After a disagreement over the involvement of Student Life advisers in ASMSU business affairs, undergraduate representatives and advisers are working to redefine the advisers' role.
At the Academic and Student assemblies' joint meeting Feb. 3, student government officials passed a bill recommending a revision to the Programming Board Code of Operations.
A section of the bill would have prohibited the Programming Board's advisory staff - Student Life officials - from having "too much power." ASMSU officials said the board's advisory staff has too much influence on how funding is decided for activities.
This section of the bill was struck down before it was passed, but Student Life advisers who attended the meeting still felt offended, ASMSU officials said.
The board funds specific student events on campus, and the advisers OK major allocations of funds by signing off on contracts. Student Life advisers also help make financial decisions for the board by suggesting ways to spend student tax money.
A part of the bill stated, "the Student Life staff will not consult with the Programming Board and Student Assembly in the revisions to the Programming Board, unless requested by both Student Assembly and Programming Board Chairpersons."
Residence Halls Association Representative Josh Rabinowitz said the advisory staff doesn't play an active role within the student government, and "they don't bring much to (assembly) meetings."
"When they are here, they're just sitting in the back gabbing," he said. "I really don't see the purpose of them being here."
As a student-run organization, members said the advisers' opinions should be professional and objective.
Members said advisers felt the issue was an "in-house matter" that should have been discussed in private and not placed on a public bill.
"This is a very important opportunity for ASMSU and Student Life to openly discuss the role of the adviser and the value of our relationship," said Cathy Neuman, assistant director of Student Life.
Neuman declined to comment on Rabinowitz's remarks about advisers' behavior during meetings.
After advisers threatened to break away from ASMSU, the students apologized to the advisers in a letter that detailed the importance of their relationship with Student Life. This apology spawned the discussion between ASMSU members and Student Life over the role of the advisers.
Without support from the advisers, the Programming Board might have a hard time funding certain events, Programming Board Chairperson Kristen Daddow said.
In a letter presented to Student Assembly members, Daddow wrote, "without Student Life's vital signing power on our contracts, ASMSU assumes full and 100 percent liability on all of our events, a risk that ASMSU cannot responsibly afford. Our programming will be stopped if we are not corresponding with Student Life soon."
Neuman said the assemblies and Student Life advisers will focus on making the situation a positive one.
Daddow said representatives should have come to the assembly before taking power into their own hands and addressing an issue that was not completely thought out.
"We really haven't realized the complete ramifications of Student Life not being involved with Programming Board," she said.
Daddow said a few event contracts were delayed, but no activities were canceled as a result of the disagreement.
