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Committee courts controversy
Student Government looks set to run headlong into another controversy over the next few weeks.
Its Constitutional Review Committee circulated proposed amendments to its constitution Tuesday for university organizations to share with their members.
However, one proposed amendment has caused concern among several quarters. Chief among these are students and faculty of the Mass Communications department.
The amendment in question is to Article 1, Section 8, Item b of the constitution, which deals with student-funded media.
The current constitution states that: "Student-funded media shall not be subject to prior censorship nor shall the allocation process be used as a means of editorial control. Student funded media editors and managers shall not be suspended or removed from their positions during the term of their office except for substantial and compelling reasons and under prescribed procedures. Student media editors and managers shall adhere to all laws relative to the media, and to professional journalistic standards."
Under the proposed amendments, only the first sentence of the section would remain, while the remaining sentences are to be stricken off.
Efforts to contact Student Government officials for comment proved futile. Its president, Shahjehan Ganny, would not comment except to direct questions to Yorgun Marcel, the chair of the Constitutional Review Committee. A message left through Ganny for Marcel was left unreturned.
Diana Burlison, Student Government's adviser and associate vice president for administrative affairs, also would not comment on the issue, except to say that she had been trying to get "a hold" of Ganny to clarify the issue, but had yet to receive any further information.
"All I can say is that any changes (to the constitution) have to go before the student body for voting," she said.
Students are expected to vote on the ratification of the constitution on April 24 and 25. Under the present constitution, a simple majority is required for the amendments to be approved. However, at least 8 percent of the student population must cast their votes in order for it to be made official.
The approved amendments are then sent to the university president for approval. If approved, the amendments are adopted immediately. If the university president modifies the constitution, it will be submitted back to the student body for approval.
If the original amendments are disapproved either by the student body or the university president, or if the university president's modifications are not approved by the student body, the proposed amendments are sent back to the Constitutional Review Committee for "further action."
But there are certain limitations to what Student Government can and cannot do with their constitution.
Nathan Church, vice president of student life and development, also did not want to comment on the issue, but stated that there are certain restrictions that Student Government has to abide by as SCSU is a member institute of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
A check of MnSCU's constitution found the following: "Student-funded publications shall be free of censorship and advance approval of copy, and their editors and managers shall be free to develop their own editorial and news coverage policies. Editors and managers of student publications shall be protected from arbitrary suspension and removal because of student, faculty, administrative, or public disapproval of editorial policy or content. The student fee allocation process shall not be used as a means of editorial control of student-funded publications."
"What constrains (any amendment to the constitution) is that the constitution is driven partly by MnSCU policy," Church said. "(Amendments) have to be in compliance with MnSCU policy."
Leslie Andres can be reached at: [email protected]
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