Diversity concerns prompted student council leaders to reject
presidential appointments during the undergraduate
government’s first regular meeting on Tuesday.
In its kickoff session for the 2002-2003 academic year, the
Undergraduate Students Association Council voted down 1-5-2
President David Dahle’s recommendations to the
council’s seven-member judicial board.
USAC’s J-Board interprets the Undergraduate Student
Association constitution to decide on cases presented to the board,
which in recent memory have been primarily directed at student
government elections.
Several council members cited Dahle’s choices as lacking
diversity, with three male applicants and one female applicant, all
of whom were white.
The applicants ““ Mark Belgen, Maegen Clark, Michael
Filipiak and Owen Paun ““Â were rejected despite no
objections to their skills for the positions.
“I’m kind of confused because all of them were
considered qualified,” Dahle said.
Council members opposing the appointments did not challenge the
applicants’ qualifications, but recommended a process to
include students of more varied backgrounds.
“Race and gender should be taken into
consideration,” said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Robbie
Clark. “I would like newer people, but (the applicants) are
qualified.”
Clark said that as a black woman, her voice and experiences
would not have been represented on the J-Board.
All of the applicants were dumbfounded by the council’s
actions, which also included tabling the final decision to next
Tuesday’s meeting.
“I wished we would’ve been appointed based on our
qualifications and not have race or gender come into play,”
said Filipiak, a fourth-year political science student.
Paun said he understood the diversity concerns but did not see
“how it plays in evaluating constitutional issues.”
Ryan Wilson, who cast the lone affirmative vote for the
appointments ““ Dahle does not vote except for a tiebreaking
situation ““Â said council should have confidence in
Dahle’s recommendations.
“When the president forwards an appointment we should be
able to trust that he forwards the most qualified people,”
Wilson said.
While he also did not challenge the thoughts about diversity on
the J-Board, Wilson expressed concern over how much diversity is
emphasized in the process.
“When you get to hand-selecting and tailoring the J-Board
to include certain interests, then you are defeating the purpose of
a J-Board because it’s supposed to be impartial,”
Wilson said.
External Vice President Chris Neal recommended Dahle reopen the
process to allow for a more diverse applicant pool.
After the meeting, Dahle spoke with the applicants and convinced
Paun, a fifth-year European studies student, to apply for the
Student Conduct Committee, a body similar to the J-Board but
external to USAC.
He said he would resubmit the remaining three applicants and
spend the next week filling the fourth spot.