After gathering student feedback from three listening sessions, the Associated Students of Madison Constitutional Committee proposed a two-semester minimum term for future presidents running in the organization.
We identified themes within the feedback and used that to debate making changes to the draft constitution,"" said Jeff Wright, chair of the committee. ""One big concern people had was that the [proposed] president position does not have any qualifications attached to it.""
The committee debated whether previous leadership and extra-curricular experience on or off campus should also be a requirement for future presidents.
Members of the committee did not reach a consensus. Wright said they plan to address the presidential qualifications issue in the next round of feedback sessions, which start next week.
""It will be the same format but there will be more give and take,"" Wright said of the future sessions. ""This could arguably be the last chance we get to speak to students directly before putting it before Student Council.""
According to Wright, the committee will make final revisions to the constitutional draft within the next few months and place it up for approval in early December.
ASM aims to have the student body vote on the constitution in February.
The committee also discussed duties and powers of the government branches, the ASM internship program and implementing constraints on executive orders.
Although a limited number of people have participated in previous feedback sessions, ASM leaders are looking for future involvement from the student body.
""Changes to this government, regardless of whether or not they are involved in ASM right now, will affect students' lives in some way,"" Wright said. ""If there is an incentive to get involved now, it's that this process is fundamentally directed around making a structure work better for students.""
For more information about ASM's constitutional committee, visit ASMconstitution.wordpress.com.
