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Opinion
The Communicator
10.29.2020
Analyzing the ASG selection process SFCC selects student government without student body vote Derek Tresner
The Communicator
U
nprecedented: one way to discribe 2020--a theme consistent with the way in which the associated student government was selected this academic year. Due to COVID-19, this year’s ASG was selected with littleto-no input from the student body. Natasha Monroe is the Academic Vice President of the Associated Student Government, and Hanna Thompson is the Associated President. Currently, the selection of the next year’s student government is made by the incumbent student government, and the Director of Student Funded Programs, Heather McKenzie. Hanna Thompson said that the executive team goes through an extensive process to be selected. “I sent in my application, and that involves what classes I am taking, my GPA, how many credits I am taking,” Thompson said. “Why do I want to be a part of ASG, and what experience I have.” She then made a presentation for an interview with the incumbent student government and the Director of Student Funded Programs. “I presented to the previous president, academic vice president, and activities vice president, as well as Heather McKenzie and Cole Bond,” Thompson said. “Then I got a call back saying that they would give me the job if I wanted it.” Thompson and Monroe were asked whether the student body had any say on the selection of student government members. “To my knowledge, not really, other than if they want to be a change in the school then they can apply for [a] position,” Thompson said. Monroe answered similarly about the involvement of the student body. “They unfortunately don’t have much of a role,” she said. “It’s mainly very in-house.”
sfcc.derek.tresner@gmail.com
Ashley Jacobson | The Communicator A voting pin depicting the nature of the student government selection process at SFCC.
While the Associated President and the Academic Vice President both agree on the small impact of the voices of the student body today, they have differing opinions on whether this system of selecting the ASG is an effective way of listening to the student body. “I think [selecting the student government] is this way so that it can’t be any kind of popularity contest,” Thompson said. “It is important to select the people that would be best suited for the roles— that really want the position.” Thompson further justified her stance adding that she has had previous experience in high school with student government. “I was in student government at my previous school,” she said. “It was partially a voting system. The Falls system is better because I’ve been in a voting system and it was a mess; granted it wasn’t for paid positions.” Monroe had a different
opinion on the matter. “For the executive team, I feel it would be a better idea to get the rest of the student population involved,” she said, referring to this year’s ASG selections. “It should have been an important process for students to have a say on who they think is best fit.” Heather McKenzie, the Director of Student Funded Programs gave her responses to The Communicator’s questions via email. She gave insight into the reasons for using a hiring process to select student government instead of electing them. “In the election process we had very few students run for office and many of them ran unopposed,” she said. “When we switched to selections we had over 30 candidates for 15 positions.” She also stated that the last year we ran an election to elect the student government was 20142015. In addition to this informa-
tion, McKenzie stated that candidates must collect 300 student signatures for executive positions, and 50 student signatures for staff members. However, according to both Thompson and Monroe, due to COVID-19, this process did not take place. Both Thompson and Monroe also stressed that there are positions still available to fill and urged students to consider applying for them. The student government is at the core of addressing key issues concerning the student body; a key player in improving the school for the better. They have a direct impact on important decisions like allocating public funding given to them through student fees. With this being said, the question remains: are we providing a fair enough system for listening to the voices of the student body and ensuring that the right people represent them?
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