The ASUO Constitution Court has released a clarification saying the ASUO president can hire an executive team without senate approval.
University of Oregon student Thomas Tullis asked the Constitution Court to clarify a section in ASUO Constitution rules, wanting to know whether the appointments requiring senate approval include executive members.
According to the bylaws, members of ASUO Constitution Court, Elections board, four finance committees and the Student Senate must be confirmed by the ASUO Senate. However, it did not specify whether that includes executive staff, Tullis said in the document.
“Senate confirmation serves as a check against nepotism, cronyism, patronage and unnecessary staff positions,” Tullis wrote. “One may point to tradition and how executive appointees have not been getting Senate approval in recent memory, but the idea that ignoring a constitutional provision renders it invalid is a very dangerous precedent.”
The Constitution Court released a clarification today, agreeing that “the wording is opaque and nowhere is there a specific mention of executive staff or hiring.” It also stated that the hiring process of executive staff, without senatorial approval, is an established practice.
“At no time in memory has senatorial approval been a requirement for executive staff. In addition, this practice has neither been contested nor been cause for controversy,” the document read.
In English, this means the next ASUO President, Quinn Haaga, can continue to appoint her cabinet team without going through Senate. They will take office on May 25.