.
“Somebody in high school can’t become part of the Senate,” Barkley said.
In terms of actually applying for the position, Barkley said he’d like to see applicants who already work with people in other campus groups.
“Social skills are important,” Barkley said. “Hopefully, they have a good network of people.”
Sen. Blake Sedgley, a member of the Senate Personnel Committee creating this position, said he’d like to see the position work to involve more non-ASUO students in the process.
“I think it’s great to get people involved … (the senator should be) involved in a lot of programs already,” Sedgley said. “Not that many people know what goes on in the ASUO.”
Barkley said the application deadline was Jan. 14, though they will continue to take applications through the beginning of this week and will begin the interview process this week. The Senate Personnel Committee hopes to fill the position by Wednesday, Jan. 26. As of Monday night, Barkley has seen one application.
The freshman who is hired will receive $50 for the month of January and $150 per month for the rest of this school year. This person will likely be required to be present for a number of budget hearings for the four ASUO finance committees.
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