For many years at SCSU, the Student Government Association (SGA) has been operating with the same constitution and many within the association feel it is time for a change.
There have been ongoing problems with the constitution’s efficiency and effectiveness and although many believe the current constitution has served the SCSU community well, most members of the SGA agree that updates are needed.
Terence Glommen-McCloskey, the Constitutional Review Chair of the SGA, is planning to be at the forefront of drafting a new student constitution and in a presentation last Thursday, Glommen-McCloskey outlined the basic functions of the student constitution.
“First off, it outlines an agreement between the administration and the student association on what some of our fundamental rights are,” Glommen-McCloskey said. “It also describes the basic form of the SGA: what the basic positions are, what the committees are going to be.”
Because of the constitution’s ultimate authority, Chief Justice Wes Dunser of the SGA voiced his support for a new draft.
“It [the constitution] is kind of confusing. Everything is scattered around. I think that if we can streamline it, it would make it a lot easier to function,” Dunser said.
Glommen-McCloskey agreed.
“Right now, our constitution is just difficult to work with. What we are hoping to do is get something that is easier to navigate. It is going to be updated and be less challenging.“
Glommen-McCloskey explained that this was not the first time that the SGA had hoped for a new constitution.
“We decided we needed a new one probably 3 or 4 years ago, and so we have had a number of drafts. I didn’t like any of them to be honest, so I am just kind of continuing the work that has been done, and try to get something that everyone can agree to,” Glommen-McCloskey said.
It was also explained why the SGA had been unsuccessful in their attempts last year to pass a new constitution.
“It [the constitution] passed the senate, and I think it passed the student association, but the way it was passed, the [SCSU] president had not had a say yet, and the president vetoed it.” Said Glommen-McCloskey.
SGA President Michael Jamnick summarized how the new draft will likely include features of the currentconstitution as well as various features of the previous year’s draft despite being vetoed.
“We’ve got our current operating constitution and the one that was proposed and I think that we are drifting somewhere towards the middle,” Jamnick said.
Although Chair Glommen-McCloskey plans to front the project, many others plan to be involved in shaping the new draft.
“Myself and the student constitution committee, we are the ones responsible for putting together the document, but ultimately we have a whole bunch of people working on it,” Glommen-McCloskey said. “Everyone has their opinions on what they want the student constitution to be and we are trying to form all those opinions into one document that people can agree on. It belongs to everybody.”
“The Student Association has to approve it as well, so we are going to be getting their input in this process at town hall meetings and things like that, so that they can put what they want into this document.” Glommen-McCloskey said.
Chair Glommen-McCloskey said he hopes the new draft to be completed early next year.
“I don’t have any expectations, I am hoping [to finish] by March because it is going to vote in April and I want a month of leeway. That is going to be a hard push.”
For more information about the SGA and the student constitution, visit studentorg.stcloudstate.edu/stugov/ where the full constitution can be found.
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