Resolution advocates collegiate model of student representation
Former ASUI President and current senate parliamentarian Max Cowan introduced a resolution to the senate Wednesday to support redistricting ASUI by college.
Although the resolution merely expresses support, Cowan — who plans to seek re-election as ASUI president for the 2015-2016 academic year — said if a bill is eventually passed it would change the composition of the ASUI Senate, which is currently divided into districts representing Greek and non-Greek students.
Nathan Romans | Argonaut
President Pro-Tempore Michael Ryan, right, Senate Parliamentarian Max Cowan, center, and ASUI Vice-President Sarah Vetsmany participate in an ASUI Senate meeting Feb. 11. Cowan introduced a resolution Wednesday to support redistricting ASUI by college.
Cowan is also a columnist for The Argonaut.
The senate amended the ASUI Constitution in spring 2011 to establish districts in student elections, and amended the ASUI Rules and Regulations to define districts by living groups — Greek and non-Greek. The districts aimed to make ASUI more inclusive, and encourage students from a wider scope of campus life to participate in student government.
The changes required ASUI senate election results to include three individuals from the Greek district, three from the non-Greek district and two people at-large who could be from either district.
As a second-semester University of Idaho freshman in 2012, Cowan served on the first student senate following the implementation of ASUI districts based on living groups.
“Everyone was excited,” Cowan said. “Everyone was asking questions.”
During Cowan’s first senate term in 2012, another senator attempted to take the redistricting process a step further by drafting a resolution advocating for representation based not on living groups, but on colleges.
It was a bold idea, Cowan said. But when voted on in the senate, he said it failed spectacularly.
“This is my fourth year on campus, and next year will be my fifth,” Cowan said. “Over the past five years, nothing of substance has really changed within ASUI, and although the way the districts are set up was promising, it is a promise that has been unfulfilled.”
Cowan said the time to redistrict ASUI is now. His proposed resolution is a resurrected version of the bill proposed in 2012 supporting ASUI representation based on colleges.
Cowan said the intention of redistricting hasn’t changed. Four years ago, when the districts were created, the senate hoped to see increased student involvement. But Cowan said there hasn’t been much of an increase in participation.
“There are not more senators running for ASUI Senate than previous years, there are not more off-campus students, there are not more from the residence halls, and I think we see a lot of people from the same Greek houses,” Cowan said. “We have two students from the College of Natural Resources, and two, maybe three students who live off-campus, but if you were trying to apportion by percentage, we would see at least 10 senators should live off-campus.”
There are two differences between the new resolution and the failed 2012 bill, Cowan said. First, according to Cowan, the current ASUI Senate has shown enthusiasm in tackling issues such as the redistricting process. Second, Cowan said he would seek support far outside ASUI to implement the new districts.
“We need the involvement of more than just ourselves,” Cowan said. “We need (Interfraternity Council), Panhellenic, (Residence Hall Association), the colleges. We’re not going to be a part of this process simply by sitting in a back room talking among other members of ASUI — that’s not going to make us more inclusive.”
ASUI President Nate Fisher, who was at an Idaho State Board of Education meeting in Boise during Wednesday’s meeting, said he has made redistricting ASUI a prominent part of his platform as he also prepares to campaign for re-election. While Fisher said he was surprised to hear Cowan drafted a resolution addressing ASUI districts, he said he’s glad he and Cowan seem to agree ASUI should be redistricted by college.
Even so, Fisher said he’s hesitant to rush into legislation just yet.
“I think that this is a really large issue — what we need to do is research all options,” Fisher said. “It’s my understanding that (Cowan) is moving toward representation via colleges, and while I think that is one idea, it’s certainly not all possibilities, and more research or data is a necessity. A collegiate model is my position, but it’s a very large topic, and I don’t want to be too hasty or rush into anything.”
The ASUI Senate will vote on Cowan’s resolution next Wednesday. In the meantime, Cowan said he’s optimistic about the prospect of working with Fisher and other factions of campus to move the university forward.
“I think that in seeing how our campus works over the past four years, I’ve come to understand that no one succeeds in a vacuum,” Cowan said. “Things get done through the collaboration of hard-working individuals.”
Hannah Shirley can be reached at [email protected]