A month has passed since classes began - and ASMSU’s Academic Assembly already is experiencing attendance problems.
Two college representatives were removed from the assembly last week after missing a mandatory meeting three weeks in a row.
“We’re in the process of filling those seats,” Academic Assembly Chairperson Matt Clayson said. “There are people who become a part of it and don’t realize what a time commitment it is.”
The open seats belonged to Jon Hansen, the former Eli Broad College of Business representative, and Brian Mckeown, the former College of Natural Sciences representative. The two were removed from the assembly last week.
The Academic Assembly began to aggressively enforce its attendance policy this year. The college representatives are allowed three unexcused absences before they are notified by the assembly officials, Clayson said.
“It’s kind of taking a pro-active approach to the problem,” Clayson said.
Clayson estimated the attendance to be 25 percent higher than previous years.
“I was looking through the old minutes, and quorum was eight people,” he said. “Well that’s not an adequate sampling of the student body. Now we have an average of 20 people in the meetings.”
Hansen said he takes full responsibility for his actions, but was a little disappointed no one from ASMSU informed him he was removed.
“No one’s contacted me yet, but I had heard I was removed,” he said. “But it doesn’t really bother me because I’m really busy this year. The meetings are so extremely long.”
Hansen said he also never contacted anyone to tell them he wouldn’t be attending the meetings, and that he always assumed he would attend the next one.
“I’m glad that they do enforce an attendance though,” he said. “If you want your organization to survive, you have to.”
Student Assembly Chairperson Matt Weingarden said representatives in the Student Assembly are allowed either five excused absences or three unexcused absences.
“Because we have far less meetings than Academic Assembly, our attendance policy is more liberal right now,” he said. “Cutting down on the meetings makes it easier to go to the meetings.”
Weingarden said removing two representatives is typical for this time of year, but the Student Assembly have been removed.
“Which is surprising, in a good way,” he said. “It’s never fun to take reps off.”
Clayson said this year is looking better for attendance, even though they have already removed two representatives.
“I have a very positive feeling about this year,” he said. “In years past they were afraid they couldn’t fill the seats if they removed reps, but it’s a matter of opening up the seats.”
