Constitution goes to vote
A student vote begins today on a new Associated Student Government constitution developed by the Task Force for Enhancing Student Governance.
The constitution will go before UA administrators regardless of the special election outcome, but the vote is a way for students to voice their opinions about the proposed changes, said Sylvia Scott, director of Student Involvement.
“It going to happen regardless,” said Scott, who is one of several administrators coordinating the special election. “The vote on the new constitution is going to proceed.”
The Task Force has been collecting signatures on a petition to bring the constitution to a student body referendum since the beginning of the week. The goal was to collect 2,000 signatures, but 1,390 were collected.
Even though the goal was not met, the general election began at 12 a.m. today and will conclude at 11:59 p.m. Friday.
A draft of the new constitution will be posted on the special election ballot. The current ASG constitution is available online at www.uark.edu/~asg.
The petition and the special election are ways to collect student feedback about the potential changes. Members of the Task Force hope students will use the special election as a way to express their opinions, said Rebecca Stubbs, a Task Force member and Greek Life representative.
“I don’t care if you’re for the constitution or against it,” Stubbs said. ” … I want students to have a voice and take a role in their government.”
The Task Force also hosted a public forum in RZ’s Coffee House so members of the UA community could ask questions. The turnout wasn’t as high as some Task Force members had hoped, Stubbs said.
“I think a lot of students feel disenfranchised in student government,” Stubbs said.
But the students who are serving as ASG senators and officers are doing the best they can within the current structure and design of student government, Stubbs said.
“I really do think they are trying their hardest to make their system work,” Stubbs said. “I think this system we’re proposing will make it just so much easier for everybody to do their job as an ASG senator and a student.”
