2008 Woodie Awards
ASI, Academic Senate square off
Matt Lanza, Staff Writer
Issue date: 3/15/06 Section: News
A debate dating back to September of last year has been taking place between the Associated Students Inc. (ASI) Senate and the Academic Senate. The clash is over the ability of students to vote in Academic Senate sub-committees. Many students involved in the ASI Senate have been vocal about their displeasure for the lack of influence.
"Sacramento State and SSU are the only two campuses that do not have a vote at the Academic Senate and/or the committee level," ASI President Nadir Vissanjy said. "I believe that in terms of students voting at the Academic Senate and its committees, we are way behind the times."
Both entities may be foreign to many students, but their action is evident all around campus. The ASI Senate is comprised of student Senators, the Associated Students President and Executive Vice President, the Vice President of Finance, and various faculty and staff. The Senate has many duties, the most visible being forming and passing resolutions, that act as the collective student opinion. Drafting a resolution takes research, talking with student constituents, and discussing the resolution's importance on the Senate floor before passing. The Academic Senate is comprised of the Senate Chair, Chair-Elect, Past-Chair, as well as a host of faculty and staff Senators. The Academic Senate's purpose is similar to that of the ASI Senate, but with faculty and staff issues at the forefront.
Each Senate has sub-committees, charged to research and discuss various issues affecting students, faculty, and staff. One of the sub-committees of the Academic Senate is the Structures and Functions sub-committee, whose chair is Professor Elaine McDonald. According to the bylaws of the Academic Senate, Article V, section 5, Structures and Function's charge is, among other things, to "review organizational changes in faculty governance structures." This includes discussing and recommending a solution to the Academic Senate on an issue like student suffrage in Academic Senate subcommittees. The discussion of student suffrage took place in the Structures and Functions committee, and reached the Academic Senate in the form of a letter sent on Mar 7.
"Sacramento State and SSU are the only two campuses that do not have a vote at the Academic Senate and/or the committee level," ASI President Nadir Vissanjy said. "I believe that in terms of students voting at the Academic Senate and its committees, we are way behind the times."
Both entities may be foreign to many students, but their action is evident all around campus. The ASI Senate is comprised of student Senators, the Associated Students President and Executive Vice President, the Vice President of Finance, and various faculty and staff. The Senate has many duties, the most visible being forming and passing resolutions, that act as the collective student opinion. Drafting a resolution takes research, talking with student constituents, and discussing the resolution's importance on the Senate floor before passing. The Academic Senate is comprised of the Senate Chair, Chair-Elect, Past-Chair, as well as a host of faculty and staff Senators. The Academic Senate's purpose is similar to that of the ASI Senate, but with faculty and staff issues at the forefront.
Each Senate has sub-committees, charged to research and discuss various issues affecting students, faculty, and staff. One of the sub-committees of the Academic Senate is the Structures and Functions sub-committee, whose chair is Professor Elaine McDonald. According to the bylaws of the Academic Senate, Article V, section 5, Structures and Function's charge is, among other things, to "review organizational changes in faculty governance structures." This includes discussing and recommending a solution to the Academic Senate on an issue like student suffrage in Academic Senate subcommittees. The discussion of student suffrage took place in the Structures and Functions committee, and reached the Academic Senate in the form of a letter sent on Mar 7.